Spin matters: a multidisciplinary roadmap to understanding spin effects in oxygen evolution reaction during water electrolysis

DOI: 10.1002/aenm.202503556

Authors: Emma Van Der Minne (University of Twente) , Priscila Vensaus (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL); Universidad Nacional de San Martín) , Vadim Ratovskii (University of Twente) , Seenivasan Hariharan (University of Amsterdam; QuSoft; Quantum Application Lab) , Jan Behrends (Freie Universität Berlin) , Cesare Franchini (University of Vienna; University of Bologna) , Jonas Fransson (Uppsala University) , Sarnjeet S. Dhesi (Diamond Light Source) , Felix Gunkel (University of Twente; Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH) , Florian Gossing (Kiel University) , Georgios Katsoukis (University of Twente) , Ulrike I. Kramm (Technische Universität Darmstadt) , Magalí Lingenfelder (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL); Helvetia Institute for Science and Innovation) , Qianqian Lan (Ernst Ruska-Centrum für Mikroskopie und Spektroskopie mit Elektronen (ER-C-1), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH) , Yury V. Kolen'Ko (International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL)) , Yang Li (University of Cambridge) , Ramsundar Rani Mohan (International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL)) , Jeffrey Mccord (Kiel University) , Lingmei Ni (Technische Universität Darmstadt) , Eva Pavarini (Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH) , Rossitza Pentcheva (University of Duisburg-Essen) , David H. Waldeck (University of Pittsburgh) , Michael Verhage (Eindhoven University of Technology) , Anke Yu (Nanyang Technological University) , Zhichuan J. Xu (Nanyang Technological University) , Piero Torelli (Istituto Officina dei Materiali (CNR-IOM)) , Silvia Mauri (Istituto Officina dei Materiali (CNR-IOM)) , Narcis Avarvari (Univ Angers, CNRS, MOLTECH-Anjou) , Anja Bieberle-Hütter (Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research (DIFFER)) , Christoph Baeumer (University of Twente; Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Advanced Energy Materials , VOL 5

State: Published (Approved)
Published: October 2025

Abstract: A central challenge in water electrolysis lies with the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) where the formation of molecular oxygen (O2) is hindered by the constraint of angular momentum conservation. While the reactants OH− or H2O are diamagnetic (DM), the O2 product has a paramagnetic (PM) triplet ground state, requiring a change in spin configuration when being formed. This constraint has prompted interest in spin-selective catalysts as a means to facilitate OER. In this context, the roles of magnetism and chirality-induced spin selectivity (CISS) in promoting the OER reaction have recently been investigated through both theoretical and experimental studies. However, pinpointing the key principles and their relative contribution in mediating spin-enhancement remains a significant challenge. This roadmap offers a forward-looking perspective on current experimental trends and theoretical developments in spin-enhanced OER electrocatalysis and outlines strategic directions for integrating incisive experiments and operando approaches with computational modeling to disentangle key mechanisms. By providing a conceptual framework and identifying critical knowledge gaps, this perspective aims to guide researchers toward dedicated experimental and computational studies that will deepen the understanding of spin-induced OER enhancement and accelerate the development of next-generation catalysts.

Subject Areas: Materials, Chemistry, Physics


Technical Areas:

Added On: 12/10/2025 17:21

Documents:
Advanced Energy Materials - 2025 - van der Minne - Spin Matters A Multidisciplinary Roadmap to Understanding Spin Effects.pdf

Discipline Tags:

Physics Physical Chemistry Catalysis Chemistry Magnetism Materials Science

Technical Tags: