Insight into the effect of intercalated alkaline cations of layered manganese oxides on the oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction

The effect of the intercalated alkaline cations between the adjacent layers of multilayered manganese oxide (MnOx) towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) was investigated. Li–MnOx, Na–MnOx, K–MnOx, Rb–MnOx, and Cs–MnOx provide OER overpotentials of 1.64, 1.70, 1.79, 1.83, and 1.84 V vs. RHE, respectively as well as ORR overpotentials of 0.71, 1.06, 1.13, 1.15, and 1.14 V vs. RHE, respectively. Li–MnOx shows the highest bifunctional catalytic activity towards both the ORR and OER. In addition, the Gibbs free energy change of *OH adsorption is found to be the largest throughout the reaction pathways determining the rate of the whole ORR and OER.