Balancing the electronic structure and surface reconstruction of Cu-based nanostructures for iodide oxidation reactions

A CuO nanorod array grown on Cu foam (CuO NA/CF) was synthesized via an in situ etching and oxidation process, enabling both electronic modulation and morphological engineering. The CuO NA/CF catalyst demonstrates excellent iodide oxidation reaction activity, requiring only 1.36 V to achieve a current density of 50 mA cm⁻², along with remarkable operational stability. In situ Raman spectroscopy reveals that CuO remains stable in alkaline solutions and serves as the most active phase compared to metallic Cu and Cu₂O, which was further supported by theoretical calculations.