Cover Feature: Electrocatalytic Water Oxidation by MnOx/C: In Situ Catalyst Formation, Carbon Substrate Variations, and Direct O2/CO2 Monitoring by Membrane‐Inlet Mass Spectrometry (ChemSusChem 22/2017)

The Cover Feature shows a new anode type for water‐oxidation catalysis and its combination with the direct monitoring of gaseous reaction products by mass‐spectrometry. Here, layered manganese oxides (birnessites) were directly deposited on carbon during reactions of permanganate with different—also nanostructured—carbon substrates. The highest and most stable water‐oxidation currents were observed for birnessites on graphitic carbon where mass spectra confirmed high faradaic O2 yields. On the other hand, supports containing more sp3 carbon atoms corroded, leading to significant CO2 evolution. The good performance and low material cost of MnOx/Cgraphitic anodes makes them, for example, attractive components for light‐driven water electrolysers. More information can be found in the Full Paper by Melder et al. on page 4491 in Issue 22, 2017 (DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201701383).