Oxygenability

Oxygenability is a term used in chemical and materials science to describe the propensity of a substance or surface to incorporate or absorb oxygen. It is distinct from oxygen solubility, which refers to the amount of oxygen that can dissolve in a liquid, and from oxidation potential, which describes a material’s tendency to lose electrons to oxygen. Instead, oxygenability focuses on the kinetic and thermodynamic aspects of oxygen binding to a material’s lattice or surface.

The concept is particularly relevant in the development of battery electrodes, corrosion-resistant alloys, and catalytic membranes. For example, in lithium‑ion batteries, cathode materials with high oxygenability can accommodate lattice oxygen rearrangements during charge and discharge, enhancing capacity and cycle life. In corrosion science, a metal’s oxygenability determines how readily it forms protective oxide layers, influencing durability in humid or oxidizing environments. Catalysts that are highly oxygenable can more effectively activate oxygen for subsequent reactions, improving catalytic efficiency in processes such as fuel cell operation or environmental remediation.

Measurement of oxygenability typically involves spectroscopic techniques such as X‑ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), combined with thermal analysis methods. Computational approaches, such as density functional theory (DFT) calculations, are also employed to predict oxygen binding energies and diffusion pathways. Quantitative descriptors include the oxygen binding energy, the activation barrier for oxygen diffusion, and the oxygen diffusion coefficient under given temperature conditions.

Understanding and optimizing oxygenability enables engineers to design materials with tailored oxidation behavior, improving performance in energy storage, catalysis, and structural applications.