Efficient catalytic decomposition of sulfuric acid with copper vanadates as an oxygen-generating reaction for solar thermochemical water splitting cycles.

Copper pyrovanadate (Cu(2)V(2)O(7)) was found for the first time to achieve the high catalytic activity for the decomposition of sulfuric acid to evolve O(2) at moderate temperatures around 650 °C, which is essential for the development of solar thermochemical water splitting cycles.