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Highly Interdiffused W-Ir Interfaces Enhances Acidic Oxygen Evolution
Xinyu Che1, Feiyang Yu2, Wenjun Yang1
1State Key Laboratory of Bioinspired Interfacial Materials Science, Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P. R. China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|June 22, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a tungsten-modified iridium dioxide catalyst for enhanced oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE). The new catalyst shows superior activity and stability, overcoming limitations of traditional iridium catalysts.
Area of Science:
- Catalysis and electrochemistry
- Materials science
- Sustainable energy technologies
Background:
- Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) requires efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts.
- Traditional iridium-based catalysts face challenges with low atomic utilization and poor long-term stability.
- Developing advanced OER catalysts is crucial for practical PEMWE applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer a novel catalyst with improved OER performance and stability for PEMWE.
- To investigate the effect of non-precious metal doping on iridium dioxide catalyst structure and activity.
- To understand the mechanism behind enhanced catalytic performance.
Main Methods:
- Atomic-level doping of iridium dioxide (IrO2) with tungsten (W) to create a highly interdiffused interface.
- Electrocatalytic performance testing for OER at various current densities and overpotentials.
- Long-term stability testing of the catalyst in a PEMWE system.
- Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and transient potential scanning (TPS) measurements to elucidate reaction mechanisms.
Main Results:
- The W-IrO2/WO3 catalyst achieved an overpotential of 204 mV at 10 mA cm-2, significantly enhancing catalytic activity.
- Demonstrated exceptional long-term stability with a degradation rate of only 0.02 mV h-1 after 1000 hours.
- Operated continuously in a PEMWE system at 1.7 V and 1.05 A cm-2 for 720 hours without significant performance decay.
- DFT calculations confirmed that tungsten ions lower the energy barrier for OER on the IrO2 surface.
Conclusions:
- The structural optimization of W-doped IrO2 creates a highly interdiffused interface, boosting reaction kinetics and charge transfer.
- This novel catalyst design offers a promising alternative to traditional catalysts, improving efficiency and durability for PEMWE.
- The findings pave the way for more cost-effective and stable hydrogen production via water electrolysis.
Keywords:
interdiffuse interfaceiridium oxideoxygen evolution reactiontransient potential scanningtungsten dopingMore Related Videos
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