Exploring the Structure–Function Relationship in Iridium–Cobalt Oxide Catalyst for Oxygen Evolution Reaction across Different Electrolyte Media

Labata, Marc Francis; Kakati, Nitul; Li, Guangfu; Altoe, Virginia; Chuang, Po-Ya Abel

doi:10.1021/acscatal.4c06814

Title: Exploring the Structure–Function Relationship in Iridium–Cobalt Oxide Catalyst for Oxygen Evolution Reaction across Different Electrolyte Media

Journal Article · 15 January 2025 · ACS Catalysis

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.4c06814 · OSTI ID:2544247

Labata, Marc Francis ^[1];

^[1]; Li, Guangfu ^[2]; Altoe, Virginia ^[3];

^[1]

Univ. of California, Merced, CA (United States)
Univ. of California, Merced, CA (United States); Foshan Xianhu Laboratory of the Advanced Energy Science and Technology, Guangdong (China)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Molecular Foundry

Renewable hydrogen generation from water electrolysis offers a viable path to decarbonization if the costs can be reduced. The iridium-based anode catalyst is one of the most expensive components in electrolyzers. We propose reducing iridium usage by substituting Ir with Co, a more affordable metal, in the mixed oxide phase to enhance the catalytic activity while minimizing Ir consumption. A modified surfactant-assisted Adams fusion synthesis technique was developed as a scalable method for producing IrCo oxide nanoparticles. The synthesized material outperforms the commercial baseline, iridium oxide with carbon (IrOx_C), in both acidic and alkaline media. Acid etching (IrCo_ae) further enhances activity by selectively removing Co to expose more active sites. IrCo_ae achieved a significantly lower overpotential at 10 mA/cm² compared to IrOx_C, with reductions of approximately 18% under acidic conditions and 14% under alkaline conditions. This work demonstrates that the proposed synthesis method enables efficient Ir utilization and can be adapted to enhance catalyst stability for renewable hydrogen production.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities (SUF)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 2544247

Journal Information:: ACS Catalysis, Journal Name: ACS Catalysis Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 15; ISSN 2155-5435

Publisher:: American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
electrolysis
hydrogen
iridium–cobalt
modified Adams fusion
oxygen evolution reaction

Title: Exploring the Structure–Function Relationship in Iridium–Cobalt Oxide Catalyst for Oxygen Evolution Reaction across Different Electrolyte Media

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