Limitations of aqueous model systems in the stability assessment of electrocatalysts for oxygen reactions in fuel cell and electrolyzers

Abstract

Cost and stability remain the greatest technical barriers to sustainably commercialize low-temperature fuel cells and electrolyzers. For tackling this problem, numerous advanced electrocatalysts have been proposed and tested in aqueous model systems. There are, however, increasing and evident concerns regarding the value of stability data coming from such studies. Hence, we anticipate that finding new approaches to assess degradation will be a major undertaking in electrocatalysis research in the next years. Specifically, existing differences between fundamental and actual systems have to be addressed first: (a) electrode architecture; (b) electrolyte; (c) reactant and product transport; and (d) operating conditions. In this perspective, we discuss their influence on the stability of electrocatalysts using the challenging oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions as illustrative cases.