Gigawatt-scale hydrogen production using proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers may be limited by the availability of iridium (oxide), the current state-of-the-art catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in acid [1]. And yet, iridium-free catalysts have struggled to meet both the activity and stability of iridium oxide, much in part due to the thermodynamic instability of most transition metals in acidic OER conditions. Recently, though, reports of Cu, Co, and/or Mn containing iridium-free spinels have demonstrated promising performance [2–4].Notwithstanding, the degradation mechanisms of these spinel-type catalysts are not well understood, as well as design strategies to mitigate the degradation. To explore these topics, four iridium-free, spinel-type catalysts were synthesized, characterized, and assessed for activity and stability: CuCo2O4, MnCo2O4, Cu0.5Mn0.5Co2O4, and Co3O4. The synthetic route (sacrificial support method) was built upon a previous study on CuCo2O4 for the alkaline OER by our group [5]. X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were performed to investigate the crystal structure (see Figure 1A), surface oxidation state, and morphology of the catalysts, respectively, both before and after accelerated stress tests (ASTs). Additionally, electrolyte samples were taken before and after ASTs to quantify catalyst dissolution.From Figure 1B, linear sweep voltammetry measurements revealed that the mixed metal oxides all demonstrated enhanced mass OER activity compared to the monometallic Co3O4. From chronoamperometry measurements at 1.8 V vs. RHE in 0.1 M HClO4 , the mixed metal oxide catalysts lasted over 20 hours before reaching approx. 10% of the initial activity. Stability testing in a membrane electrode assembly (750 mA cm–2 hold, Nafion 212) demonstrated over 500 hours of operation at approx. 2.6 V. Operando X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and near edge X-ray adsorption fine structure (NEXAFS) experiments, along with in-situ inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) measurements, are planned to complement the pre- and post-AST ex-situ catalyst characterization. Although these materials have yet to reach the activity and stability of iridium oxide, they nonetheless provide insights on a promising family of iridium-free catalysts and their development. Acknowledgements This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant No. (DGE-1839285). Any opinion, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Figure 1
Read full abstract