A recent publication in American Chemical Society ACS Catalysis explores a critical challenge in proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE): improving the stability of earth-abundant oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts under acidic operating conditions.
In this work, Christopher Pantayatiwong Liu, Huy Dac Huynh, Vivek Shastry Devalla, Iryna V. Zenyuk, and Plamen Atanassov at University of California, Irvine investigated how lattice structure impacts cobalt oxide durability during acidic OER operation. By comparing conventional Co₃O₄ spinels with HCoO₂ delafossite catalysts, the team demonstrated significantly improved catalyst stability and reduced cobalt dissolution under realistic electrolysis conditions.
Key Highlights
• HCoO₂ exhibited substantially lower cobalt dissolution during acidic OER operation
• Improved performance retention compared to conventional Co₃O₄ catalysts in PEM water electrolysis
• Enhanced durability observed during both galvanostatic and transient cycling conditions
• XPS and electrochemical analysis linked catalyst degradation to surface electronic evolution
• Demonstrated successful integration into PEMWE testing with sustained operational stability
The Takeaway
Engineering catalyst lattice structures may be a key pathway toward stabilizing low-cost, PGM-free OER catalysts for next-generation PEM electrolyzers.
Notably, this study utilized commercially available Scribner single-cell hardware for PEM water electrolyzer testing, featuring precision flow field architecture, controlled compression, thermal management, and reliable electrochemical benchmarking under realistic operating conditions.
Congrats to the authors for advancing the science of acidic OER catalysis and PEM water electrolysis.
