Tunnel-structured IrOx unlocks catalytic efficiency in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers
Abstract Proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers face challenges due to high iridium loading and sluggish oxygen evolution reaction kinetics when using conventional rutile-structured iridium oxide nanocatalysts. Here we find that iridium oxide catalysts with a specific tunnel-type crystal struc...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62861-0 |
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| author | Mingcheng Zhang Wei An Qianqian Liu Yuzhu Jiang Xiao Zhao Hui Chen Yongcun Zou Xiao Liang Xiaoxin Zou |
| author_facet | Mingcheng Zhang Wei An Qianqian Liu Yuzhu Jiang Xiao Zhao Hui Chen Yongcun Zou Xiao Liang Xiaoxin Zou |
| author_sort | Mingcheng Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers face challenges due to high iridium loading and sluggish oxygen evolution reaction kinetics when using conventional rutile-structured iridium oxide nanocatalysts. Here we find that iridium oxide catalysts with a specific tunnel-type crystal structure exhibit highly localized reactivity, where regions at tunnel mouths drive oxygen evolution far more efficiently than tunnel-wall regions. The intrinsic activity of tunnel mouths is 25-fold higher than that of tunnel walls, with shorter nanorods achieving a better balance between active site exposure and electron/mass transport efficiency. When implemented in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers, this engineered catalyst achieves notable performance at low iridium loading (0.28 mgIr cm−2), delivering over 2.0 A cm−2 at 1.8 V (80 °C) and operating stably for 1800 h—notably outperforming conventional catalysts. Our work identifies catalytic hotspots in tunnel-structured oxides and demonstrates their rational integration into high-performance, durable electrolyzer systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e532dbaba29647f6bdb6a38538564eca |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-e532dbaba29647f6bdb6a38538564eca2025-08-20T03:46:17ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-08-0116111510.1038/s41467-025-62861-0Tunnel-structured IrOx unlocks catalytic efficiency in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzersMingcheng Zhang0Wei An1Qianqian Liu2Yuzhu Jiang3Xiao Zhao4Hui Chen5Yongcun Zou6Xiao Liang7Xiaoxin Zou8State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin UniversityState Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin UniversityState Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin UniversityState Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin UniversityKey Laboratory of Automobile Materials of MOE, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin UniversityState Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin UniversityState Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin UniversityState Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin UniversityState Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin UniversityAbstract Proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers face challenges due to high iridium loading and sluggish oxygen evolution reaction kinetics when using conventional rutile-structured iridium oxide nanocatalysts. Here we find that iridium oxide catalysts with a specific tunnel-type crystal structure exhibit highly localized reactivity, where regions at tunnel mouths drive oxygen evolution far more efficiently than tunnel-wall regions. The intrinsic activity of tunnel mouths is 25-fold higher than that of tunnel walls, with shorter nanorods achieving a better balance between active site exposure and electron/mass transport efficiency. When implemented in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers, this engineered catalyst achieves notable performance at low iridium loading (0.28 mgIr cm−2), delivering over 2.0 A cm−2 at 1.8 V (80 °C) and operating stably for 1800 h—notably outperforming conventional catalysts. Our work identifies catalytic hotspots in tunnel-structured oxides and demonstrates their rational integration into high-performance, durable electrolyzer systems.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62861-0 |
| spellingShingle | Mingcheng Zhang Wei An Qianqian Liu Yuzhu Jiang Xiao Zhao Hui Chen Yongcun Zou Xiao Liang Xiaoxin Zou Tunnel-structured IrOx unlocks catalytic efficiency in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers Nature Communications |
| title | Tunnel-structured IrOx unlocks catalytic efficiency in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers |
| title_full | Tunnel-structured IrOx unlocks catalytic efficiency in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers |
| title_fullStr | Tunnel-structured IrOx unlocks catalytic efficiency in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tunnel-structured IrOx unlocks catalytic efficiency in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers |
| title_short | Tunnel-structured IrOx unlocks catalytic efficiency in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers |
| title_sort | tunnel structured irox unlocks catalytic efficiency in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62861-0 |
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