Tuesday publication post! 📖 In this post from the #UniversitéGrenobleAlpes and #UniversitéParisCité, authors Delphine Clauss and Jaysen Nelayah have looked at the synthesis of iridium oxide nanoparticles (IrOx NPs) using the #AtmosphereAX system! These particles hold great promise for reducing #catalyst costs in proton-exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWE). However, their high oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity often comes at the cost of stability—a challenge that limits their long-term performance.
🔥The synthesizing and annealing IrOx NPs supported on carbon (IrOx/C) was followed across a temperature range of 340–870°C, creating a material library from small amorphous nanoparticles to larger crystalline IrO₂ structures.
🔬In situ microscopy and spectroscopy provided real-time insights into how particle size, crystallinity, and chemistry dictate both OER performance and degradation mechanisms.
What did they see?
✅ Optimal balance of activity and stability was achieved at 520°C.
✅ Size control of unsupported small IrO₂ NPs was possible above 500°C.
âś… Sacrificial support effects played a crucial role in shaping nanostructured catalysts.
By adding in situ characterization to static techniques, the authors were able to directly observe how nanoscale transformations impact electrocatalytic behavior. These insights can help to design next-generation, durable PEMWE catalysts!
Want to read the entire paper? Find it here!
https://www.doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.4c06396
