Nanoelectrocatalysts for Anodic Oxygen Evolution in Acid: A Review
Jieyu Yang, Wenli Zhao, Fenghua Xu, Xiaodong Hu, Baicheng Weng
Abstract
Hydrogen production from proton exchange membrane electrolysis cells (PEMECs) has gained increasing attention due to their high efficiency, low maintenance cost, fast dynamics, and high hydrogen purity. However, large-scale hydrogen production in PEMECs has been hampered by the high cost of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts, such as IrO 2 and RuO 2 . It is therefore highly imperative to develop acidic electrocatalysts with high activity, long-term durability, and low cost. In this review, we will brief the basic concept of the OER, discuss the acidic OER mechanism, summarize the latest research progress of the OER catalysts, including noble metal based catalysts and non noble metal based catalysts, and categorize the strategies that are expected to improve the activity and stability of catalysts. The morphology and size effects resulting from nanostructures are discussed, and the issues, critical challenges, and perspectives facing acidic OER catalysts are also discussed. The review therefore could provide the reader with guidance for improving the activities of the OER electrocatalysts in acid.