Supported Iridium Catalysts for Water Electrolysers
Authors: Regmi Yagya N , Lau Thomas , Decarolis Donato , Beale Andrew , Ronning Magnus , King Laurie 
Published: February 2024

It is essential to reduce iridium in water electrolysers without compromising performance to lower the cost of green hydrogen. One strategy often used in catalysis to reduce precious metal catalyst usage is to deposit catalysts on high surface area supports. However, the catalyst supports need to be stable under the reaction conditions and also economically viable. Additionally, the catalyst-support moieties need to be sufficiently conductive. In this project, we explore platinum coated titanium dioxide as supports for iridium catalysts. Platinum is necessary to improve conductivity of the support motifs. Without this conductive platinum layer, extremely high (75 wt%) iridium loadings are needed to prepare commercially viable supported iridium catalysts.1, 2 In this work we synthesise and characterise a systematic series of catalysts whereby the Pt loading is varied in order to understand the loading effect on conductivity, and thus, electrocatalytic activities and durabilities.

Previously, we have demonstrated the efficacy of a Pt conductive layer as an effective strategy for boosting the mass activity of Iridium in a half-cell configuration.4 However, translating the performance, more critically durability, in a device remained to be demonstrated. Here, we also begin by rapidly assessing the electrochemical performance of the library of prepared catalysts in a half-cell configuration (rotating disk electrodes, RDEs). Subsequently, catalysts that show promising activity and durability in half-cell are integrated into a PEM electrolyser. This approach is economic and efficient since integrating catalysts into membrane electrode assemblies and running electrolyser tests are resource and time intensive. However, there are challenges associated with replicating activity and durability from half-cell to device performance.3 Thus, we also explore methodologies and strategies to optimise our half-cell investigations to mimic full device conditions more closely. We have demonstrated that our strategy to engineer iridium catalysts has led to greater than 50% reduction in iridium content necessary in water electrolysers. And yet, our devices show performance and durability comparable to state-of-the-art technology.

In this presentation we will discuss remaining challenges for hydrogen production using proton exchange membrane water electrolysers. We will also present materials characterisations and electrochemical performance of our catalysts in half-cell and full device configuration.

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