Ultrastable supported oxygen evolution electrocatalyst formed by ripening-induced embedding

The future deployment of terawatt-scale proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer (PEMWE) technology necessitates development of an efficient oxygen evolution catalyst with low cost and long lifetime. Currently, the stability of the most active iridium (Ir) catalysts is impaired by dissolution, redeposition, detachment, and agglomeration of Ir species. Here we present a ripening-induced embedding strategy that securely embeds the Ir catalyst in a cerium oxide support. Cryogenic electron tomography and all-atom kinetic Monte Carlo simulations reveal that synchronizing the growth rate of the support with the nucleation rate of Ir, regulated by sonication, is pivotal for successful synthesis. A PEMWE using this catalyst achieves a cell voltage of 1.72 volts at a current density of 3 amperes per square centimeter with an Ir loading of just 0.3 milligrams per square centimeter and a voltage degradation rate of 1.33 microvolts per hour, as demonstrated by a 6000-hour accelerated aging test.