Surfactant-free Ir nanoparticles synthesized in ethanol: Catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction

The development of highly active catalysts relies on the development of simple synthesis methods. Ir based materials are state of the art catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the anode reaction for water electrolysis, a key technology for more sustainable energy supply. Here, metallic Ir NPs ca. 2 nm in diameter are simply obtained by reducing IrCl3 in ethanol only, without any additives. The colloidal dispersion is used to obtain Ir NPs supported on a carbon material at different metal loadings which can be employed as OER catalysts.