Catalyst Stability Benchmarking for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction - The Importance of Backing Electrode Material and Dissolution in Accelerated Aging Studies
At a Glance
Section titled āAt a Glanceā| Metadata | Details |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 2017-09-18 |
| Journal | ChemSusChem |
| Authors | Simon Geiger, Olga Kasian, Andrea M. Mingers, Shannon S. Nicley, Ken Haenen |
| Institutions | Max-Planck-Institut fĆ¼r Nachhaltige Materialien, Hasselt University |
| Citations | 160 |
Abstract
Section titled āAbstractāAbstract In searching for alternative oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts for acidic water splitting, fast screening of the material intrinsic activity and stability in halfācell tests is of vital importance. The screening process significantly accelerates the discovery of new promising materials without the need of timeāconsuming realācell analysis. In commonly employed tests, a conclusion on the catalyst stability is drawn solely on the basis of electrochemical data, for example, by evaluating potentialāversusātime profiles. Herein important limitations of such approaches, which are related to the degradation of the backing electrode material, are demonstrated. Stateāofātheāart Irāblack powder is investigated for OER activity and for dissolution as a function of the backing electrode material. Even at very short time intervals materials like glassy carbon passivate, increasing the contact resistance and concealing the degradation phenomena of the electrocatalyst itself. Alternative backing electrodes like gold and boronādoped diamond show better stability and are thus recommended for short accelerated aging investigations. Moreover, parallel quantification of dissolution products in the electrolyte is shown to be of great importance for comparing OER catalyst feasibility.