Abstract
The development of non-precious metal-based anode electrocatalysts is a crucial step towards the large-scale deployment of proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE). However, the significant dissolution of non-precious metal materials poses a substantial challenge to their application in PEMWE. In this study, we introduce a dynamically stable anode material consisting of lanthanum-doped cobalt manganese oxide that operates under ampere-level current densities. This anode material exhibits bulk structural stability and maintains a dynamic equilibrium of active sites on its surface. The anode demonstrates sustained performance for over 200 hours at 5 amperes per square centimeter and 1200 hours at 2 amperes per square centimeter in PEMWE. Experimental and computational analyses confirm that the re-deposition of active species at the working potential is responsible for achieving dynamic stability at ampere-level current densities. This innovative concept of a dynamically stable electrocatalyst expands the potential of non-precious metal oxide anodes in PEMWE, reducing reliance on the limited supply of iridium without compromising hydrogen production rates.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Energy and Environmental Science |
| DOIs | |
| State | Accepted/In press - 2025 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Funding
This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22239001 and 22472053), the National Ten Thousand Talent Program for Young Top-notch Talent, the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (23520710700 and 23ZR1416800), the Shanghai Pilot Program for Basic Research (22TQ1400100-12), the “Dawn” Program of Shanghai Education Commission (22SG28) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities. The authors also thank the 1W1B-XAFS Beamline of Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility ( https://cstr.cn/31109.02.BSRF.1W1B ) for providing technical support and assistance in XAFS data collection.