Directed Electron Modulation Stabilizes Iridium Oxide Clusters for High‐Current‐Density Oxygen Evolution

作者：He Xian, Jiaqi Tan, Bohan Deng, Wei Zhao, Zhuting Zhang, Zhichuan Zheng, Yufeng Wu, Chong Yang, Xi‐Bo Li, Ming Lei, Hongyi Liu, Kai Huang, Hui Wu · 发表于：Advanced Functional Materials · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1002/adfm.202416385 · 被引用次数：14 · 研究领域：Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion、Advanced battery technologies research、Fuel Cells and Related Materials

Abstract The rapid advancement of the green hydrogen industry has driven a surge in demand for devices that operate over a broad range of current density. Despite this, the development of stable iridium‐based catalysts for high‐current‐density applications in oxygen evolution reactions remains a significant challenge. In this study, directed electron modulation (DEM) of iridium oxide clusters on cobalt hydroxide nanosheets is achieved using a cyclic Joule heating strategy in pure water. The strategy achieves a rapid change of environmental energy during electronic modulation through Joule heating, which ensures strong electronic coupling between IrO 2 and Co(OH) 2 without significant changes in initial catalyst nanostructure and cluster size. Directed electron modulation optimizes the reactant adsorption ability of the active center (IrO 2 cluster) and corresponding reaction kinetics are improved, resulting in the catalyst (DEM‐IrO 2 @Co(OH) 2 ‐NF) showing excellent performance. The DEM‐IrO 2 @Co(OH) 2 ‐NF exhibits excellent catalytic activity in alkaline electrolytes with only 296 mV overpotential up to 1 A cm −2 and no significant degradation in 1000 h stability test at 1 A cm −2 . Additionally, the anion exchange membrane electrolyzer using DEM‐IrO 2 @Co(OH) 2 ‐NF||Pt/C requires only 1.68 V at 1 A cm −2 and remains stable for 200 h. This work will provide new directions for optimization of active centers.