Electrochemical activity of ruthenium and iridium based catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction

International audiencedecomposition process. The suitable heat treatment of the polymeric precursors allowed to recover metal oxides free from organic carbon, which can be oxidized to carbon dioxide during H2O splitting at elevated potentials. The materials were examined by various physicochemical techniques in order to understand their electrochemical behavior as anodes in a 5 cm(2) single proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer. Although the presence of Ir in the electrocatalyst composition contributes undoubtedly to its stability against ruthenium dissolution and the Faradaic efficiency of the PEM electrolysis cell, its great amount increases the overpotential value. The activity of the home made RuxIr1-xO2 anodes towards the oxygen evolution reaction occurs at ca. 1.5 Vat 25 degrees C