Breaking the Activity-Durability Trade-Off of Anode Catalysts for Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers

Proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs) provide a perspective approach for producing green hydrogen from renewable energy, while the corresponding iridium/ruthenium (Ir/Ru)-based anode catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) remain a bottleneck toward practical applications. To date, significant advances have been made to the catalysis of the OER by combining advanced spectroscopic characterizations and theoretical simulations, but it is still challenging to comprehensively unravel the activity-stability relationship of these catalysts. In this Perspective, we summarize the recent research progress on how to break the trade-off between the activity and durability of Ir/Ru-based catalysts. We start with a detailed overview of the mechanisms of the OER and clarify the activity-durability relationship from the thermodynamic and kinetic perspectives. Subsequently, advances in breaking the activity-durability trade-off of Ru/Ir-based OER catalysts are critically discussed. Finally, promising research orientations are proposed to inspire future development of high-performance anode catalysts for PEMWEs.