Nanovoid Incorporated Ir_xCu Metallic Aerogels for Oxygen Evolution Reaction Catalysis

Ir-based nanomaterials are regarded as state-of-the-art cathode electrocatalysts in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs). Engineering the morphology of Ir-based three-dimensional architectures as electrocatalysts toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) has been rarely studied. Here, we report the gelation of IrxCu metallic hydrogels self-assembled with ultrafine and nanovoid incorporated building blocks for enhancing the electrocatalytic performance toward OER. The composition-optimized Ir3Cu metallic aerogels exhibited improved catalytic activity and durability toward OER. The mesosized voids generated through the in situ galvanic replacement reaction and the macrosized porous systems make a great contribution to the increased number of active sites. First-principle calculations revealed the intrinsic optimized binding energy of Ir by alloying with Cu. The best catalytic performance necessities a balance of the adsorption and desorption energy. The well-defined morphology and enhanced OER electrochemical performances of nanovoid incorporated IrxCu metallic aerogels hold great promise in further applications in PEMWEs.