journal article·2026-05-11Open access

Mn‐Induced Support Stabilization and Ir Electronic Activation Enable Acid‐Stable, Low‐Loading IrO 2 Water Oxidation

Zhe Liu, Guoxin Ma, Shixiang Yu, Rui Jin, Fei Wang, Xinxin Wen, Mengxin Chen, Yani Ding, Jia Liu, Xinkai Guo, Diab Khalafallah, Hassan Fouad, Xiao Ren, Siwei Li

Abstract

ABSTRACT The practical application of low‐iridium catalysts for the acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is primarily constrained by the intertwined issues of inadequate activity and stability. Incorporation of Mn into such low‐iridium catalysts is effective, yet the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study addresses the mechanistic role of Mn doping in enhancing the activity and stability of low‐loading IrO 2 /Co 3 O 4 catalysts. By incorporating Mn 3+ into the octahedral sites of Co 3 O 4 , Mn induces strong Mn─O covalency that reinforces the spinel lattice and stabilizes ultra‐low‐loading IrO 2 nanoparticles, delivering a 51 mV reduction in overpotential and a six‐fold enhancement in operational stability compared to its undoped counterpart at a current density of 10 mA cm −2 . In situ spectroscopic analyses and theoretical calculations decipher the dual role of Mn: it reinforces lattice integrity through strong covalent Mn─O bonds, suppressing ion leaching, while concurrently activating the Ir sites via interfacial Mn─O─Ir electron transfer, which optimizes intermediate adsorption and promotes the efficient oxide‐path mechanism (OPM). This work demonstrates that the targeted dual‐regulation of support chemistry establishes a general principle for designing high‐performance, low‐loading IrO 2 catalysts for acidic OER.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion · Catalytic Processes in Materials Science · Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

State Key Laboratory of Fluorine & Nitrogen Chemicals School of Chemical Engineering and Technology Xi'an Jiaotong University Xi'an P.R. China

Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology School of Basic Medical Sciences Health Science Center Xi'an Jiaotong University Xi'an P.R. China

Institute of Electronic and Information Engineering of UESTC in Guangdong Dongguan P.R. China

Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Engineering College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering Peking University Beijing P.R. China

Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment (ISCE2) Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Jurong Island Singapore

International Research Center for Renewable Energy State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering School of Energy and Power Engineering Xi'an Jiaotong University Xi'an P.R. China

Instrumental Analysis Center Xi'an Jiaotong University Xi'an P.R. China

Mechanical Design and Materials Department Faculty of Energy Engineering Aswan University Aswan Egypt

Health Sciences Department College of Applied Studies King Saud University Riyadh Saudi Arabia

Funding

National Key Research and Development Program of China · King Saud University · National Natural Science Foundation of China

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