Ir Single-Atom Catalyst on Ce-Modified Cobalt Oxide

Outstanding acidic OER stability

Ce modification tailors the local structure of the spinel support, stabilizing Ir single atoms and enhancing metal-oxygen covalency for superior acidic OER activity and durability.

Zhang, Chunyu · Li, Hao · Yang, Guang · Li, Shuang · Kang, Yu · CUI, Yi

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2026

Specifications

OER overpotential

{'zh': '254', 'en': '254'} mV

Stability

{'zh': '300', 'en': '300'} h

PEM electrolysis stability

{'zh': '90', 'en': '90'} h

Advantages

Low Ir loading

Ir is atomically dispersed, maximizing noble metal utilization.

Greatly improved stability

Ce incorporation stabilizes Ir single atoms and enhances metal-oxygen covalency, enabling 300 h operation with minimal degradation.

PEM electrolyzer ready

Remains stable for 90 h at 500 mA cm⁻² in a PEM electrolyzer, demonstrating practical applicability.

Clear mechanism

SIMS and molecular probe tests confirm the adsorbate evolution mechanism, informing catalyst design.

Applications

• Acidic OER catalysts：Directly replace current acidic OER catalysts with higher activity and stability.
• PEM water electrolysis：Use as anode catalyst in PEM electrolyzers to reduce Ir loading while ensuring durability.
• Noble metal single-atom catalysts：Demonstrate stabilization of noble metal single atoms via support doping for practical use.
• Electrocatalytic oxygen evolution：Provide highly active and durable catalyst for acidic electrocatalytic oxygen evolution.