EnergyScience

Breakthrough Catalyst Shows Temperature-Dependent Performance Shift in Water Electrolysis Systems

A novel binary metal oxide catalyst demonstrates exceptional performance in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers, maintaining industrial current densities for over 1000 hours. However, researchers discovered its reaction mechanism changes with temperature, impacting long-term stability under industrial operating conditions.

Advanced Catalyst Revolutionizes Water Electrolysis Performance

Researchers have developed a binary metal oxide catalyst that significantly enhances acidic water oxidation efficiency, according to reports in Nature Communications. The RhRu3Ox material demonstrated an exceptionally low overpotential of 184 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² and maintained stability exceeding 200 hours in laboratory testing, substantially outperforming conventional RuO2 catalysts which typically sustain less than 50 hours. When integrated into practical electrolyzer systems, the catalyst reportedly maintained industrially relevant current densities of 200 mA cm⁻² for over 1000 hours at room temperature, sources indicate.