Publication date: 15th December 2025
The transition of the energy sector toward renewable sources demands environmentally sustainable technologies capable of storing power through the interconversion of chemical and electrical energy. However, scaling up electrochemical devices for energy conversion and storage remains challenging due to the limited efficiency and the insufficient durability of existing electrocatalyst materials [1]. These challenges are particularly pronounced in electrochemical systems operating under corrosive acidic conditions, where long-term stability and high activity can typically be achieved only with platinum-group metals (PGMs). Consequently, scarce and costly Pt- and Ir-based catalysts continue to dominate applications such as acidic water electrolysis and fuel cells. To enable widespread use, electrochemical energy-conversion technologies must employ strategies that lower noble-metal content yet preserve activity and stability. Achieving this requires a deep understanding of how the nature of active sites, their reactivity, and their degradation pathways are interrelated, ideally at the atomic scale [2-4].
In this talk, the feasibility of lowering PGM content while preserving key functional properties will be discussed with emphasis on Pt alloys and Ir-based mixed oxide electrocatalysts. Particular attention is given to the evolution of the structure and composition of the outermost atomic layers under polarization in acidic electrolytes. Temporal transformations of the active layer are elucidated through a combination of advanced electrochemical techniques, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atom probe tomography. Strategies for stabilizing active sites at the electrode surface are discussed. Altogether, these insights advance the understanding of structure–function relationships in electrocatalysis and support the design of new, active, and durable materials with reduced PGM content.
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