Publication date: 15th December 2025
The acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a critical kinetic bottleneck in proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) water electrolyzers, which are essential for efficient, large-scale green hydrogen production. Here I will discuss recent strategies reported in the field to improve the activity and durability of electrocatalysts for acidic OER which include nanostructuring, defect engineering, doping, support interactions etc. which are approaches that aim to enhance catalyst stability under harsh oxidative conditions. In parallel, I will also present our ongoing efforts using well-defined IrOₓ thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) as model systems to probe structure–activity relationships. Their intrinsic OER activity is evaluated using rotating disk electrode (RDE) measurements in acidic media, while in situ UV–vis spectroscopy is employed to monitor Ir oxidation-state changes during anodic scanning. Overall, this discussion combines recent progresses in catalyst design with mechanistic insights from controlled IrOₓ thin-film studies to help guide the development of more efficient and durable electrocatalysts for next-generation water-splitting technologies.
