Biomass‑derived graphene boosts ultra‑low iridium OER catalyst for PEM electrolysis

The study focuses on proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis, a leading technology for green hydrogen production in which the OER at the anode remains a major bottleneck due to slow kinetics and high energy consumption. Iridium is one of the few materials that are sufficiently active and stable for OER under acidic PEM conditions, but its high cost and limited availability make it essential to minimize Ir usage.

Researchers from China’s Yunnan Normal University, the State Key Laboratory of Advanced Metallurgy for Non-ferrous Metals and Kunming University of Science and Technology have developed a graphene-based electrocatalyst that delivers efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance while using an ultra-low amount of iridium. The work showcases how biomass-derived graphene can actively boost catalytic activity and, at the same time, reduce dependence on scarce noble metals.The study focuses on proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis, a leading technology for green hydrogen production in which the OER at the anode remains a major bottleneck due to slow kinetics and high energy consumption. Iridium is one of the few materials that are sufficiently active and stable for OER under acidic PEM conditions, but its high cost and limited availability make it essential to minimize Ir usage.

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