Iridium Oxide (IrO2, Premetek) as Electrocatalysts for Electrolyzer and Fuel Cell, 0.5 g/bottle, CEFCEIrO2
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Iridium Oxide (IrO2) is the primary industrial catalyst for the anode of PEM water electrolyzers. While Platinum (Pt) is the best for hydrogen reactions, it fails at the oxygen side because it forms a non-conductive oxide layer. IrO2 is unique because it remains highly conductive and stable even while under the intense oxidative stress required to split water.
In a PEM water electrolyzer (PEMWE), IrO2 is the benchmark catalyst for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER). (1) Acidic Stability: The anode environment is extremely harsh (low pH and high voltage). IrO2 is one of the only materials that can facilitate the sluggish 4-electron water-splitting reaction without dissolving immediately. (2) Support Materials: Because carbon would corrode at the anode, IrO2 is typically unsupported (Iridium Black) or supported on corrosion-resistant oxides like Titanium Oxide (TiO2) or Antimony-doped Tin Oxide (ATO).
In fuel cells, IrO2 is rarely the main catalyst, but it is a critical anode additive for durability. (1) Voltage Reversal Mitigation: If a fuel cell stack experiences "fuel starvation" (running out of H2), the anode potential can spike above 1.5V. This usually causes the carbon support to oxidize, destroying the cell. (2) Sacrificial Protection: By adding a small amount of IrO2 (typically 5–10% of the anode catalyst) as a co-catalyst, the cell will split water to produce electrons instead of burning its own carbon support, effectively "saving" the fuel cell from permanent damage.
| Part Number |
CEFCEIrO2 |
| Purity |
>99.0% |
| Crystal Structure |
IrO2 crystalline structure (XRD) |
| Metal Surface Area |
15-25 m2/g |
| Tap Density |
1.5-3.0 g/cm3 |
| Metal Crystallite Size |
5-10 nm |
| Catalyst granule size D(100) |
≤ 75 µm |
| Impurities |
≤ 500 ppm |
| Package Size | 0.5 g/bottle |
Notes: Please try to store the IrO2 powder in a dry place.
References:
- S. Siracusano, et al. Electrochemical characterization of single cell and short stack PEM electrolyzers based on a nanosized IrO2 anode electrocatalyst, Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 2010, 35, 5558-5568.
- V. K. Puthiyapura, et al. Investigation of supported IrO2 as electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction in proton exchange membrane water electrolyser, Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 2014, 39, 1905-1913.