Recent development of non-iridium-based electrocatalysts for acidic oxygen evolution reaction

Proton exchange membrane water electrolyser (PEMWE) possesses great significance for the production of high purity of hydrogen. To expedite the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) that involved multiple electron–proton-coupled process, efficient and stable electrocatalysts are highly desired. Currently, noble-metal Ir-based materials are the benchmark anode due to its corrosion-resistant property and favourable combination of activity/stability. However, the large-scale deployment of PEMWE is usually constrained due to the use of the scarcest element iridium. In this review, we disclose the current research progress towards the non-iridium-based electrocatalysts for OER in acidic media, and then summarize some typical oxides that possesses good catalytic performance. Besides, we also present the unresolved problems and challenges in an attempt to enhance the activity/stability of these catalysts.