Researchers have developed a nickel-stabilized, ruthenium dioxide (Ni-RuO2) anode catalyst for proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis. The ruthenium a more abundant precious metal serves as a promising alternative to the more rare and expensive iridium currently the practical anode catalyst for electrolysis. The Ni-RuO2 catalyst shows high activity and durability in acidic.
Developing a hydrogen economy is no easy endeavor, however, Rice University engineers have identified a mechanism that could make oxygen evolution catalysis in acids, one of the most difficult problems in water electrolysis for producing clean hydrogen fuels, more cost-effective and practical.