Dataset to accompany publication "Photodeposition-Based Synthesis of TiO2@IrOx Core-Shell Catalyst for Proton-Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis with Low Iridium Loading"

Dataset description

This dataset provides the raw data for the manuscript "Photodeposition-Based Synthesis of TiO₂@IrO_x Core-Shell Catalyst for Proton-Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis with Low Iridium Loading" published in Advanced Science on 14 June 2024 (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202402991).

The data consists of:

1. XRD pattern of TiO₂@IrO_x (40 wt% Ir) as shown in Fig. 3e.
2. XPS spectra of 3 samples: 2.1 TiO₂@IrO_x (40 wt% Ir) as shown in Fig. 3f.; 2.2 TiO₂@IrO_x (only shell) as shown in Fig. 3g; 2.3 TiO₂@IrO_x (photodeposited seeds) as shown in Fig. S8.
3. Datasets for NanoCT of the TiO₂@IrO_x catalyst layer as shown in Fig. 5 a-c : 3.1 HRES Tilt series; 3.2 reconstructed slices.

Abstract

The widespread application of green hydrogen production technologies requires cost reduction of crucial elements. To achieve this, a viable pathway to reduce the iridium loading in proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is explored. Herein, we present a scalable synthesis method based on a photodeposition process for a TiO₂@IrO_x core-shell catalyst with a reduced iridium content as low as 40 wt%. Using this synthesis route, we obtain titania support particles homogeneously coated with a thin iridium oxide shell of only 2.1 ± 0.4 nm. The catalyst exhibits not only high ex situ activity, but also decent stability compared to commercially available catalysts. Furthermore, the unique core-shell structure provides a threefold increased electrical powder conductivity compared to structures without the shell. In addition, the low iridium content facilitates the fabrication of sufficiently thick catalyst layers at decreased iridium loadings mitigating the impact of crack formation in the catalyst layer during PEMWE operation. We demonstrate that the novel TiO₂@IrO_x core-shell catalyst clearly outperforms the commercial reference in single-cell tests with an iridium loading below 0.3 mg_Ir cm^‑2 exhibiting a superior iridium-specific power density of 17.9 kW g_Ir^-1 compared to 10.4 kW g_Ir^-1 for the commercial reference.