Impact of Catalyst Engineering on the Durability Performance of Self-Supported Catalyst in Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzer: Recent Advances and Perspectives

Abstract

Developing durable electrodes for Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers (AEMWE) is crucial for the sustainable and affordable production of green hydrogen. A self-supported catalyst in AEMWE features catalytic material directly grown or deposited onto a conductive substrate, such as metal mesh or foam. This eliminates the need for additional binders, enhancing performance and stability during electrolysis. The direct integration increases the active surface area, boosting current density, and the porous substrate design aids gas bubble removal, improving mass transport. Eliminating binders and establishing in-situ growth of active sites on substrate enhances stability, reducing catalyst detachment and improving long-term performance. Recent advancements in the engineering of self-supported catalysts have enhanced the durability of AEMWE, particularly through strategic modulations such as doping engineering, interface engineering, defect engineering, and morphology engineering. Doping involves the incorporation of foreign atoms to modify electronic properties, which can effectively improve intrinsic conductivity and enhance the activity. Interface engineering creates heterostructures between two or more phases which improves charge transfer and overall catalytic activity. Defect engineering, by introducing controlled vacancies or interstitials, further enhances catalytic sites, providing improved resilience against corrosion and material fatigue during prolonged operation. Meanwhile, morphology tuning allows for the optimization of surface area and porous structures, which contribute to increased electrolyte penetration and mass transport efficiency. This review highlights that together, these strategies represent a holistic approach that researchers are utilizing to develop robust self-supported catalysts that maintain high performance and durability in AEMWE.