The proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs) are promising for the conversion and storage of renewable energy. Understanding the performance and durability of PEMWEs is crucial for engineers and researchers aiming to enhance the market adoption of this technology. Despite their potential, PEMWEs encounter challenges in large-scale and long-term deployment due to high costs and durability concerns in acidic environments. This review delves into the activation and degradation mechanisms of PEMWE components during the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), underscoring the importance of developing efficient PEMWE systems for industrial-scale hydrogen production. We explore recent advancements in engineering Ir-based catalysts for acidic OER, identifying existing gaps for practical application. A detailed overview of various modification techniques for Ir-based catalysts, such as electronic structure engineering, morphology engineering, and support engineering, is presented. Additionally, the critical influence of catalyst coating methods on membrane electrode assembly is discussed. The review also covers performance degradation in PEMWEs, detailing the degradation sources of anode catalysts, membranes, and bipolar plates. By analyzing degradation causes and mechanisms, we highlight effective strategies to enhance component longevity. Moreover, we expand our focus towards the industrialization of PEMWEs operating at high current density. Concluding with an outlook on unresolved challenges, this review offers promising directions for future research aimed at realizing practical PEMWE systems.

中文翻译：

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用于质子交换膜水电解槽中高电流密度应用的基于 Ir 的催化剂


质子交换膜水电解槽 （PEMWE） 在可再生能源的转换和储存方面前景广阔。了解 PEMWE 的性能和耐用性对于旨在提高该技术市场采用率的工程师和研究人员至关重要。尽管 PEMWE 具有潜力，但由于在酸性环境中的高成本和耐用性问题，它们在大规模和长期部署中遇到了挑战。本综述深入探讨了 PEMWE 组分在析氧反应 （OER） 过程中的活化和降解机制，强调了开发高效的 PEMWE 系统用于工业规模制氢的重要性。我们探讨了用于酸性 OER 的基于 Ir 的催化剂工程的最新进展，确定了实际应用的现有差距。详细介绍了 Ir 基催化剂的各种改性技术，例如电子结构工程、形态工程和载体工程。此外，还讨论了催化剂涂层方法对膜电极组装的关键影响。该综述还涵盖了 PEMWE 的性能下降，详细介绍了阳极催化剂、膜和双极板的降解来源。通过分析降解原因和机制，我们重点介绍了提高组件使用寿命的有效策略。此外，我们将重点扩展到以高电流密度运行的 PEMWE 的工业化。最后，对未解决的挑战进行了展望，本文为旨在实现实用 PEMWE 系统的未来研究提供了有希望的方向。