Key Role of Paracrystalline Motifs on Iridium Oxide Surfaces for Acidic Water Oxidation

Tuesday publication post! In this newest publication from the group at #NorthwesternUniversity, the authors used our machine-vision software AXON to observe beam damage in IrOx samples!

Iridium-based oxides can be for efficient green hydrogen production through water electrolysis, and show the most promise for acidic water oxidation. However, a deeper understanding of the catalyst surface restructuring during reactions is crucial for further advancements. The authors used cutting-edge machine-vision software AXON to minimize electron beam damage while capturing detailed electron scattering data of IrO₂ and SrIrO₃ catalysts during the in situ experiments.

AXON allowed to image and save all metadata, on top of drift correction to obtain high resolution videos.

Using X-ray and electron scattering methods, three paracrystalline structural motifs on the catalyst surface were revealed—critical for their high activity and stability, previously mistaken for amorphous structures.

These findings pave the way for the design of advanced IrOx catalysts with improved efficiency and stability, accelerating green hydrogen production.

Want to read the entire paper?
Find it here!
https://www.doi.org/10.1038/s41929-024-01187-4

Want to know more about our AXON Synchronicity software?
https://www.protochips.com/solutions/tem-data-correlation/tem-software/

The video shows the beam damage obtained on the IrOx surface while continuously scanning in STEM mode.

#Protochips #FindYourBreakthrough #InSituMicroscopy #MachineVisionSoftware #AXONSynchronicity #AXON