The research group led by Prof. Wang Deli, an ICARE Chinese supervisor from the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, has made advances in proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis for hydrogen production. The findings were published online in Angewandte Chemie International Edition in an article titled “Long-Range Atomic Periodicity Unlocks Durable Water Electrolysis”. The study introduces a strategy for controlling heteroatomic bond density through long-range atomic periodicity, improving both activity and stability in the acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at very low iridium loadings. This approach provides a promising route towards materials for the large-scale deployment of PEM water electrolysis.

Huazhong University of Science and Technology is the primary affiliation and corresponding institution for this work. Shuang Wang, a PhD candidate at the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, is the first author, while Prof. Wang Deli is the sole corresponding author. The research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Fundamental Research Support Program of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and the 111 Project for New Energy Chemistry and Devices.

DOI link:https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.2858393