Ternary Alloy Cu-Ru-Ir Nanocages for Acidic Oxygen Evolution Reaction Shows Promise for Renewable Energy

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Researchers at the University of Texas Austin have developed ternary alloy Cu-Ru-Ir nanocages that exhibit high activity for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in acidic media. The Cu-Ru-Ir nanocages were prepared by using Cu cuboctahedral nanoparticles as sacrificial cores for the subsequent overgrowth of Ru-Ir alloy shells. This novel approach resulted in the formation of hollow nanocage structures with high surface area-to-volume ratios. The study found that the OER activity is highly sensitive to the amount of Cu in the ternary alloys, with CuRuIr nanocages being the most active OER catalysts, requiring a low overpotential of 255 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm.

Key Takeaways:

  • The researchers developed a novel approach to prepare ternary alloy Cu-Ru-Ir nanocages by using Cu cuboctahedral nanoparticles as sacrificial cores for the subsequent overgrowth of Ru-Ir alloy shells.
  • The Cu-Ru-Ir nanocages exhibited high activity for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in acidic media, with the OER activity being highly sensitive to the amount of Cu in the ternary alloys.
  • CuRuIr nanocages were the most active OER catalysts, requiring a low overpotential of 255 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm.
  • The nanocage structures were unchanged post-catalysis, indicating their stability and durability.
  • The study demonstrated the importance of Cu in modifying the electronic properties of the ternary alloy, leading to enhanced OER activity.
  • The research has been peer-reviewed and published in ACS Nano.

Statistics:

  • 10-11.5 nm diameters: the size range of the CuRuIr nanoparticles.
  • 4-5 atomic overlayers: the average thicknesses of the Ru-Ir alloy shells.
  • 255 mV: the low overpotential required to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm for CuRuIr nanocages.
  • 0.1 M HClO: the concentration of the acidic media used in the OER measurements.
  • 10 mA cm: the current density achieved by CuRuIr nanocages at an overpotential of 255 mV.

Sources:

  • Ternary Alloy Cu-Ru-Ir Nanocages for Acidic Oxygen Evolution Reaction. ACS Nano, 2025.
  • Amer Chemical Society - www.acs.org; ACS Nano - www.pubs.acs.org/journal/ancac3
  • Researchers from University of Texas Austin Detail Findings in Nanocages (Ternary Alloy Cu-Ru-Ir Nanocages for Acidic Oxygen Evolution Reaction). Nanotechnology Weekly. October 13, 2025; p 4722.