On Saturday, June 20, 2026
A team of researchers from Tohoku University, Tokyo University of Science, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Adelaide has succeeded in synthesizing 15-atom clusters of iridium metal particles by a simple process in ambient air—a feat that was thought to be extremely difficult. The nanoclusters showed 1.5 times higher mass activity compared to commercially available iridium catalysts and were not degraded during operation for over 20 hours. The results appear in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
The breakthrough could help improve the efficiency of the Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) in electrolyzing water, a key step in the production of green hydrogen. OER is a highly corrosive process in a very acidic environment, so iridium is one of the few catalysts that can survive. But due to its limited supply and high cost, there has been an attempt to make it as efficient as possible and use the least amount of it possible.
The researchers used a polyol reduction process with ethylene glycol and a ligand-exchange process to overcome the instability of ultra-small metal nanoclusters. They managed to obtain 15-atom iridium nanoclusters in open air without any protection and with very high yield, by incorporating CO and PPh3 around the iridium core.
The nanoclusters were deposited onto a carbon black support to yield a catalyst whose particle size was an average of 0.9 nm. Significant improvement was observed in electrochemical testing. Further analysis showed that the ultra-small particles were formulated in a cationic state, which not only increased the intermediate adsorption and reaction efficiency but also favored the Lattice Oxygen Oxidation Mechanism.
Dawn Scientific's mission is to provide the highest quality laboratory chemicals, reagents and research materials to aid in the progression of research in catalysis, nanotechnology, and sustainable energy. Recent advances in the synthetic control of iridium nanoclusters underscore the need for robust research tools to facilitate the creation of efficient catalyst systems, enhance electrochemical performance and drive innovation in green hydrogen production and clean energy technologies.
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