This
study targets one of the grand challenges of electrochemical hydrogen
production: a durable and cost-effective oxygen-evolution catalyst.
We present a thin-film composite electrode with a unique morphology
and an ultralow loading of iridium that has extraordinary electrocatalytic
properties. This is accomplished by the electrochemical growth of
a defined, high-surface-area titanium oxide nanotubular film, followed
by the nitridation and effective immobilization of iridium nanoparticles.
The applicative relevance of this production process is justified
by a high oxygen-evolution reaction (OER) activity and high stability.
Enhanced OER performance is due to the strong metal–support
interaction (SMSI). The high durability is achieved by self-passivation
of the titanium oxynitride (TiON) surface layer with TiO2, which in addition also effectively embeds the Ir nanoparticles
while still keeping them electrically wired. An additional contribution
to the enhanced durability comes from the nitrogen atoms, which according
to our density functional theory (DFT) calculations reduce the tendency
of the Ir nanoparticles to grow. Materials are analyzed by advanced
electrochemical characterization techniques. Namely, the entire process
of the TiON–Ir electrode’s preparation and the electrochemical
evaluation can be tracked with scanning electron microscopy, X-ray
diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) at identical
locations. In general, the experimental approach allows for the unique
morphological, structural, and compositional insights into the preparation
and electrocatalytic performance of thin films, making it useful also
outside electrocatalysis applications.