LG Chem has developed a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) water electrolysis technology that slashes the use of expensive rare metal iridium by more than half while more than doubling electrode lifespan. The breakthrough is being hailed as a key materials technology that will lower the economic barrier blocking the commercialization of next-generation green hydrogen production.
LG Chem announced on the 26th that its Basic Technology Research Center under the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) has secured an “interfacial stabilization technology” that dramatically improves the performance and durability of PEM water electrolysis electrodes. A research team led by Senior Researcher Ko Jae-hyun of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) participated in elucidating the material’s operating principles, and the findings were published on the 21st in the international journal Nature Communications.
PEM water electrolysis is attracting attention as a next-generation green hydrogen production technology because it offers superior hydrogen productivity and responsiveness to fluctuations in renewable energy output compared to alkaline water electrolysis. However, iridium (Ir) must be used as an electrode catalyst, and as a platinum-group rare metal with a high price, securing economic feasibility has been the biggest challenge. In particular, excessively reducing iridium usage to cut costs causes catalyst “dissolution” — where the catalyst leaches into the electrolyte — and degradation of the electrode structure, leading to a sharply shortened lifespan, reduced equipment replacement cycles, and increased operating costs.
LG Chem solved this problem by applying an atomic-level coating layer on the catalyst surface. This approach suppresses dissolution by preventing excessive oxidation of the iridium catalyst surface, while simultaneously strengthening the bonding force with the polymer that transports ions within the electrode, thereby enhancing the stability of the electrode structure itself.
As a result of applying this technology, the time during which hydrogen can be stably produced under high current density conditions more than doubled, even while reducing iridium usage to less than half of conventional levels. LG Chem expects this achievement to contribute to simultaneously lowering both the initial investment and maintenance costs of PEM water electrolysis systems.
Going a step further, LG Chem has completed large-area electrode fabrication and performance verification using a continuous process based on its proprietary electrode-forming technology. This means the company has secured manufacturing technology at a level capable of mass production and commercialization, moving beyond laboratory-scale material development. The company is currently conducting product evaluations with multiple global water electrolysis system companies and plans to continue technology development with the goal of full-scale commercialization of the electrode product.
Shim Kyu-seok, Executive Vice President and CTO of LG Chem, said, “This research achievement is an example of LG Chem’s materials technology competitiveness being recognized globally,” adding, “We will continue to expand various related R&D efforts to secure competitiveness in next-generation hydrogen production technology.”
