Corrosion‐Inspired Stabilization of Cobalt Oxide Catalysts via Platinum‐Mediated Redox Buffering for Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis

ABSTRACT Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is considered a promising platform for sustainable hydrogen production at scale. However, the durability of anode catalysts under acidic and oxidative conditions remains a critical challenge. Cobalt‐based oxides offer an attractive alternative to iridium‐based catalysts due to their abundance and cost‐effectiveness, yet suffer from severe chemical and structural degradation during the acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this study, we report a corrosion‐inspired stabilization strategy based on platinum (Pt)‐mediated redox buffering. Platinum, incorporated within the Co 3 O 4 spinel lattice, functions as a redox‐active buffer, preferentially undergoing oxidation during OER to divert oxidative stress away from the cobalt matrix. In situ X‐ray absorption spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry analyses, a…