Non-noble metal based electro-catalyst compositions for proton exchange membrane based water electrolysis and methods of making

A method for preparing an electro-catalyst composition for an anode electrode in a proton exchange membrane-based water electrolysis system, comprising:

• preparing an electrocatalyst powder, comprising:
• forming a non-noble metal oxide powder selected from the group consisting of tin oxide, niobium oxide, tantalum oxide, titanium oxide, tungsten oxide, molybdenum oxide, yttrium oxide, scandium oxide, copper oxide, zirconium oxide and nickel oxide and mixtures and combinations thereof;
• doping the non-noble metal oxide powder with at least one dopant selected from the group consisting of elements in Groups III, V, VI and VII of Periodic Table to form a doped non-noble metal oxide powder;
• preparing a noble metal precursor solution comprising a noble metal selected from the group consisting of iridium, ruthenium, rhenium, and mixtures and combinations thereof;
• combining the doped non-noble metal oxide powder with the noble metal precursor solution to form a solid solution;
• heat treating the solid solution to form the electrocatalyst powder;
• and
• forming a PEM-based water electrolysis electro-catalyst composition of a general formula (a) employing the electrocatalyst powder:
• N1-x-ySnxMyO2:D, (a)
• wherein N is iridium, ruthenium, rhenium or mixtures or combinations thereof, M is niobium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, yttrium, scandium, copper, zirconium, nickel or mixtures or combinations thereof, D is at least one element from Groups III, V, VI and VII of the Periodic Table, each of x and y is independently a value from greater than zero to 99% and x+y is less than or equal to 99%, based on weight of the composition,
• wherein the resulting electro-catalyst composition exhibits an electronic structure that mimics a noble metal oxide electro-catalyst composition absent of a non-noble metal.