To advance sustainable energy, the development of new and renewable energy technologies is imperative. Owing to its abundant resources, high energy density, environmental compatibility, economic viability, and wide range of applications, hydrogen energy has been identified as a priority area worldwide. Consequently, efficient hydrogen production technologies have become a key pillar of sustainable energy development. Among these, proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) has attracted considerable attention due to its high energy conversion efficiency and environmental-friendly characteristics.

However, the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the anode of PEMWE systems primarily relies on noble metal catalysts, such as RuO₂ and IrO₂. The high cost and limited availability of these materials significantly hinder large-scale deployment. Therefore, the development of efficient and low-cost non-noble metal OER catalysts has become a critical research focus.

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) have recently garnered significant interest due to their excellent corrosion resistance and suitability for electrochemical applications. HEAs are defined as single-phase solid solution materials composed of at least five principal elements. The high-entropy stabilization effect promotes thermodynamic stability and homogeneous elemental distribution, thereby reducing elemental segregation and suppressing electrochemical corrosion.

Accordingly, this project aims to develop iridium-free HEA-based OER catalysts to reduce reliance on iridium. Students participating in this project will receive comprehensive training in catalyst synthesis, materials characterization, and electrochemical analysis techniques. The project duration is five months, with a monthly scholarship of up to NTD 15,000 provided to participating students.