# Benchmarking an electrocatalyst

> To compare catalysts across labs, measure them the same way: in a three-electrode cell with a rotating disk, correct for the ohmic drop, report the overpotential at 10 mA cm⁻², the Tafel slope, the active surface area from the double-layer capacitance, the charge-transfer resistance, and how the potential holds over time.

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- Updated: 2026-10-14
- Category: Electrocatalysis
- Method: Benchmarking
- Starting materials: A catalyst ink drop-cast on a glassy-carbon disk, a reference and a counter electrode, a purged electrolyte, a potentiostat
- Product: Comparable numbers: η at 10 mA cm⁻², Tafel slope, ECSA and TOF, charge-transfer resistance, stability
- Key result: Curves computed from the standard models with illustrative parameters; Tafel slopes computed at 25 °C; stability traces schematic
- Figure: 1920 × 1080 px, 61 editable layers (1 generated objects with settings)

## Steps

1. **Cell**: Three electrodes; the choice of reference and counter electrode matters (Wei et al. 2019)
2. **Activity**: The overpotential at 10 mA cm⁻² per geometric area, after ohmic (iR) correction (McCrory et al. 2013; Wei et al. 2019)
3. **Tafel slope**: b = 2.303RT/(αF): 118, 59 and 39 mV dec⁻¹ for α = 0.5, 1 and 1.5 at 25 °C
4. **Surface area**: Double-layer capacitance from capacitive currents against scan rate gives the ECSA, and with it turnover frequencies
5. **Impedance**: A semicircle whose width is the charge-transfer resistance, after the series resistance
6. **Stability and purity**: Hold a current and watch the potential; check Faradaic efficiency; keep KOH free of Fe for Ni catalysts (Trotochaud et al. 2014)

## Strengths

- Numbers that compare across labs
- Separates intrinsic activity from surface area

## Limitations

- Geometric-area activity favours rough, high-loading films
- Capacitance-based ECSA is approximate

## Uses

- HER, OER, ORR and HOR catalysts
- Reporting in papers

## References

1. McCrory, Jung, Peters & Jaramillo, “Benchmarking Heterogeneous Electrocatalysts for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013. https://doi.org/10.1021/ja407115p (primary)
2. Wei, Rao, Peng, Huang, Stephens, Risch, Xu & Shao-Horn, “Recommended Practices and Benchmark Activity for Hydrogen and Oxygen Electrocatalysis in Water Splitting and Fuel Cells”, Adv. Mater. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201806296 (review)
3. Trotochaud, Young, Ranney & Boettcher, “Nickel–Iron Oxyhydroxide Oxygen-Evolution Electrocatalysts: The Role of Intentional and Incidental Iron Incorporation”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014. https://doi.org/10.1021/ja502379c (further reading)

Credit: After McCrory et al., JACS 2013 (doi:10.1021/ja407115p), Wei et al., Adv. Mater. 2019 (doi:10.1002/adma.201806296) and Trotochaud et al., JACS 2014 (doi:10.1021/ja502379c). Curves computed from standard models, parameters illustrative; stability schematic.

## Questions

**What does the “Benchmarking an electrocatalyst” template show?** To compare catalysts across labs, measure them the same way: in a three-electrode cell with a rotating disk, correct for the ohmic drop, report the overpotential at 10 mA cm⁻², the Tafel slope, the active surface area from the double-layer capacitance, the charge-transfer resistance, and how the potential holds over time.

**What are the steps shown in “Benchmarking an electrocatalyst”?** 1. Cell: Three electrodes; the choice of reference and counter electrode matters (Wei et al. 2019). 2. Activity: The overpotential at 10 mA cm⁻² per geometric area, after ohmic (iR) correction (McCrory et al. 2013; Wei et al. 2019). 3. Tafel slope: b = 2.303RT/(αF): 118, 59 and 39 mV dec⁻¹ for α = 0.5, 1 and 1.5 at 25 °C. 4. Surface area: Double-layer capacitance from capacitive currents against scan rate gives the ECSA, and with it turnover frequencies. 5. Impedance: A semicircle whose width is the charge-transfer resistance, after the series resistance. 6. Stability and purity: Hold a current and watch the potential; check Faradaic efficiency; keep KOH free of Fe for Ni catalysts (Trotochaud et al. 2014).

**What are the starting materials and the product?** Starting materials: A catalyst ink drop-cast on a glassy-carbon disk, a reference and a counter electrode, a purged electrolyte, a potentiostat. Product: Comparable numbers: η at 10 mA cm⁻², Tafel slope, ECSA and TOF, charge-transfer resistance, stability.

**Which papers is “Benchmarking an electrocatalyst” based on?** McCrory, Jung, Peters & Jaramillo, “Benchmarking Heterogeneous Electrocatalysts for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013 (doi:10.1021/ja407115p); Wei, Rao, Peng, Huang, Stephens, Risch, Xu & Shao-Horn, “Recommended Practices and Benchmark Activity for Hydrogen and Oxygen Electrocatalysis in Water Splitting and Fuel Cells”, Adv. Mater. 2019 (doi:10.1002/adma.201806296); Trotochaud, Young, Ranney & Boettcher, “Nickel–Iron Oxyhydroxide Oxygen-Evolution Electrocatalysts: The Role of Intentional and Incidental Iron Incorporation”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014 (doi:10.1021/ja502379c).

**Can I edit the “Benchmarking an electrocatalyst” template?** Yes. Open it in the LabCanvas editor: all 61 layers are editable, including 1 generated objects (structures, plots, equipment) with their own settings. Change the text, colours and layout, then export PNG, TIFF, SVG or PDF.

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