- The research team led by Professor Young Jun CHANG of the Department of Physics at the University of Seoul maximizes catalytic activity through electrochemical surface modulation

- Oxygen evolution reaction performance significantly enhanced using iridium chalcogenide thin films

  The University of Seoul announced in January 2026 that the research team led by Professor Young Jun CHANG of the Department of Physics successfully maximized the catalytic activity of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) by precisely controlling the surface oxidation state of thin films of iridium telluride (IrTe2₂), a two-dimensional transition-metal chalcogenide.

  This research was conducted as a collaborative study with Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Chung-Ang University, the National NanoFab Center, and Sweden’s MAX IV synchrotron light source facility. The results were published in the January 2026 issue of ACS Catalysis (Impact Factor: 13.1), a world-renowned academic journal in the field of catalysis.

  In this study, a method was proposed to control the formation of active intermediates (Ir–OH, Ir–OO, Te–OH) and reaction pathways through electrochemical oxidation modulation of high-quality two-dimensional iridium telluride thin films synthesized using a vacuum thin-film deposition system.

 In particular, the study identified that tellurium atoms possess “redox flexibility,” interacting with hydrogen and inducing charge redistribution, thereby presenting a new catalyst design strategy that exhibits superior reaction efficiency and stability compared to conventional noble-metal-based catalysts.

  Furthermore, by utilizing the Pohang 10D XAFS beamline and SPECIES APXPS beamline at Sweden’s MAX IV, the research team precisely analyzed catalyst surface changes under water-vapor environments during the oxygen evolution reaction. Through this, the electronic-structure mechanism of water molecule adsorption–dissociation–oxygen evolution during the OER was elucidated in real time.

  Professor Young Jun CHANG stated, “This study is an example in which high-precision thin-film synthesis and world-class synchrotron-based analytical techniques were combined to simultaneously realize the electronic structure design of two-dimensional catalyst materials and control of water electrolysis reactions,” adding, “It is expected to serve as an important milestone in the development of high-efficiency catalysts for realizing a carbon-neutral hydrogen society.”

▶ Graduate student Hyowon SEOH (left, first author), Dr. Hyuk Jin KIM (middle, co-corresponding author), and Professor Young Jun CHANG (right, co-corresponding author)

  This research was supported by the Mid-Career Researcher Support Program funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea, as well as the Creative Challenge Research Infrastructure Support Program, the Overseas Large-Scale Research Facility Utilization Research Program (Advanced Quantum Material Synchrotron Research Center), and the Group Research Support Program (Extreme Quantum Funational Material Research Center).