Suppression of Schottky Effect with Highly Corrosion-Resistant Coating on Porous Transport Layers for Interface Optimization in Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzers

• • The MoIrOx-coated Ti felt PTL achieves a current density of 3.27 A cm−2 at 2 V, a 59.5% improvement over uncoated Ti felts, directly enhancing hydrogen production rate and cell efficiency. • • The coating suppresses the Schottky barrier and pinch-off effect by forming a conductive interlayer that isolates TiOx from the ionomer, reducing charge transfer resistance and enabling stable operation with ultra-low catalyst loadings. • • The MoIrOx coating is applied via scalable spray deposition and thermal treatment, offering a cost-effective route to mitigate corrosion-induced performance degradation in acidic PEMWE environments. • • The work demonstrates a 59.5% increase in current density, which translates to significant energy savings and reduced capital costs for large-scale green hydrogen production, while minimizing reliance on precious metals.