  Electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are an important
component for the transition from fossil to sustainable energy.
Commercialization of cost-effective earth-abundant electrocatalysts is in large
parts hindered by their degradation. In this short review, I identify common
processes leading to a decrease in electrocatalyst activity, followed by an
introduction of staple methods to determine degradation electrochemically and
by additional physical characterization, which has the potential to remove
ambiguities of purely electrochemical studies. I conclude by a summary of the
key challenges for an accurate determination of degradation processes and
highlight interesting directions to advance the understanding of degradation
processes on electrocatalysts.
