Partially reduced Ru/RuO2 composites as efficient and pH-universal electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution

Dang, Yanliu; Wu, Tianli; Tan, Haiyan; Wang, Jinlong; Cui, Can; Kerns, Peter; Zhao, Wen; Posada, Luisa; Wen, Liaoyong; Suib, Steven L.

doi:10.1039/d1ee02380b

Title: Partially reduced Ru/RuO₂ composites as efficient and pH-universal electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution

Journal Article · 20 August 2021 · Energy & Environmental Science

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/d1ee02380b · OSTI ID:1838053

^[1]; Wu, Tianli ^[2]; Tan, Haiyan ^[3]; Wang, Jinlong ^[4]; Cui, Can ^[3]; Kerns, Peter ^[3]; Zhao, Wen ^[3]; Posada, Luisa ^[3]; Wen, Liaoyong ^[5];

^[3]

Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (United States); Univ of Connecticut
Henan Univ., Kaifeng (China)
Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (United States)
Wuhan Univ. of Technology (China)
Westlake Univ., Hangzhou (China)

Efficient and long-term stable electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) via water splitting are urgently desired to ease the energy crisis and develop the sustainability of human society. However, the HER performance of state-of-the-art Pt in non-acidic solutions is unsatisfactory due to the severely sluggish kinetics. In this work, DFT theoretical calculations reveal that the Ru/RuO₂ composites enable high HER activity to be pursued under non-acidic conditions because of the distinctive Ru and RuO₂ interface, which possess not only a strong capability to adsorb and dissociate water but also appropriate binding energies of H and OH. Therefore, we employ a simple strategy, including heating under an oxygen-poor environment and/or in situ electrochemical reduction, to partially reduce RuO₂. The formed Ru/RuO₂ interfaces demonstrate superior HER activities (e.g. η₁₀ = 17 mV, 35 mV dec^–1 in 1 M KOH) than Pt/C (e.g. η₁₀ = 27 mV, 58 mV dec^–1 in 1 M KOH) at both small (10–100 mA cm^–2) and large (1 A cm^–2) current densities in alkaline solution and even real seawater. Comprehensive experiments were conducted to investigate the structure-HER performance relationships. Moreover, benefiting from the bifunctional character of RuO2, a two-electrode system based on Ru/RuO₂ composites and RuO₂ exhibits the lowest cell voltage for water splitting in both 1 M KOH and 0.5 M H₂SO₄, respectively. A 300 h-stability test at 10 mA cm^–2 without an obvious decay demonstrates the industrial prospects of the Ru/RuO₂ composites to generate green energy.

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Research Organization:: Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences Division; National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)

Grant/Contract Number:: FG02-86ER13622

OSTI ID:: 1838053

Journal Information:: Energy & Environmental Science, Journal Name: Energy & Environmental Science Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 14; ISSN 1754-5692

Publisher:: Royal Society of ChemistryCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Title: Partially reduced Ru/RuO₂ composites as efficient and pH-universal electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution