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Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon Nanotube with Doped Co and N Atoms and its Catalytic Applications in Hydrogen Production
Published on: December 6, 2021
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Optimizing Hydrogen Binding on Ru Sites with RuCo Alloy Nanosheets for Efficient Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution
Chao Cai1, Kang Liu1, Yuanmin Zhu2
1School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, P. R. China.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|November 25, 2021
Summary
Ruthenium-cobalt alloy-nanosheets (RuCo ANSs) enhance hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by optimizing ruthenium-hydrogen binding. This catalyst outperforms platinum, offering a cost-effective alternative for clean hydrogen production.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- Ruthenium (Ru)-based catalysts are promising alternatives to platinum (Pt) for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) due to cost and performance.
- Hydrogen binding energy at Ru sites is a critical factor limiting HER activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the electronic structure and hydrogen binding properties of Ru-based catalysts for improved alkaline HER.
- To design and synthesize novel RuCo alloy-nanosheets (RuCo ANSs) for enhanced HER performance.
Main Methods:
- Density functional theory (DFT) simulations to study Ru-H binding energy and electronic structure.
- Co-precipitation and electrochemical reduction for synthesizing RuCo ANSs.
- Hydrogen sensor and temperature program desorption (TPD) tests to characterize Ru-H interactions.
- Electrochemical measurements to evaluate HER performance.
Main Results:
- DFT simulations predicted that charge transfer in RuCo systems optimizes the Ru-H binding energy (0.022 eV) compared to pure Ru (0.133 eV).
- Synthesized RuCo ANSs exhibited isolated Ru active sites with modulated electronic structure, confirming theoretical predictions.
- RuCo ANSs demonstrated enhanced Ru-H interactions, achieving an ultra-low overpotential of 10 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² and a Tafel slope of 20.6 mV dec⁻¹.
- The RuCo ANS catalyst outperformed commercial Pt/C in alkaline HER.
Conclusions:
- Optimizing metal-hydrogen binding energy is crucial for enhancing alkaline HER activity.
- RuCo alloy-nanosheets offer a highly efficient and cost-effective catalytic system for HER.
- This study provides insights for designing advanced catalysts by tuning electronic structures and binding energies.
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