Molten Salt-Derived RuO₂ Nanocrystals and Nanowires: Unveiling Correlations of Morphology, Microstructure, and...

Ruthenium oxide (RuO₂), due to its comparable binding energy with *H and cost-effectiveness against Pt, has emerged as a pivotal electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In the present study, RuO₂ nanocrystals (NCs) and nanowires (NWs) were obtained by a molten salt process and the morphology, crystal structure, and local bonding features were examined by using electron microscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. From the electrochemical measurement, both RuO₂ NCs and NWs exhibit favorable stability and activity toward oxygen evolution reaction in an alkali medium, althought NCs exhibit higher activity, which is likely attributed to the larger surface area and the high local structural disorder. The theoretical calculation reveals that RuO₂ NWs with a primary (110) orientation show a higher overpotential due to its d-band center's proximity to the Fermi level versus (101). The present work suggests that the molten salt process could be an efficient method for producing metal oxide catalysts with tailorable geometry and performances.