Multi-Component and Nanoporous Design toward RuO₂-Based Electrocatalyst with Enhanced Performance for Acidic Water...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Developing efficient electrocatalysts for water splitting in acidic media is challenging due to slow reaction kinetics and catalyst dissolution.
• Ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) is a promising material but suffers from instability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a stable and highly active RuO2-based electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in acidic media.
• To enhance the utilization efficiency and stability of Ru in RuO2 catalysts.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized multi-component doped RuO2 using a dealloying-annealing process.
• Characterized the catalyst's structure, electronic properties, and electrochemical performance.
• Evaluated OER activity and stability in 0.5 m H2SO4.

Main Results:

• The multi-doped RuO2 exhibited a nanoporous structure, increasing Ru utilization.
• Dopants regulated the electronic structure, enhancing stability and activity by mitigating Ru dissolution.
• The FeCoNiCrTi-RuO2 catalyst achieved an overpotential of 167 mV at 10 mA cm-2 for OER with a Tafel slope of 53.1 mV dec-1.
• Demonstrated stability for over 200 hours at 10 mA cm-2.

Conclusions:

• The developed multi-component doped RuO2 presents a promising approach for advanced electrocatalysts in acidic water splitting.
• This work offers significant advancements for electrochemical water splitting technologies.