Si Decoration Tuning the Electrocatalytic Activity of Ru via Turing Pattern Design

Green hydrogen, produced via renewable-energy-driven water electrolysis, is among the most promising new energy carriers. Ru is a potential catalyst for this purpose; however, its strong hydrogen binding strength results in poor reaction kinetics, limiting its application potential. Creating a new Ru structure by introducing a second element is crucial for optimizing its catalytic performance. However, only a few studies have explored this approach, leaving the understanding of how chemical composition influences Ru's structure and catalytic activity elusive. Here, a systematic study is reported on Si decoration of Ru, achieving a tunable local environment around Ru and optimized reaction kinetics. By constructing a Ru-SiO_x interleaved Turing-patterned structure, the ratio of Si coordinated to Ru is tuned by well-designed selective etching. With increasing Si content, the H-binding strength on the Ru center is progressively weakened, resulting in a V-shaped trend in hydrogen production activity. The optimized sample exhibits a low overpotential of 21 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 in alkaline solution, along with a Tafel slope of 40 mV dec^-1, surpassing the performance of commercial Pt/C. This study establishes a valuable framework for optimizing the surface properties and catalytic activity of noble metals.