Engineering Strong Electron Metal-Support Interaction in Ru/W₂N/WO_2.72 Heterointerfaces for Efficient Alkaline...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Cost-effective electrocatalysts with platinum-like performance are essential for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in sustainable energy technologies.
• Developing durable and efficient catalysts remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize a novel heterostructured catalyst (Ru/WNO) for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).
• To investigate the electronic metal-support interaction (EMSI) at the catalyst's heterointerface.
• To evaluate the catalytic performance and durability of the developed electrocatalyst in alkaline media.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of Ru/W₂N/WO_2.72 (Ru/WNO) heterostructured catalyst.
• Characterization using synchrotron X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).
• Theoretical calculations using density functional theory (DFT).
• Electrochemical evaluation of HER performance and durability.

Main Results:

• The Ru/WNO catalyst exhibits a bidirectional electronic metal-support interaction (EMSI) at the Ru/W₂N/WO_2.72 interface.
• Optimized hydrogen adsorption and a reduced water dissociation barrier of 0.43 eV were observed.
• Achieved an ultralow overpotential of 21 mV at 10 mA cm^-2.
• Demonstrated excellent durability exceeding 100 hours.

Conclusions:

• Heterointerface engineering is a viable strategy to manipulate EMSI for enhanced HER electrocatalysis.
• The Ru/WNO catalyst shows promising potential for efficient and durable hydrogen production.
• This approach provides valuable guidance for designing next-generation HER electrocatalysts.