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Updated: Jan 17, 2026
Heterogeneous Removal of Water-Soluble Ruthenium Olefin Metathesis Catalyst from Aqueous Media Via Host-Guest Interaction
Published on: August 23, 2018
Tuning the Adsorption of H and OH on Ruthenium Aerogel to Boost the Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution
Yuanwu Liu1, Lirong Wang2, Volodymyr Shamraienko1
1Physical Chemistry, TU Dresden, Zellescher Weg 19, 01069, Dresden, Germany.
Abstract:
Ruthenium (Ru) is an ideal alternative to platinum for the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) due to its exceptional catalytic performance. However, during the reaction, the excessively strong adsorption of proton (H) and hydroxyl (OH) species on Ru significantly limits its alkaline HER activity. Herein, we enhanced the alkaline HER performance of Ru by modulating its crystalline phase structure and incorporating a low dosage of Cr ions. The synthesized Cr0.033Ru0.967 fcc/hcp aerogel exhibits a lower overpotential of only 14 mV at 10 mA cm-2, outperforming Ru aerogels (Rufcc and Ruhcp) and commercial Pt/C catalysts. Moreover, Cr0.033Ru0.967 fcc/hcp aerogel demonstrates a remarkable stability at 500 mA cm-2, sustaining continuous operation for 800 h. Experimental results, combined with theoretical calculations, reveal that the heterogeneous phase interfaces in the CrRufcc/hcp aerogel effectively weaken the strong adsorption of H at Ru sites. Additionally, with their high affinity for OH species, Cr ions facilitate the removal of OH from adjacent Ru sites. Furthermore, Cr ion incorporation modifies the local electronic structure of Ru, further reducing its OH adsorption energy. This work highlights a synergistic approach to improving catalytic performance and offers a novel strategy for designing highly efficient and durable alkaline HER catalysts.
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