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Rational Design and Dynamic Ru Exsolution Enables Active Heterostructures Surpassing Pt for Alkaline Hydrogen
Liuchen Wang1, Bing Li1, Mingyu Li2
1School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|November 24, 2025
Summary
Designing new catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is key for sustainable hydrogen production. This study reveals a method to create highly active exsolved Ru/perovskite heterostructures for efficient alkaline HER.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- Efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is crucial for sustainable hydrogen production via water electrolysis.
- Heterostructure catalysts offer enhanced alkaline HER activity by improving water dissociation and hydrogen generation.
- Rational design of robust and active heterostructures remains a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To correlate bias-driven dynamic surface reconstruction of ruthenate perovskites with their O 2p band center.
- To design exsolved Ru/perovskite heterostructures for highly efficient alkaline HER.
- To provide guidelines for designing efficient heterostructure electrocatalysts.
Main Methods:
- Utilized BaRuO3 as a model system due to its O 2p band center proximity to the Fermi level.
- Investigated bias-driven dynamic surface reconstruction under HER conditions.
- Employed microscopy and spectroscopy, including in situ transmission electron microscopy, to confirm exsolution and oxygen vacancies.
Main Results:
- Achieved exsolved Ru on BaRuO3 with abundant oxygen vacancies.
- Demonstrated approximately 120-fold enhancement in HER activity post-reconstruction.
- Observed a mass activity ~1.68 times higher than commercial Pt/C at 80 mV overpotential.
- Confirmed perovskite oxides facilitate water dissociation and exsolved Ru promotes hydrogen generation.
Conclusions:
- Developed a bias-driven dynamic reconstruction strategy applicable to various perovskite oxides.
- Identified the electronic structure descriptor for oxide catalyst exsolution behavior.
- Provided a pathway for designing efficient heterostructure electrocatalysts for alkaline HER.
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