Dual-Function Zinc Modulation Stabilizes Ru Clusters on Spinel Oxide for Efficient and Durable Acid Water Oxidation

The development of low ruthenium (Ru)-based anodes with high activity and durability is crucial and still a challenge for proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) systems at a low cost. Here, we synthesized a Ru cluster catalyst (Ru_clusters/ZnCo₂O₄) loaded on zinc (Zn)-doped cobalt oxide spinel, where the presence of Zn atoms transforms the support (ZnCo₂O₄) from a "fragile structure" to a "stable substrate" and indirectly stabilizes the Ru active center by optimizing the electronic environment of the Ru sites through electron transfer meanwhile, thereby achieving a balance between high activity and stability in acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The prepared catalysts with a low overpotential (200 mV) and can operate stably for over 725 h at 10 mA cm^-2 (with a decay rate of only 0.143 mV h^-1). A PEMWE device uses Ru_clusters/ZnCo₂O₄ as the anodes operate stably for over 275 h at 200 mA cm^-2, demonstrating promising application potential. Theoretical calculations and experiments reveal Zn atoms can regulate the support electronic structure concurrently, endowing the catalysts with high activity and long lifetime. This strategy provides a new paradigm for the development of acidic OER catalysts: utilizing inert metals to regulate the supports, achieving dual breakthroughs in activity and stability.