Regulating Ru electronic properties on cobalt oxide to boost water dissociation kinetics for efficient alkaline
1School of Biological and Chemical Engineering, NingboTech University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315100, PR China.
None:
Sluggish water dissociation kinetics consistently constrain the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline environments. Herein, we report a unique two-dimensional (2D) nanosheet electrocatalyst in which ruthenium (Ru) atoms are incorporated within a cobalt oxide heterojunction. Due to the electronic optimization of Ru sites engendered by the support effect of the cobalt oxide heterojunction, the Ru-Co3O4/CoO catalyst exhibits superior alkaline HER performance, characterized by an ultralow overpotential of 20 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and a notably small Tafel slope of 36 mV dec-1, outperforming most previously reported noble-metal-based HER catalysts and the benchmark commercial Pt/C catalyst. Electrochemical measurements and electronic-structure analyses reveal efficient electron transfer from Ru to the Co₃O₄/CoO heterojunction, which promotes the formation of electron-deficient Ru sites and thereby result in exceptional HER activity. In situ Raman spectroscopy and theoretical calculations further demonstrate that modulation of Ru sites by the Co₃O₄/CoO heterojunction facilitates water dissociation, consequently accelerating the overall alkaline HER kinetics.
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