Single-Atom Ruthenium Anchored on Ni₄Mo/NiMoO₄: Leveraging Metal-Support Interaction for Superior Bifunctional Water...

Area of Science:

• Catalysis
• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Industrial-scale green hydrogen production requires efficient and stable bifunctional water electrolysis catalysts.
• Current catalysts struggle to meet demands for high current densities and long-term stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel catalyst for efficient and stable bifunctional water electrolysis.
• To investigate the performance and stability of single-atom ruthenium-anchored catalysts at industrial-scale current densities.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a single-atom ruthenium-anchored Ni4Mo/NiMoO4 catalyst using a hydrothermal-annealing coupled reduction strategy.
• Evaluation of bifunctional activity (HER and OER) and stability in alkaline electrolyte at 500 mA cm-2.
• Mechanistic studies to understand the role of single-atom Ru and metal-support interactions (MSI).

Main Results:

• The Ru-Ni4Mo/NiMoO4 catalyst demonstrated low overpotentials of 140 mV (HER) and 420 mV (OER) at 500 mA cm-2.
• Exceptional operational stability exceeding 700 hours at 500 mA cm-2 was achieved.
• Performance surpassed commercial Pt/C and RuO2 catalysts.

Conclusions:

• The single-atom ruthenium catalyst exhibits superior bifunctional activity and stability for water electrolysis.
• Robust MSI and unique needle-like morphology contribute to enhanced catalytic performance and durability.
• This work presents a promising strategy for designing advanced water-splitting catalysts for green hydrogen applications.