Precisely Assembly of Individual-Atom-to-Twinned Ruthenium Nanocrystal for Seawater Hydrogen Evolution

Atomic manufacturing technology can precisely control individual atoms to dynamically regulate atomic networks and provide a transformative approach for sustainable catalysis and energy fields. In this study, we report fluorine-substituted graphdiyne (FGDY) as a promising platform for the gradual assembly of ruthenium (Ru) metal atoms from individual atoms to clusters, ultimately yielding twinned quantum dots (TQDs). Theoretical and experimental results show that FGDY, with a unique sp-sp² hybridized network and fluorine-induced charge polarization, enhances Ru∼FGDY interactions, precisely controlling the atomic-level dispersion of Ru while suppressing Ru aggregation and promoting active site exposure. These advantages further accelerate proton-coupled electron transfer, reduce water dissociation barriers, and achieve excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity (84 mV at 1.0 A cm^-2) and stability (1200 h with negligible activity decay) in simulated seawater. This work provides a general platform for designing scalable, nonprecious metal catalysts for sustainable hydrogen production from complex electrolytes.