Engineering Co-O-Ru Motifs in RuO₂ Nanosheets via Asymmetric Spin Polarization for High-Performance and Durable PEM...

The intrinsic activity-stability trade-off of RuO₂ remains a fundamental bottleneck, impeding its long-term viability in acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and large-scale proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer (PEMWE) deployment. While spin-polarization modulation has emerged as a compelling paradigm for catalyst optimization, establishing rigorous atomic-scale structure-activity correlations remains elusive. Herein, we strategically incorporate isolated cobalt atoms into the RuO₂ lattice (Co₁‑RuO₂) to engineer Co-O-Ru motifs that trigger asymmetric spin polarization at the Ru sites. Consequently, the Co₁‑RuO₂ catalyst delivers a low overpotential of 192 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 and sustains exceptional stability for over 200 h with a decay rate of 7 µV h^{- 1}, outperforming both RuO₂ and commercial benchmarks. Notably, when integrated as a PEMWE anode, the cell sustains 500 mA cm^-2 at 1.61 V for over 150 h. This work underscores that asymmetric spin engineering via atomic-scale coordination provides a potent strategy for transcending traditional catalytic limits, offering a universal blueprint for the rational design of high-performance electrocatalysts.