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Enhancing acidic oxygen evolution reaction with a highly stable Eu-doped RuO2 electrocatalyst
Yin Qin1, Kang Jie Li2, Zilin Yan3
1Institute of Interdisciplinary Innovation in Low Carbon Metallurgical Engineering, School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology Guangzhou 510006 China.
Chemical Science
|August 8, 2026
Summary
Europium-doped ruthenium oxide (Eu-RuO2) enhances the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in acidic conditions. This novel catalyst shows improved stability and activity for electrochemical devices, overcoming RuO2 limitations.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- Ruthenium oxides (RuO2) are promising for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) but lack stability in acidic media due to Ru oxidation and dissociation.
- Engineering catalyst stability and activity is crucial for efficient electrochemical devices operating in harsh acidic environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a stable and active catalyst for acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) by doping ruthenium oxide (RuO2) with europium (Eu).
- To investigate the mechanism behind the enhanced performance of Eu-RuO2 using computational and spectroscopic techniques.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis and characterization of Europium-Ruthenium Oxide (Eu-RuO2) catalyst.
- Electrochemical testing for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance and long-term stability in acidic media (0.5 M H2SO4).
- Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, in situ X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS), and Attenuated Total Reflection-Surface-Enhanced Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) for mechanistic studies.
Main Results:
- Eu-RuO2 catalyst demonstrated a low overpotential (195 mV) and high current density (10 mA cm-2) for OER, with exceptional stability over 2800 hours.
- In acidic PEM-WE devices, Eu-RuO2 achieved 1000 mA cm-2 at 1.67 V and maintained operation for 300 hours with negligible degradation.
- DFT and XAS revealed that Eu doping stabilizes Ru-O covalency via 4f-2p-3d orbital coupling, suppressing Ru oxidation and enhancing the oxide path mechanism (OPM).
Conclusions:
- Europium doping effectively enhances the activity and long-term stability of ruthenium oxide catalysts for acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER).
- The enhanced performance is attributed to stabilized Ru-O covalency and optimized oxygen intermediate adsorption through Eu's unique orbital interactions.
- Eu-RuO2 represents a promising catalyst for demanding electrochemical applications requiring high performance in acidic environments.
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