Catalytic Effect of Disordered Ru-O Configurations for Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution

Authors

Xue Sun, 1. MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China;2. Chongqing Research Institute of HIT, Chongqing 401135, P. R. China;
Ya-Jie Song, 1. MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China;2. Chongqing Research Institute of HIT, Chongqing 401135, P. R. China;
Ren-Long Li, 1. MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China;
Jia-Jun Wang, 1. MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China;2. Chongqing Research Institute of HIT, Chongqing 401135, P. R. China;Follow

Corresponding Author

Jia-Jun Wang(jiajunhit@hit.edu.cn)

Abstract

Phase engineering is considered as an effective method for modulating the electronic structure and catalytic activity of catalysts. The disordered conformation of amorphous materials allows flexible reforming of the surface electronic structure, showing their attractiveness as catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, we designed and developed an amorphous ruthenium dioxide (a-RuO₂) catalyst with a disordered Ru-O configuration. The conformational relationship between Ru-O ordering and HER performance is established by combining advanced electron microscopic techniques with detailed electrochemical tests. Specifically, the disordered Ru-O coordination significantly enhanced the HER catalytic activity in both acidic and alkaline media, ultimately leading to HER performance of a-RuO₂ approaching that of commercial Pt/C with higher economics. In addition, a-RuO₂ exhibited excellent stability after 10 h current-time (i-t) testing at 10 mA·cm^-2. Further theoretical simulations showed that the lowered d-band center and optimized electron transport of a-RuO₂ modulated the adsorption strength of the active site to the intermediate reactants, promoting HER kinetics. This work provides a new perspective for exploring highly active HER catalysts through phase engineering.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords

phase engineering, hydrogen evolution reaction, amorphous catalyst, electronic structure

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.13208/j.electrochem.2214011

Publication Date

2022-10-28

Online Available Date

2022-09-30

Revised Date

2022-08-28

Received Date

2022-07-09

Recommended Citation

Xue Sun, Ya-Jie Song, Ren-Long Li, Jia-Jun Wang. Catalytic Effect of Disordered Ru-O Configurations for Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution[J]. Journal of Electrochemistry, 2022 , 28(10): 2214011.
DOI: 10.13208/j.electrochem.2214011
Available at: https://jelectrochem.xmu.edu.cn/journal/vol28/iss10/3