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Interface engineering breaks both stability and activity limits of RuO2 for sustainable water oxidation

Author

Listed:
  • Kun Du

    (Tianjin University)

  • Lifu Zhang

    (Nankai University)

  • Jieqiong Shan

    (The University of Adelaide)

  • Jiaxin Guo

    (Tianjin University)

  • Jing Mao

    (Tianjin University)

  • Chueh-Cheng Yang

    (National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center
    National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University)

  • Chia-Hsin Wang

    (National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center)

  • Zhenpeng Hu

    (Nankai University)

  • Tao Ling

    (Tianjin University)

Abstract

Designing catalytic materials with enhanced stability and activity is crucial for sustainable electrochemical energy technologies. RuO2 is the most active material for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in electrolysers aiming at producing ‘green’ hydrogen, however it encounters critical electrochemical oxidation and dissolution issues during reaction. It remains a grand challenge to achieve stable and active RuO2 electrocatalyst as the current strategies usually enhance one of the two properties at the expense of the other. Here, we report breaking the stability and activity limits of RuO2 in neutral and alkaline environments by constructing a RuO2/CoOx interface. We demonstrate that RuO2 can be greatly stabilized on the CoOx substrate to exceed the Pourbaix stability limit of bulk RuO2. This is realized by the preferential oxidation of CoOx during OER and the electron gain of RuO2 through the interface. Besides, a highly active Ru/Co dual-atom site can be generated around the RuO2/CoOx interface to synergistically adsorb the oxygen intermediates, leading to a favourable reaction path. The as-designed RuO2/CoOx catalyst provides an avenue to achieve stable and active materials for sustainable electrochemical energy technologies.

Suggested Citation

  • Kun Du & Lifu Zhang & Jieqiong Shan & Jiaxin Guo & Jing Mao & Chueh-Cheng Yang & Chia-Hsin Wang & Zhenpeng Hu & Tao Ling, 2022. "Interface engineering breaks both stability and activity limits of RuO2 for sustainable water oxidation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-33150-x
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33150-x
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    2. Yanrong Xue & Jiwu Zhao & Liang Huang & Ying-Rui Lu & Abdul Malek & Ge Gao & Zhongbin Zhuang & Dingsheng Wang & Cafer T. Yavuz & Xu Lu, 2023. "Stabilizing ruthenium dioxide with cation-anchored sulfate for durable oxygen evolution in proton-exchange membrane water electrolyzers," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Sheng Zhao & Sung-Fu Hung & Liming Deng & Wen-Jing Zeng & Tian Xiao & Shaoxiong Li & Chun-Han Kuo & Han-Yi Chen & Feng Hu & Shengjie Peng, 2024. "Constructing regulable supports via non-stoichiometric engineering to stabilize ruthenium nanoparticles for enhanced pH-universal water splitting," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Lingxi Zhou & Yangfan Shao & Fang Yin & Jia Li & Feiyu Kang & Ruitao Lv, 2023. "Stabilizing non-iridium active sites by non-stoichiometric oxide for acidic water oxidation at high current density," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.

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