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Effectiveness of strain and dopants on breaking the activity-stability trade-off of RuO2 acidic oxygen evolution electrocatalysts

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Listed:
  • Yang Liu

    (Shandong University
    Sungkyunkwan University
    Shandong University)

  • Yixuan Wang

    (Sungkyunkwan University)

  • Hao Li

    (Sungkyunkwan University)

  • Min Gyu Kim

    (Pohang University of Science and Technology)

  • Ziyang Duan

    (Sungkyunkwan University)

  • Kainat Talat

    (Sungkyunkwan University)

  • Jin Yong Lee

    (Sungkyunkwan University)

  • Mingbo Wu

    (China University of Petroleum (East China))

  • Hyoyoung Lee

    (Sungkyunkwan University
    Sungkyunkwan University
    Sungkyunkwan University)

Abstract

Ruthenium dioxide electrocatalysts for acidic oxygen evolution reaction suffer from mediocre activity and rather instability induced by high ruthenium-oxygen covalency. Here, the tensile strained strontium and tantalum codoped ruthenium dioxide nanocatalysts are synthesized via a molten salt-assisted quenching strategy. The tensile strained spacially elongates the ruthenium-oxygen bond and reduces covalency, thereby inhibiting the lattice oxygen participation and structural decomposition. The synergistic electronic modulations among strontium-tantalum-ruthenium groups both optimize deprotonation on oxygen sites and intermediates absorption on ruthenium sites, lowering the reaction energy barrier. Those result in a well-balanced activity-stability profile, confirmed by comprehensive experimental and theoretical analyses. Our strained electrode demonstrates an overpotential of 166 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in 0.5 M H2SO4 and an order of magnitude higher S-number, indicating comparable stability compared to bare catalyst. It exhibits negligible degradation rates within the long-term operation of single cell and PEM electrolyzer. This study elucidates the effectiveness of tensile strain and strategic doping in enhancing the activity and stability of ruthenium-based catalysts for acidic oxygen evolution reactions.

Suggested Citation

  • Yang Liu & Yixuan Wang & Hao Li & Min Gyu Kim & Ziyang Duan & Kainat Talat & Jin Yong Lee & Mingbo Wu & Hyoyoung Lee, 2025. "Effectiveness of strain and dopants on breaking the activity-stability trade-off of RuO2 acidic oxygen evolution electrocatalysts," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-12, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-56638-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56638-8
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