Boosting Hydrogen Evolution Reaction by Phase Engineering and Phosphorus Doping on Ru/P‐TiO<sub>2</sub>
Shizheng Zhou, Haeseong Jang, Qing Qin, Liqiang Hou, Min Gyu Kim, Shangguo Liu, Xien Liu, Jaephil Cho
Abstract
Abstract Synergistic optimization of the elementary steps of water dissociation and hydrogen desorption for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media is a challenge. Herein, the Ru cluster anchored on a trace P‐doped defective TiO 2 substrate (Ru/P‐TiO 2 ) was synthesized as an electrocatalyst for the HER; it exhibited a commercial Pt/C‐like geometric activity and an excellent mass activity of 9984.3 mA mg Ru −1 at −0.05 V vs. RHE, which is 34.3 and 18.7 times higher than that of Pt/C and Ru/TiO 2 , respectively. Experimental and theoretical studies indicated that using a rutile‐TiO 2 ‐crystal‐phase substrate enhanced the HER activity more than the anatase phase. Rich surface oxygen vacancies on rutile‐TiO 2 facilitated the adsorption and dissociation of water, while the partial substitution of Ti 4+ with P 5+ enhanced H 2 generation by facilitating hydrogen spillover from the Ru site to the surface P site, synergistically enhancing the HER activity.