Size control and electronic manipulation of Ru catalyst over B, N co-doped carbon network for high-performance hydrogen evolution reaction
Shuai Xu, Mang Niu, Guowei Zhao, Shujun Ming, Xingyun Li, Qi‐Long Zhu, Liang‐Xin Ding, Minjun Kim, Asma A. Alothman, Mohammed Sheikh Saleh Mushab, Yusuke Yamauchi
Abstract
Exploring highly efficient Pt-free catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is of great importance for hydrogen (H2) production. Herein, a novel HER electrocatalyst having abundant ultra-small (2–3 nm) Ru electronically confined by a B, N co-doped polar carbon surface (Ru/(B-N)-PC) was constructed. The Ru/(B-N)-PC catalyst exhibits a low overpotential of 15 mV at the current density of 10 mA·cm−2, a low Tafel slope of 22.6 mV·dec−1, and superior durability, which outperforms the benchmark Pt/C catalyst. Both experimental characterizations and theory calculations suggest that an electron communication established between B, N co-doped carbon surface and ultra-small Ru nanoparticles with electrons transferred from N atoms to Ru and back-transferred from Ru to B atoms, which exerts a moderate electronic modification of Ru. This, in turn, affords a modest H adsorption energy and a lower H2O dissociation barrier, leading to the high-performance hydrogen evolution reaction. The work provides meaningful insight into the size control and electronic modulation of Ru catalyst for intrinsic HER activity improvement.