Regulating Ru–O Bond and Oxygen Vacancies of RuO<sub>2</sub> by Ta Doping for Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution in Acid Media
Jirong Bai, Hanyu Zhang, Chunyong Zhang, Hengfei Qin, Pin Zhou, Mei Xiang, Yuebin Lian, Yaoyao Deng
Abstract
Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is considered an ideal green hydrogen production technology with promising application prospects. However, the development of efficient and stable acid electroanalytic oxygen electrocatalysts is still a challenging bottleneck. This progress is achieved by adopting a strategic approach with the introduction of the high valence metal Ta to regulate the electronic configuration of RuO 2 by manipulating its local microenvironment to optimize the stability and activity of the electrocatalysts. The Ta-RuO 2 catalysts are notable for their excellent electrocatalytic activity, as evidenced by an overpotential of only 202 mV at 10 mA cm –2, which significantly exceeds that of homemade RuO 2 and commercial RuO 2 . Furthermore, the Ta-RuO 2 catalyst exhibits exceptional stability with negligible potential reduction observed after 50 h of electrolysis. Theoretical calculations show that the asymmetric configuration of Ru–O–Ta breaks the thermodynamic activity limitations usually associated with adsorption evolution, weakening the energy barrier for the formation of the OOH* formation. The strategic approach presented in this study provides an important reference for the development of a stable active center for acid water splitting.