Intrinsic metal-support interactions break the activity-stability dilemma in electrocatalysis.

Zhou, Lingxi; Yang, Menghao; Liu, Yihong; Kang, Feiyu; Lv, Ruitao · Nat Commun · 2025

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Electrocatalysis plays a central role in clean energy conversion and sustainable technologies. However, the trade-off between activity and stability of electrocatalysts largely hinders their practical applications, notably in the oxygen evolution reaction for producing hydrogen and solar fuels. Here we report a steam-assisted synthesis armed with machine learning screening of an integrated Ru/TiMnO<sub>x</sub> electrode, featuring intrinsic metal-support interactions. These atomic-scale interactions with self-healing capabilities radically address the activity-stability dilemma across all pH levels. Consequently, the Ru/TiMnO<sub>x</sub> electrode demonstrate enhanced mass activities-48.5×, 112.8×, and 74.6× higher than benchmark RuO<sub>2</sub> under acidic, neutral, and alkaline conditions, respectively. Notably, it achieves stable operation for up to 3,000 h, representing a multi-fold stability improvement comparable to other state-of-the-art catalysts. The breakthrough in activity-stability limitations highlights the potential of intrinsic metal-support interactions for enhancing electrocatalysis and heterogeneous catalysis in diverse applications.