Surface Hydroxyl Relay Promotes Acidic Water Oxidation.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41220335.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c04491.
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Abstract
Ruthenium (Ru) is a promising iridium (Ir) alternative for proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE), but Ru-based catalysts face an OER stability issue in acidic conditions. We addressed this using a hydroxyl relay strategy on RuO<sub>2</sub> surfaces via boron (B) doping. The three-coordinate B sites with empty p orbitals readily form coordination bonds with hydroxyl groups. These B sites relay *OH to neighboring Ru sites, facilitating the formation of the OOH intermediate, lowering the OER energy barrier, and preventing Ru overoxidation. Furthermore, the B dopants create a robust B-O-Ru local structure, which significantly stabilizes the catalyst framework. Consequently, the B-doped RuO<sub>2</sub> nanosheets (B-RuO<sub>2</sub> NS) show an ultralow overpotential (190 mV at 10 mA cm<sup>-2</sup>) and exceptional stability (1600 h at 10 mA cm<sup>-2</sup>, 200 h at 1 A cm<sup>-2</sup>). This work demonstrates how targeted hydroxyl relay engineering can simultaneously enhance activity and stability, offering a viable pathway to develop high-performance and durable Ru catalysts for industrial PEMWE applications.