Proton Donors Boost Interfacial Water Activation on RuO<sub>2</sub>-Embedded RuWO<sub>x</sub> for Durable Acidic Oxygen Evolution.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 42438381.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1002/adma.74093.
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Abstract
The activity-stability dilemma in acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) stems from a fundamental trade-off in the interface hydrogen-bond network: while promoting interfacial water enrichment, it often impedes efficient proton transfer. Achieving simultaneous enhancement of interfacial water accumulation and deprotonation kinetics remains a critical challenge. Herein, we design a tungsten-stabilized ruthenium oxide heterostructure (RuWO<sub>x</sub>-300) that overcomes this limitation in acidic OER. The high-valence W<sup>6+</sup> species induce a localized electrostatic field, which enhances interfacial water enrichment. Concurrently, the W-O<sub>bri</sub>-Ru moieties serve as active Brønsted acid sites with high proton-donor capability, accelerating surface deprotonation. As a result, RuWO<sub>x</sub>-300 exhibits exceptional OER performance, requiring overpotentials of only 179 and 231 mV to achieve 10 and 100 mA cm<sup>-2</sup>, respectively, and demonstrating remarkable stability for over 4820 h at 50 mA cm<sup>-2</sup>, surpassing commercial RuO<sub>2</sub> and most reported Ru-based catalysts. Through ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations and in situ Raman spectroscopy, we elucidate a dual-functional mechanism: increased interfacial water coverage reduces the activation barrier for O─O bond formation, while proton-donor-enhanced transfer kinetics suppresses Ru dissolution. This work establishes a new design principle for highly active and stable acidic OER electrocatalysts via proton-donor-mediated interfacial water activation.