Atomic-level Ru-Ir mixing in rutile-type (RuIr)O2 for efficient and durable oxygen evolution catalysis

Abstract The success of proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) depends on active and robust electrocatalysts to facilitate oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Heteroatom-doped-RuOx has emerged as a promising electrocatalysts because heteroatoms suppress lattice oxygen participation in the...

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Main Authors: Yeji Park, Ho Yeon Jang, Tae Kyung Lee, Taekyung Kim, Doyeop Kim, Dongjin Kim, Hionsuck Baik, Jinwon Choi, Taehyun Kwon, Sung Jong Yoo, Seoin Back, Kwangyeol Lee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-01-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-55910-1
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Summary:Abstract The success of proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) depends on active and robust electrocatalysts to facilitate oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Heteroatom-doped-RuOx has emerged as a promising electrocatalysts because heteroatoms suppress lattice oxygen participation in the OER, thereby preventing the destabilization of surface Ru and catalyst degradation. However, identifying suitable heteroatoms and achieving their atomic-scale coupling with Ru atoms are nontrivial tasks. Herein, to steer the reaction pathway away from the involvement of lattice oxygen, we integrate OER-active Ir atoms into the RuO2 matrix, which maximizes the synergy between stable Ru and active Ir centers, by leveraging the changeable growth behavior of Ru/Ir atoms on lattice parameter-modulated templates. In PEMWE, the resulting (RuIr)O2/C electrocatalysts demonstrate notable current density of 4.96 A cm−2 and mass activity of 19.84 A mgRu+Ir −1 at 2.0 V. In situ spectroscopic analysis and computational calculations highlight the importance of the synergistic coexistence of Ru/Ir-dual-OER-active sites for mitigating Ru dissolution via the optimization of the binding energy with oxygen intermediates and stabilization of Ru sites.
ISSN:2041-1723