Bicontinuous RuO2 nanoreactors for acidic water oxidation

Ding Chen, Ruohan Yu, Kesong Yu, Ruihu Lu, Hongyu Zhao, Jixiang Jiao, Youtao Yao, Jiawei Zhu, Jinsong Wu and Shichun Mu ()
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Ding Chen: Wuhan University of Technology
Ruohan Yu: Wuhan University of Technology
Kesong Yu: Wuhan University of Technology
Ruihu Lu: Wuhan University of Technology
Hongyu Zhao: Wuhan University of Technology
Jixiang Jiao: Wuhan University of Technology
Youtao Yao: Wuhan University of Technology
Jiawei Zhu: Wuhan University of Technology
Jinsong Wu: Wuhan University of Technology
Shichun Mu: Wuhan University of Technology

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Improving activity and stability of Ruthenium (Ru)-based catalysts in acidic environments is eager to replace more expensive Iridium (Ir)-based materials as practical anode catalyst for proton-exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs). Here, a bicontinuous nanoreactor composed of multiscale defective RuO2 nanomonomers (MD-RuO2-BN) is conceived and confirmed by three-dimensional tomograph reconstruction technology. The unique bicontinuous nanoreactor structure provides abundant active sites and rapid mass transfer capability through a cavity confinement effect. Besides, existing vacancies and grain boundaries endow MD-RuO2-BN with generous low-coordination Ru atoms and weakened Ru-O interaction, inhibiting the oxidation of lattice oxygen and dissolution of high-valence Ru. Consequently, in acidic media, the electron- and micro-structure synchronously optimized MD-RuO2-BN achieves hyper water oxidation activity (196 mV @ 10 mA cm−2) and an ultralow degradation rate of 1.2 mV h−1. A homemade PEMWE using MD-RuO2-BN as anode also conveys high water splitting performance (1.64 V @ 1 A cm−2). Theoretical calculations and in-situ Raman spectra further unveil the electronic structure of MD-RuO2-BN and the mechanism of water oxidation processes, rationalizing the enhanced performance by the synergistic effect of multiscale defects and protected active Ru sites.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48372-4

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