Heteroatom dopants overcome the activity-stability trade-off in RuO2 for acidic oxygen evolution

Wei Zheng, Yang Zhao, Kang Jiang (), Feng Xie, Linghu Meng, Shanqiang Gao, Jilong Li, Jiao Lan, Min Luo (), Lifeng Liu and Yongwen Tan ()
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Wei Zheng: Hunan University
Yang Zhao: Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory (SLAB)
Kang Jiang: Hunan University
Feng Xie: Hunan University
Linghu Meng: Hunan University
Shanqiang Gao: Hunan University
Jilong Li: Hunan University
Jiao Lan: Hunan University
Min Luo: Shanghai Technical Institute of Electronics & Information
Lifeng Liu: Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory (SLAB)
Yongwen Tan: Hunan University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract The pursuit of RuO2 as an alternative acidic oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalyst to IrO2 holds great promise, yet simultaneously achieving highly active and stable RuO2 remains an urgent challenge, as conventional strategies often boost one property at the expense of the other. Here, we successfully construct Ta and B co-doped nanoporous RuO2 with Ru-O-Ta frameworks and Ru-O-B active sites to overcome the activity-stability trade-off. The Ru-O-Ta frameworks stabilize the Ru sites by mediating bridging oxygen and preferentially replenishing oxygen vacancies, thereby facilitating the oxygen evolution reaction through the adsorbate evolution mechanism. Concurrently, the Ru-O-Ta/B sites not only switch the rate-determining step but also lower the energy barriers, thereby enhancing catalytic activity. The Ta/B-RuO2 exhibits a low overpotential of 170 mV at 10 mA cm−2, a favorable Tafel slope of 44 mV dec−1, and an outstanding durability. We demonstrate that proton-exchange membrane water electrolyzers equipped with Ta/B-RuO2 achieves a current density of 1.0 A cm−2 at a low voltage of 1.6 V and maintains stable operation for 120 h at 200 mA cm−2.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-62036-x

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