Unlocking the Effects of the RuCo Alloy Ratio on Alkaline Hydrogen Production
Understanding the interaction between Ru and Co components and the alloy ratio effects on the catalytic process is a technical challenge that requires a precise alloy structural design. This study proposes an effective stepwise annealing method for the construction of RuCo alloy-based electrocatalysts with varied Ru:Co ratios. Interestingly, as the concentration of Co in the first-step pyrolysis products increases, the secondary pyrolysis results in RuCo composites undergoing a transition from incomplete alloying to alloy ratios of 1:1, 1:2, and 1:8. When the alloy ratio is 1:1, more Ru<sup><i>n</i>+</sup> and Co<sup>0</sup> transform into Ru<sup>0</sup> and Co<sup>2/3+</sup>. In 1 M KOH, RuCo-0.6/NC demonstrates outstanding catalytic performance and durability even superior to that of commercial Pt/C, delivering a lower overpotential of 16 mV at 10 mA cm<sup>-2</sup>. DFT calculations reveal that the fast H<sub>2</sub>O dissociation and moderate H adsorption guarantee the superior activity of RuCo.
Authors
- Zhongzhe Wei (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1521-6587)
- Xing Wei Ji
- Jing Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5673-8464)
- Zhenzhen Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1299-9002)
- Zefeng Fang
Institutions
- Hangzhou Dianzi University (CN)
- Zhejiang University of Technology (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
- Published
- 2024-11-11
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.4c13175
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Catalysts for Methane Reforming
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.21
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province