Atomic‐level Geometric Engineering Modulating <i>d</i> ‐ <i>s</i> Hybridization of Ordered RuGa Intermetallic for Efficient Hydrogen Electrocatalysis

Ruthenium (Ru) is a promising alternative to platinum for hydrogen oxidation (HOR) and evolution (HER), yet its intrinsically strong hydrogen binding, governed by its atomic geometry, limits activity. Herein, we report a highly efficient and durable RuGa intermetallic catalyst with an atomically ordered structure that disrupts the geometric symmetry of Ru, thereby optimizing hydrogen adsorption. The catalyst achieves a specific exchange current density of 1.02 mA cm<sup>-</sup> <sup>2</sup> and a mass activity of 1850 mA mg<sub>Ru</sub> <sup>-</sup> <sup>1</sup> for HOR, 5.5- and 3-fold higher than Ru/C, respectively. For HER, it requires only 11 mV to reach 10 mA cm<sup>-</sup> <sup>2</sup> and shows a 7.4-fold higher mass activity than Ru/C. Remarkably, it exhibits negligible degradation after 1000 HOR and 10 000 HER cycles. Density functional theory calculations and in situ Raman analyses reveal that geometric engineering enhances Ru 4d-H 1s hybridization, weakens Ru-H bonding, and lowers hydrogen adsorption energy, thus accelerating HER/HOR kinetics and preventing active-site poisoning. This work establishes a paradigm for designing high-performance Ru-based electrocatalysts through atomic-level geometric modulation.

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Small
Published
2026-03-03
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202513914
Primary Topic
Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
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article
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article

Atomic‐level Geometric Engineering Modulating d ‐ s Hybridization of Ordered RuGa Intermetallic for Efficient Hydrogen Electrocatalysis

Lecheng Liang, Jiaxi Zhang, Liang Zhang, Jinhui Liang et al.
Small
Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
article

Atomic‐level Geometric Engineering Modulating d ‐ s Hybridization of Ordered RuGa Intermetallic for Efficient Hydrogen Electrocatalysis

Lecheng Liang, Jiaxi Zhang, Liang Zhang, Jinhui Liang, Huiyu Song, Zhiming Cui, Xiaji Huang
article en

Abstract

Ruthenium (Ru) is a promising alternative to platinum for hydrogen oxidation (HOR) and evolution (HER), yet its intrinsically strong hydrogen binding, governed by its atomic geometry, limits activity. Herein, we report a highly efficient and durable RuGa intermetallic catalyst with an atomically ordered structure that disrupts the geometric symmetry of Ru, thereby optimizing hydrogen adsorption. The catalyst achieves a specific exchange current density of 1.02 mA cm<sup>-</sup> <sup>2</sup> and a mass activity of 1850 mA mg<sub>Ru</sub> <sup>-</sup> <sup>1</sup> for HOR, 5.5- and 3-fold higher than Ru/C, respectively. For HER, it requires only 11 mV to reach 10 mA cm<sup>-</sup> <sup>2</sup> and shows a 7.4-fold higher mass activity than Ru/C. Remarkably, it exhibits negligible degradation after 1000 HOR and 10 000 HER cycles. Density functional theory calculations and in situ Raman analyses reveal that geometric engineering enhances Ru 4d-H 1s hybridization, weakens Ru-H bonding, and lowers hydrogen adsorption energy, thus accelerating HER/HOR kinetics and preventing active-site poisoning. This work establishes a paradigm for designing high-performance Ru-based electrocatalysts through atomic-level geometric modulation.

Small
Guangdong University of Technology (CN), South China Normal University (CN), Cell Technology (China) (HK), South China University of Technology (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 40%
Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
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Atomic‐level Geometric Engineering Modulating <i>d</i> ‐ <i>s</i> Hybridization of Ordered RuGa Intermetallic for Efficient Hydrogen Electrocatalysis — Lecheng Liang, Jiaxi Zhang, et al. · Small (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS