Oxyanion Engineering of RuO2 for Efficient and Durable Acidic Water Oxidation

Ru-based catalysts are critical for advancing the acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) toward hydrogen production via water electrolysis. However, their practical application is severely hindered by sluggish deprotonation kinetics, which not only reduces the OER activity but also compromises the catalyst stability by limiting the rate of water dissociation for replenishing oxygen vacancies. In this project, we aim to develop oxyanion-modified RuO2 catalysts to regulate interfacial proton-binding properties and improve acidic OER performance. A series of oxyanions with different proton-binding affinities will be introduced into RuO2, and their effects on electronic structure, surface reconstruction, and OER kinetics will be systematically investigated. By combining electrochemical measurements with advanced characterization techniques, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and in situ Raman/FTIR spectroscopy, we will establish the relationship between oxyanion-induced proton regulation, catalytic activity and stability, providing fundamental insights for the rational design of durable Ru-based catalysts.