Dopant-free stabilization of ruthenium oxide <i>via</i> metallic Ru-induced d-orbital modulation for acidic water electrolysis.

ABSTRACT: Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is a cornerstone technology for carbon-neutral hydrogen production, yet its scalability is constrained by the intrinsic activity-stability trade-off of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts. To overcome this challenge, we design a Ru/RuO₂ heterostructure by integrating metallic Ru to modulate the d-orbital electron density of RuO₂. The metallic Ru domains suppress lattice oxygen migration (LOM) while enhancing electron delocalization. The e_g orbital filling shifts the Ru 4d-band center downward, reducing the adsorption strength of reaction intermediates (*OH, *O, and *OOH). The optimized Ru/RuO₂ electrocatalyst achieves an overpotential of 181 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 in 0.5 M H

SUBMITTER: Tan L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12822733 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature