The development of active, acid-stable and low-cost electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction is urgent and challenging. Herein we report an Iridium-free and low ruthenium-content oxide material (Cr0.6Ru0.4O2) derived from metal-organic framework with remarkable oxygen evolution reaction performance in acidic condition. It shows a record low overpotential of 178 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and maintains the excellent performance throughout the 10 h chronopotentiometry test at a constant current of 10 mA cm−2 in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution. Density functional theory calculations further revealed the intrinsic mechanism for the exceptional oxygen evolution reaction performance, highlighting the influence of chromium promoter on the enhancement in both activity and stability.

Here, a facile and novel strategy for the preparation of Cu-doped RuO hollow porous polyhedra composed of ultrasmall nanocrystals through one-step annealing of a Ru-exchanged Cu-BTC derivative is reported. Owing to the optimized surface configuration and altered electronic structure, the prepared catalyst displays a remarkable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance with low overpotential of 188 mV at 10 mA cm in acidic electrolyte, an ultralow Tafel slope of 43.96 mV dec , and excellent stability in durability testing for 10 000 cycles, and continuous testing of 8 h at a current density of 10 mA cm . Density functional theory calculations reveal that the highly unsaturated Ru sites on the high-index facets can be oxidized gradually and reduce the energy barrier of rate-determining steps. On the other hand, the Cu dopants can alter the electronic structures so as to further improve the intrinsic OER activity.