Ru Nanoparticle-Anchored MoO₂ Nanoflowers as Electrocatalysts for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Abstract

Exploration of highly efficient and stable electrocatalysts for hydrogen production is critically important for their practical applications in water splitting. Herein, we present Ru nanoparticle-anchored MoO2 nanoflowers as an efficient and stable electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The Ru/MoO2 catalysts are synthesized by a mild hydrothermal route combined with thermal reduction. The strong electronic interactions between Ru and MoO2 confirmed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations lead to better hydrogen adsorption abilities and produce many more active sites. As a result, the optimized Ru/MoO2 hybrid delivers outstanding HER performance in an acid solution, with a low overpotential of 39 mV to reach an electric current density of 10 mA/cm2, a small Tafel slope of 50 mV/dec, and superior long-term stability. The work presents a good strategy to develop efficient and stable HER catalysts by introducing strong electronic interactions.

Horizontally Oriented Growth of Highly Conductive MoO2 Nanobelts on Sapphire

“…As a semiconductor, MoO 2 has a high melting point, good chemical stability, high conductivity, and strong in-plane anisotropy. − To date, MoO 2 and its composite structures are widely used in water electrolysis, field emission, Li-ion batteries, etc. , In general, their properties are highly related to their morphology. For example, the MoO 2 nanostars prepared by Khademi showed a low turn-on field of 1.0 V/μm and a high enhancement factor of 19 070 at a vacuum gap of 500 μm due to their large number of sharp tips .…”

Low-loaded Ru on hollow SnO2 for enhanced electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution

“…The integration of noble metals with functionalized supports is one effective approach to optimize the electrocatalytic performance and reduce the cost of catalysts. 22–26 The supports play multiple roles, such as: (i) tuning the electronic structure of the active sites and thus improving their electrocatalytic activity and selectivity; (ii) offering a high surface area for the uniform dispersion or tailored size of the catalysts; and (iii) allowing the easy access of the reactants, especially hollow porous structures. Recently a wide range of supports involving transition metal oxides ( e.g.…”