Bimetallic ruthenium–nickel alloy nanostructure supported on nickel foam for efficient alkaline hydrogen evolution at large current density

Abstract

Developing low-cost and efficient catalysts for hydrogen evolution is of great significance to solve the human energy crisis. In this work, ruthenium–nickel alloy is synthesized by a solvothermal method. The ruthenium–nickel alloy shows distinguished catalytic performance and durability for the hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline solution (1 M KOH). Only 21, 76, 222 and 323 mV overpotentials are required to reach current densities of 10, 100, 1000 and 2000 mA cm⁻². After 150 hours of a durability test at a current density of −400 mA cm⁻², the alloy also shows outstanding durability. Density functional theory (DFT) further shows that ruthenium–nickel alloy composites can optimize the reaction barrier of alkaline hydrogen evolution. This study provides a valuable method for developing high-performance and low-price alloy catalysts for hydrogen evolution.