High-performance Co-doped RuO2 nanoparticles for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction

Abstract

The development of ultra-efficient and long-lasting electrocatalysts with activity comparable to or exceeding that of Pt for the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is highly desirable for renewable H₂ production. In this study, we synthesized carbon-supported cobalt-doped RuO₂ nanoparticles using a two-step method. Electrochemical tests revealed that the carbon-supported Ru oxides with optimal Co doping (RuCoC-2) achieved current densities of 10, 50, and 100 mA cm⁻² at low overpotentials of 10, 40, and 66 mV, respectively, for the alkaline HER. Notably, RuCoC-2 exhibited excellent mass activity (1.28 A mg⁻¹ Ru) and hydrogen productivity (0.71 H₂ s⁻¹) at −0.05 V which are several times higher than those of the benchmark Pt/C, surpassing most of the reported catalysts.