Tunable Ru-Ru2P heterostructures with charge redistribution for efficient pH-universal hydrogen evolution

Designing synergistic heterogeneous catalytic interfaces is the key to developing highly compatible pH-universal electrocatalysts for complex chemical environments. Our theoretical calculation results demonstrate that the Ru-Ru2P heterointerface can not only promote the redistribution of charges, but also reduce the d-band center, and then enhances the adsorption capacity of the key intermediate. However, in situ and facile synthesis of Ru-Ru2P heterostructures is severely limited by thermodynamic obstacles. Herein, we propose a molten salt-assisted catalytic synthesis scheme, and successfully build a series of homologous metallic Ru-Ru2P heterostructure catalysts with different molar ratios of Ru to P under atmospheric pressure and low-temperature (400 degrees C). The resultant Ru-Ru2P with rich heterostructures show the Pt-like HER performance in different pH media. Particularly, it is prominent under alkaline conditions (18 mV @ 10 mA cm(-)(2)), which outperforms the Pt catalyst (37 mV @ 10 mA cm(-)(2)). Furthermore, Ru-Ru2P heterostructures also show certain potential in the electrolysis of seawater to produce hydrogen. This work represents a significant supplement of high-efficiency pH-universal HER catalysts, and provides a new light on interface engineering in energy technology fields and beyond.

Automated summary

Designing synergistic heterogeneous catalytic interfaces is crucial for developing highly efficient pH-universal electrocatalysts. By employing a molten salt-assisted catalytic synthesis scheme, a series of Ru-Ru2P heterostructure catalysts were successfully synthesized. These catalysts exhibit Pt-like hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance in different pH media and also show potential in seawater electrolysis for hydrogen production.