Open AccessDoping Ruthenium into Metal Matrix for Promoted pH‐Universal Hydrogen Evolution
Author(s) -
Jiao Jiqing,
Zhang NanNan,
Zhang Chao,
Sun Ning,
Pan Yuan,
Chen Chen,
Li Jun,
Tan Meijie,
Cui Ruixue,
Shi Zhaolin,
Zhang Jiangwei,
Xiao Hai,
Lu Tongbu
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
advanced science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.388
H-Index - 100
ISSN - 2198-3844
DOI - 10.1002/advs.202200010
Subject(s) - catalysis , ruthenium , doping , electrolyte , hydrogen , adsorption , surface engineering , materials science , water splitting , metal , chemical engineering , strain engineering , inorganic chemistry , chemical physics , nanotechnology , chemistry , metallurgy , electrode , silicon , optoelectronics , biochemistry , organic chemistry , photocatalysis , engineering
For heterogeneous catalysts, the active sites exposed on the surface have been investigated intensively, yet the effect of the subsurface‐underlying atoms is much less scrutinized. Here, a surface‐engineering strategy to dope Ru into the subsurface/surface of Co matrix is reported, which alters the electronic structure and lattice strain of the catalyst surface. Using hydrogen evolution (HER) as a model reaction, it is found that the subsurface doping Ru can optimize the hydrogen adsorption energy and improve the catalytic performance, with overpotentials of 28 and 45 mV at 10 mA cm −2 in alkaline and acidic media, respectively, and in particular, 28 mV in neutral electrolyte. The experimental results and theoretical calculations indicate that the subsurface/surface doping Ru improves the HER efficiency in terms of both thermodynamics and kinetics. The approach here stands as an effective strategy for catalyst design via subsurface engineering at the atomic level.