Beyond Electronic Interaction: Ru Sub‐Nanoparticles Reconfiguring Interfacial Water on Ru–Co Diatomic Sites for Accelerated Oxygen Reduction
Abstract
ABSTRACT Synergy between metallic nanoparticles and single‐atom sites offers considerable potential for developing advanced electrocatalysts. However, the synergistic mechanism in such complex architectures under operating conditions remains elusive. Herein, a two‐step approach involving selective etching and co‐confined adsorption was developed to precisely construct CoRu/Ru NPs catalyst, featuring Ru–Co diatomic sites coupled with Ru sub‐nanoparticles, which demonstrates excellent oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance with a half‐wave potential of 0.91 V and a peak power density of 369 mW cm −2 in zinc‐air batteries, along with outstanding cycling stability over 1350 h. Beyond modulating the electronic structure to weaken OH* adsorption on Ru–Co diatomic sites, the Ru sub‐nanoparticles also induce an alternative thermodynamic pathway for enhanced ORR kinetics, in which interfacial water dissociate on oxyphilic Ru sub‐nanoparticles and facilely supply protons to oxygen‐containing intermediates on neighboring Ru–Co diatomic sites. This work not only advances the construction of synergistic active sites but also opens a new paradigm for designing advanced electrocatalysts by harnessing the interfacial environment beyond electronic structure modulation.
Article Details
Authors (20)
Xiangrong Jin
State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
Yafei Liu
State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
Hao Sun
Yu Zhang
Xiangya Hospital, Central South University Changsha China
Xiaoyan Huang
Qingyi Zhu
Department of Chemistry
Keying Tao
State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering College of Chemistry Beijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing China
Yuan Zhang
HaoCheng Wang
Yuyang Zhou
Hao Song
Yifan Zeng
State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering College of Chemistry Beijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing China
Zheng Chang
State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
Yi Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Quantum Functional Materials, School of Physical Science and Technology
Wei Zhu
Chang Chen
Hua Zhang
Nana Wang
Jiazhan Li
State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
Xiaoming Sun