Regulation of electrons between Ru and VN for high performance HER of low-level Ru doping in vanadium-nitrogen doped carbon catalysts

Abstract

Transition metal nitrides (TMNs) have garnered significant attention for their catalytic activity similar to noble metals, attributed to their distinctive electronic structures. However, the sluggish reaction kinetics have hindered the progress in TMN development. In this study, an alloying approach was employed to create Ru@VN/C catalysts by uniformly dispersing low levels of ruthenium (Ru) in vanadium-nitrogen doped carbon (VN/C) on carbon spheres. Through alloying, the electronic structures of ruthenium and vanadium atoms were further adjusted, leading to exceptional catalytic activity resulting from unique electron transfer between the atoms. The Ru@VN/C catalyst demonstrated a low overpotential of 5 mV and a Tafel slope of 27 mV·dec−1 at 10 mA·cm−2 in alkaline seawater solution, as well as superior performance in alkaline and simulated seawater solutions. The interatomic synergistic interactions, driven by charge redistribution as confirmed by density functional theory calculations and experimental data, play a crucial role in expanding the applications of TMNs in green hydrogen production.