Interfacial water engineering boosts neutral water reduction

Abstract Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in neutral media is of great practical importance for sustainable hydrogen production, but generally suffers from low activities, the cause of which has been a puzzle yet to be solved. Herein, by investigating the synergy between Ru single atoms (RuNC) and RuSe x cluster compounds (RuSe x ) for HER using ab initio molecular dynamics, operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and operando surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy, we establish that the interfacial water governs neutral HER. The rigid interfacial water layer in neutral media would inhibit the transport of H 2 O*/OH* at the electrode/electrolyte interface of RuNC, but the RuSe x can promote H 2…

• TS
  Taishan Scholar Foundation of Shandong Province

  Award: tsqn201909065
• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 22102081, BL11B, 21872076, 21925202, 52201261
• NS
  Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province

  Award: ZR2020QB174
• BS
  Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility