Symmetry‐Broken Ru Nanoparticles with Parasitic Ru‐Co Dual‐Single Atoms Overcome the Volmer Step of Alkaline Hydrogen Oxidation

Abstract Efficient dual‐single‐atom catalysts are crucial for enhancing atomic efficiency and promoting the commercialization of fuel cells, but addressing the sluggish kinetics of hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in alkaline media and the facile dual‐single‐atom site generation remains formidable challenges. Here, we break the local symmetry of ultra‐small ruthenium (Ru) nanoparticles by embedding cobalt (Co) single atoms, which results in the release of Ru single atoms from Ru nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide (Co 1 Ru 1,n /rGO). In situ operando spectroscopy and theoretical calculations reveal that the oxygen‐affine Co atom disrupts the symmetry of ultra‐small Ru nanoparticles, resulting in parasitic…

• SS
  Salt Science Research Foundation

  Award: BL14W1
• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 22325101, 22234005, 22075223
• GO
  Government of Jiangsu Province
• NS
  Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province

  Award: BK20222015
• WU
  Wuhan University
• WU
  Wuhan University of Technology

  Awards: 2023-ZT-1, 22075223
• SK
  State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing

  Award: 2023-ZT-1
• QP
  Qinglan Project of Jiangsu Province of China
• BS
  Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility

  Award: BL14W1