Lanthanide-regulating Ru-O covalency optimizes acidic oxygen evolution electrocatalysis

Abstract Precisely modulating the Ru-O covalency in RuO x for enhanced stability in proton exchange membrane water electrolysis is highly desired. However, transition metals with d -valence electrons, which were doped into or alloyed with RuO x , are inherently susceptible to the influence of coordination environment, making it challenging to modulate the Ru-O covalency in a precise and continuous manner. Here, we first deduce that the introduction of lanthanide with gradually changing electronic configurations can continuously modulate the Ru-O covalency owing to the shielding effect of 5 s /5 p orbitals. Theoretical calculations confirm that the durability of Ln-RuO x following a volcanic trend as a function…

• SS
  Salt Science Research Foundation

  Award: BL14W1
• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 52261135633, 52303363, 22105007, 22309004, 52333010, 22205010, 52025133
• CP
  China Postdoctoral Science Foundation

  Awards: 2022M710187, 2020M670018, 2023M730051, 2023M730029, 2022M720225
• CN
  China National Petroleum Corporation

  Award: 2021DQ02-1002
• PU
  Peking University

  Award: 2021DQ02-1002
• NP
  National Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talents

  Award: BX20220009
• BS
  Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility

  Award: BL14W1