The employment of single atom catalysts(SACs)remarkably increases atomic utilization and catalytic efficiency in various electrochemical processes,especially when coupled with metal clusters/nanoparticles.However,the ...The employment of single atom catalysts(SACs)remarkably increases atomic utilization and catalytic efficiency in various electrochemical processes,especially when coupled with metal clusters/nanoparticles.However,the synergistic effects mainly focus on the energetics of key intermediates during the electrocatalysis,while the properties of electrode surface and electric-double-layer(EDL)structure are largely overlooked.Herein,we report the synthesis of Ru nanoparticles integrated with neighboring Ru single atoms on nitrogen doped carbon(Ru1,n/NC)as efficient catalysts toward hydrogen oxidation reaction(HOR)under alkaline electrolytes.Electrochemical data,in situ attenuated total reflectance surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy,and density functional theory calculations reveal that the positively charged Ru single atoms could lead to the dynamically regulated proportion of strongly hydrogen-bonded interfacial water structure with O-down conformation and optimized connectivity of the hydrogen-bond network in the EDL region,which contribute to the accelerated diffusion of hydroxide ions to the electrified interfaces.Consequently,the obtained Ru1,n/NC catalyst displays remarkable HOR performance with the mass activity of 1.15 mAμgPGM^(-1) under alkaline electrolyte.This work demonstrates the promise of single atoms for interfacial water environment adjustment and mass transfer process modulation,providing new insights into rational design of highly-effective SAC-based electrocatalysts.展开更多
文摘The employment of single atom catalysts(SACs)remarkably increases atomic utilization and catalytic efficiency in various electrochemical processes,especially when coupled with metal clusters/nanoparticles.However,the synergistic effects mainly focus on the energetics of key intermediates during the electrocatalysis,while the properties of electrode surface and electric-double-layer(EDL)structure are largely overlooked.Herein,we report the synthesis of Ru nanoparticles integrated with neighboring Ru single atoms on nitrogen doped carbon(Ru1,n/NC)as efficient catalysts toward hydrogen oxidation reaction(HOR)under alkaline electrolytes.Electrochemical data,in situ attenuated total reflectance surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy,and density functional theory calculations reveal that the positively charged Ru single atoms could lead to the dynamically regulated proportion of strongly hydrogen-bonded interfacial water structure with O-down conformation and optimized connectivity of the hydrogen-bond network in the EDL region,which contribute to the accelerated diffusion of hydroxide ions to the electrified interfaces.Consequently,the obtained Ru1,n/NC catalyst displays remarkable HOR performance with the mass activity of 1.15 mAμgPGM^(-1) under alkaline electrolyte.This work demonstrates the promise of single atoms for interfacial water environment adjustment and mass transfer process modulation,providing new insights into rational design of highly-effective SAC-based electrocatalysts.
