Title : 3D RuCo spheres on carbon cloth with phosphorus-nitrogen co-doping for improved hydrogen and oxygen evolution electrocatalysis
Abstract:
The pursuit of efficient and affordable electrocatalysts for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions (HER and OER) is crucial for advancing renewable energy solutions. In this study, we present a novel bifunctional electrocatalyst, PN-RuCo/CC, comprising phosphorus-nitrogen co-doped RuCo alloy nanospheres anchored onto a three-dimensional carbon cloth framework. The unique combination of Ru-Co alloying, dual-element co-doping, and the high surface area of the 3D carbon cloth enhances the catalytic activity significantly. The catalyst achieves remarkable electrochemical performance, requiring only 30 mV for HER and 250 mV for OER to drive a current density of 10 mA cm?2. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations confirm that the introduction of P and N modulates the adsorption energy of hydrogen (ΔG_H) to an optimal 0.05 eV, while lowering the OER energy barrier to 1.79 eV, facilitating enhanced reaction kinetics. These findings demonstrate that PN-RuCo/CC outperforms many existing RuCo-based electrocatalysts, positioning it as a strong candidate for next-generation energy conversion applications.
