Electronic modulation with Ru nanoclusters decorated CoP nanowire arrays for alkaline and acidic hydrogen evolution reaction

In this study, we meticulously prepared electrocatalysts in the form of Ru nanoclusters-decorated CoP nanowire arrays supported on carbon cloth (Ru@CoP/CC) for HER under both alkaline and acidic conditions. Ru@CoP/CC exhibited exceptional catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution, showcasing overpotentials of 48 mV and 66 mV (10 mA/cm 2 ) in acidic and alkaline media, respectively, which closes to 20% of commercial Pt/C catalysts. Moreover, they showcased outstanding durability, a crucial aspect for their practical application in hydrogen production. Furthermore, this research employed DFT computations to attain a comprehensive understanding of the electronic and structural modifications brought about by the integration of Ru nanoclusters. Ru nanoclusters could coordination environment of CoP, and then effectively accelerate the catalytic reaction. This method opens up a new way to reduce the amount of precious metals in the electrocatalyst, and is helpful to the development of high-performance HER electrocatalyst.