Electronic Structure Engineering of Low-Loading Ru-Doped NiFe-LDH Nanosheets via One-Step Laser Ablation for High-Performance and Durable Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Developing efficient and durable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts is essential for scalable hydrogen production via water splitting. While NiFe-layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are promising low-cost catalysts, their catalytic performance and stability remain limited. In this study, we report a one-step laser ablation in liquid (LAL) strategy to synthesize low-loading Ru-doped NiFe-LDH nanosheets (NiFeRu/C-LDH) with precisely controlled electronic and structural properties. The laser-driven uniform incorporation of Ru 4 + into the NiFe-LDH lattice induces contraction and optimization of the local coordination environment. The resulting catalyst achieves low overpotentials of 236 and 299 mV at 10 and 100 mA cm − 2 , respectively, in 1 M KOH, outperforming commercial IrO 2 and undoped NiFe/C-LDH. It also demonstrates high durability with 95.3% activity retention after 200 h of continuous operation. Combined experimental and Density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the theoretical analyses reveal that strong Ru–O coordination and enhanced electronic interactions activate adjacent Fe sites, and establish a Fe–Ru dual active center configuration that facilitates OH − adsorption and lowers the energy barrier of the rate-determining O–O coupling step. This work offers a scalable laser-based synthesis route for high-performance electrocatalysts with tailored active sites.