Ru propellant boosting the activity of CoxP/NC for efficient urea-assisted water electrolysis of hydrogen evolution

Designing efficient electrocatalysts with robust bifunctional activity for both HER/UOR is crucial for advancing energy-saving hydrogen production technologies. Therefore, in this study, ZIF-67 is selected as the precursor and the Ru-Co x P/NC nanocubes with a N-doped carbon network structure are successfully prepared through the carbonization-acid washing-anchoring-phosphating strategy. Experimental characterizations and electrochemical tests reveals that the introduction of Ru atoms onto Co x P/NC induces favorable local charge redistribution due to electronegativity differences, thereby facilitating both HER and UOR processes. Additionally, the three-dimensional N-doped carbon network not only enhances electrical conductivity by providing optimized electron transport pathways but also mitigates catalyst aggregation during reactions, improving atomic utilization efficiency of active sites and ensuring long-term material stability. Under alkaline conditions, the Ru-Co x P/NC catalyst achieves a current density of 10 mA cm −2 with an exceptionally low HER overpotential of merely 46 mV and requires only 1.319 V vs. RHE for UOR. Moreover, it demonstrates stable operation for 100 h at a high current density of 100 mA cm −2 . These findings demonstrate that this study provides a viable strategy for fabricating highly efficient electrocatalysts for energy-saving hydrogen production.