Constructing Ru-O-TM Bridge in NiFe-LDH Enables High Current Hydrazine-assisted H2 Production.

Hydrazine oxidation-assisted water splitting is a critical technology to tackle the high energy consumption in large-scale H2 production. Ru-based electrocatalysts hold promise for synergetic hydrogen reduction (HER) and hydrazine oxidation (HzOR) catalysis but are hindered by excessive superficial adsorption of reactant intermediate. Herein, we design Ru cluster anchoring on NiFe-LDH (denoted as Ruc/NiFe-LDH), which effectively enhances the intermediate adsorption capacity of Ru by constructing Ru-O-Ni/Fe bridges. Notably, it achieves an industrial current density of 1 A cm-2 at an unprecedentedly low voltage of 0.43 V, saving 3.94 kWh m-3 H2 in energy, and exhibits remarkable stability over 120 hours at a high current density of 5 A cm-2. Advanced characterizations and theoretical calculation reveal that the presence of Ru-O-Ni/Fe bridges widens the d-band width of the Ru cluster, leading to lower d-band center and higher electron occupation on antibonding orbitals, thereby facilitating moderate adsorption energy and enhanced catalytic activity of Ru. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.