In-situ formed Ni(OH)2 coupled Ru-RuO2 heterojunction for efficient overall water/saline surface water splitting at large-scale current density

The designment of highly active and durable electrocatalysts for saline surface water splitting with bifunctional catalyst in hot arid regions and coastal areas is a major challenge. Herein, a novel honeycomb-like film porous Ru-RuO2/Ni(OH)2/NF electrode with Ru-RuO2-Ni(OH)2 multi-site surface was rationally synthesized on Ni foam (Ru-RuO2/NH/NF). The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER, 18/62/207 mV@10/100/500 mA cm- 2) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER, 197/240/295 mV@10/100/500 mA cm- 2) were efficiently driven through the as- prepared Ru-RuO2/NH/NF electrode, which goes beyond the commercial Pt/C (HER, 57/284 mV@10/100 mA cm- 2) and RuO2 (OER, 251/370 mV@10/100 mA cm- 2). Remarkably, the electrode exhibited long-term durability for more than 500 h at 100 mA cm- 2 and high selectivity (Faraday efficiency = 99.7%). Meanwhile, it also showed prominent electrocatalytic activity for OER and HER in alkaline saline surface water, which only require 290/85 mV to generate 100 mA cm- 2 for OER/HER in 1 M alkaline seawater. Impressively, the RuRuO2/NH/NF||Ru-RuO2/NH/NF couple displayed outstanding overall water splitting electrochemical activity and robust durability in saline surface water splitting. It is likely to be that the synergistic effect of Ru-RuO2 regulates the electronic structure of Ru base, while Ni(OH)2 accelerates the kinetics of the reaction and hinders transfer of Ca2+/Mg2+ in saline surface water. This work introduces an innovative approach for the design of bifunctional heterojunction electrocatalysts for large-scale hydrogen fabrication.