RuCo Alloy Catalyst

1.56 V Overall Splitting

A microwave-synthesized RuCo alloy on copper foam that efficiently catalyzes both HER and OER, outperforming commercial precious metal catalysts.

Weiqiang, Qiao · Li, Na · Gu, Chao · Linfeng, Gu · Yunyun, Bai · Song, Li · Li, Lei

Journal of Chemical Physics 2025

Specifications

HER overpotential

{'zh': '43', 'en': '43'} mV

OER overpotential

{'zh': '253', 'en': '253'} mV

Overall water splitting voltage

{'zh': '1.56', 'en': '1.56'} V

Advantages

Bifunctional catalysis

The RuCo alloy optimizes both HER and OER, enabling one catalyst for overall water splitting.

Ultrafast synthesis

Microwave heating enables efficient and rapid synthesis of alloy particles in a very short time.

Outperforms precious metals

The electrolyzer requires only 1.56 V, outperforming commercial precious metal catalysts with excellent stability.

Remarkable stability

The catalyst exhibits long-term stability during overall water splitting operation.

Applications

• Water electrolysis：Low energy input at 1.56 V for hydrogen production.
• HER catalyst：Low HER overpotential of 43 mV at competitive cost.
• OER catalyst：Enables efficient OER at 253 mV for stable overall splitting.
• Alkaline electrolyzer：Bifunctional electrode for alkaline electrolyzers without catalyst swap.