Amorphous ruthenium nanoparticles for enhanced electrochemical water splitting

作者：Tee Si Yin^*; Lee Coryl Jing Jun; Dinachali Saman Safari; Lai Szu Cheng; Williams Evan Laurence; Luo He Kuan; Chi Dongzhi; Hor T S Andy; Han Ming Yong

来源：Nanotechnology, 2015, 26(41): 415401.

DOI：10.1088/0957-4484/26/41/415401

• electrochemical water splitting
• ruthenium nanoparticles
• amorphous phase
• electrocatalyst
• hydrogen generation

This paper demonstrates an optimized fabrication of amorphous Ru nanoparticles through annealing at various temperatures ranging from 150 to 700 degrees C, which are used as water oxidation catalyst for effective electrochemical water splitting under a low overpotential of less than 300 mV. The amorphous Ru nanoparticles with short-range ordered structure exhibit an optimal and stable electrocatalytic activity after annealing at 250 degrees C. Interestingly, a small quantity of such Ru nanoparticles in a thin film on fluorine-doped tin oxide glass is also effectively driven by a conventional crystalline silicon solar cell that has excellent capability for harvesting visible light. Remarkably, it achieves an overall solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 11.3% in acidic electrolyte.

• 出版日期2015-10-16