Co-Ru alloy nanoparticles decorated onto two-dimensional nitrogen doped carbon nanosheets towards hydrogen/oxygen evolution reaction and oxygen reduction reaction

Constructing highly-efficient electrocatalysts toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER)/oxygen evolution reaction (OER)/oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) with excellent stability is quite important for the development of renewable energy-related applications. Herein, Co-Ru based compounds supported on nitrogen doped two-dimensional (2D) carbon nanosheets (NCN) are developed via one step pyrolysis procedure (Co-Ru/NCN) for HER/ORR and following low-temperature oxidation process (Co-Ru@RuOx/NCN) for OER. The specific 2D morphology guarantees abundant active sites exposure. Furthermore, the synergistic effects arising from the interaction between Co and Ru are crucial in enhancing the catalytic performance. Thus, the resulting Co-Ru/NCN shows remarkable electrocatalytic performance for HER (70 mV at 10 mA cm−2) in 1 M KOH and ORR (half-wave potential E1/2 = 0.81 V) in 0.1 M KOH. Especially, the Co-Ru@RuOx/NCN obtained by oxidation exhibits splendid OER performance in both acid (230 mV at 10 mA cm−2) and alkaline media (270 mV at 10 mA cm−2) coupled with excellent stability. Consequently, the fabricated two-electrode water-splitting device exhibits excellent performance in both acidic and alkaline environments. This research provides a promising avenue for the advancement of multifunctional nanomaterials.