Ultrafast synthesis of halogen-doped Ru-based electrocatalysts with electronic regulation for hydrogen generation in acidic and alkaline media

Developing a facile and time-saving method for preparing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts can accelerate the practical applications of hydrogen energy. In this study, halogen (X = F, Cl, Br and I) doped Ru-RuO2 on carbon cloth (CC) (X-Ru-RuO2/MCC) was synthesized via an ultrafast microwave-assisted method for 30 s. Particularly, the doped Br (Br-Ru-RuO2/MCC) significantly improved the electrocatalytic performances of the catalyst through the regulation of electronic structures. Then, the Br-Ru-RuO2/MCC catalyst featured HER overpotentials of 44 mV and 77 mV in 1.0 M KOH and 0.5 M H2SO4, and the OER overpotential of 300 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in 1.0 M KOH. This study provides a novel method for developing of halogen-doped catalysts.