Collaborative Interface Optimization Strategy Guided Ultrafine RuCo and MXene Heterostructure Electrocatalysts for Efficient Overall Water Splitting

Developing highly active and robust electrocatalysts for the hydrogen/oxygen evolution reaction (HER/OER) is crucial for the large-scale utilization of green hydrogen. In this study, a collaborative interface optimization guided strategy was employed to prepare a metal-organic framework (MOF) derived heterostructure electrocatalyst (MXene@RuCo NPs). The obtained electrocatalyst requires overpotentials of only 20 mV for the HER and 253 mV for the OER to deliver a current density of 10 mA/cm² in alkaline media, respectively, and it also exhibits great performance at high current density. Experiments and theoretical calculations reveal that the doped Ru introduces second active sites and decreases the diameter of nanoparticles, which greatly enhances the number of active sites. More importantly, the MXene/RuCo NPs heterogeneous interfaces in the catalysts exhibit great synergistic effects, decreasing the work function of the catalyst and improving the charge transfer rate, thus reducing the energy barrier of the catalytic reaction. This work represents a promising strategy for the development of MOF-derived highly active catalysts to achieve efficient energy conversion in industrial applications.