Engineering heterostructure and crystallinity of Ru/RuS2 Nanoparticle composited with N-doped graphene as electrocatalysts for alkaline hydrogen evolution

ABSTRACT Crystalline engineering and heterostructure have attracted much attention as effective strategies to improve the electrocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this study, a new heterostructure catalyst (Ru/RuS2@N-rGO) with low crystallinity was fabricated by a simple and low-temperature method for HER in alkaline solution, applying the Na2SO4 as S source and polypyrrole as N source. Optimizing through the controllable crystalline engineering and composition ratio of Ru and RuS2, the Ru/RuS2@N-rGO heterocatalyst at the calcining 500 °C revealed highly efficient HER activity with overpotential 18 mV at a current density 10 mA/cm2 and remarkable stability for 24 h in 1.0 mol/L KOH. This work provides a facile and effective method in designing advanced electrocatalysts for HER in the alkaline electrolytes by synergistically structural and component modulations.