Optimizing the electronic structure of Fe-doped Co3O4 supported Ru catalyst via metal-support interaction boosting oxygen evolution reaction and hydrogen evolution reaction

Metal-support interaction (MSI) is an efficient way in heterogeneous catalysis and electrocatalysis to modulate the electronic structure of metal for enhanced catalytic activity. However, there are still great challenges in promoting the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) simultaneously by this way. Herein, Fe-doped Co3O4 supported Ru (Ru/FeCo) catalysts are synthesized by MSI strategies to further improve the electrocatalytic activity and stability of the catalysts. The results show that the optimized Ru/FeCo catalyst exhibits the best catalytic performance. The HER and OER tests at 10 mA/cm2 in 1 mol/L KOH solution show excellent overpotentials of 155 mV and 283 mV, respectively. The activity and stability enhancement can be attributed to the MSI that effectively modify the electronic structure and improve interfacial electron transfer between Ru and Fe-doped Co3O4 (FeCo). This work provides an innovative direction for the design of high-efficiency bifunctional electrocatalysts by virtue of the MSI.