Work

Asymmetrical Fe−Se−Ru Active Sites in Ruthenium Diselenide Nanocrystals Boost Stable Ampere‐Level Hydrogen Evolution in Alkaline Seawater

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Achieving both high activity and long‐term stability in alkaline seawater electrolysis remains challenging. To tackle this, we devise a synergistic engineering strategy that integrates iron doping with vacancy creation to tailor the local coordination environment of RuSe 2 via a hydrothermal method followed by ultrafast Joule heating, which enables the simultaneous construction of asymmetric Fe−Se−Ru sites and Se vacancies. The optimal catalyst delivers ultralow overpotentials of 12 mV (alkaline water) and 20 mV (alkaline seawater) at 10 mA·cm −2 , outperforming commercial Pt/C. In an anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer, it achieved a cell voltage of only 1.87 V at 1.0 A·cm −2 in alkaline seawater and operated stably for 1000 h. Combined experimental characterizations and theoretical calculations reveal that the superior activity and stability originate from the synergy of asymmetric Fe−Se−Ru sites and Se vacancies, which enhances water dissociation, optimizes hydrogen adsorption, and suppresses chloride corrosion. This work provides a rapid route to high‑performance Ru‑based catalysts for durable seawater electrolysis.

Source: Advanced Functional Materials

DOI: 10.1002/adfm.78258