Electrospinning Machine | Rational Design of Low-Crystallinity RuMo Alloy Nanofibers Coupled with MoO2 Domains Enables Significantly Promoted Hydrazine Oxidation-Assisted H2 Production

Challenge: Hydrazine oxidation-assisted water electrolysis is a promising strategy with low thermodynamic requirements and eco-friendly by-products, but designing efficient bifunctional catalysts for both the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR) remains challenging.
Method: Professor Lu Xiaofeng from Jilin University, Zhong Mengxiao, and Associate Professor Gao Mingbin from Xiamen University collaborated to propose a novel heterostructure composed of low-crystallinity ruthenium molybdenum (RuMo) alloy nanofibers coupled with molybdenum dioxide (MoO2) domains, serving as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for HER and HzOR.
Innovation 1: The optimized catalyst exhibits overpotentials of 31/170 mV for HER at 10/1000 mA cm−2 and operating potentials of -0.073/0.028 V for HzOR at 10/500 mA cm−2, significantly outperforming the benchmark Pt/C catalyst.
Innovation 2: Theoretical calculations indicate that the coupling of RuMo alloy with MoO2 modulates the d-band center, promotes water dissociation, and regulates H* adsorption, thereby achieving superior HER kinetics. The heterostructure also optimizes the reaction pathway, reduces the energy barrier for hydrazine dehydrogenation, and enhances HzOR performance.
Innovation 3: The assembled two-electrode system for overall hydrazine splitting (OHzS) achieved a low power consumption of 1.52 kWh m−3 H2, greatly exceeding that of the Ru NFs-based cell (3.78 kWh m−3 H2). Furthermore, a rechargeable zinc-hydrazine battery with potential for practical application was constructed.
https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202501970