An Efficient RuTe2 /Graphene Catalyst for Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in Acid Electrolyte.

Developing efficient powder catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in the acidic electrolyte is significant for hydrogen generation in the proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis technique. Herein, we demonstrated an efficient catalyst for HER in the acid media based on the graphene supported ruthenium telluride nanoparticles (RuTe2 /Gr). The catalysts were easily fabricated by a facile microwave irradiation/thermal annealing approach, and orthorhombic RuTe2 crystals were found anchored over the graphene surface. The defective structure was demonstrated in the aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy images for RuTe2 crystals and graphene support. This catalyst required an overpotential of 72 mV to drive 10 mA cm-2 for HER when loading on the inert glass carbon electrode; Excellent catalytic stability in acidic media was also observed to offer 10 mA cm-2 for 10 hours. The Volmer-Tafel mechanism was indicated on RuTe2 /Gr catalyst by Tafel slope of 33 mV dec-1 , similar to that of Pt/C catalysts. The high catalytic performance of RuTe2 /Gr could be attributed to its high dispersion on the graphene surface, high electrical conductivity and low charge transfer resistance. This powder catalyst has potential application in the PEM water electrolysis technique because of its low cost and high stability.