Sol-Gel Synthesized Nickel-Doped Ruthenium Oxide Aerogel for Highly Efficient Acidic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Solar and wind energy for water electrolysis are gaining interest in contemporary times. In this context, platinum catalysts are commonly recognized as the standard for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), yet their effectiveness is constrained by their high cost and inadequate stability. Combining Ru and Ni lowers the material expense and greatly improves the electrocatalytic performance. Therefore, in the present study, a 3D nanostructured amorphous RuO2 aerogel is doped with various concentrations of Ni for enhanced HER activity. The results indicate that the 4% Ni-RuO2 aerogel exhibits a 0D colloidal network featuring interconnected mesopores, with a high specific surface area of 241.5 m2<middle dot>g-1. In addition, the 4% Ni-RuO2 aerogel catalyst exhibits the lowest overpotentials of 63 and 122 mV at current densities of 10 and 50 mA<middle dot>cm-2, respectively, along with enhanced hydrogen adsorption activity for the HER due to the 3D porous structure of the aerogel. However, a further increase in Ni doping leads to a decrease in HER activity due to a reduction in the number of catalytic Ru sites. The study found that doping with the optimum amount of Ni causes a redistribution of charges on the sample surface, thereby uncovering more reaction sites and enhancing the electrocatalytic performance.