Atomic Ru-Doped Ni0.85Se Nanosheets as Efficient Electrocatalysts toward Simulated Seawater Hydrogen Evolution

The development of affordable and efficient catalysts for seawater hydrogen evolution is highly desirable but presents significant challenges. In this study, we prepared an exceptionally efficient electrocatalyst, atomic Ru-doped Ni0.85Se supported on carbon cloth (Ru–Ni0.85Se/CC–12 h), for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in both a 1 M KOH solution and an alkaline-simulated seawater environment (1 M KOH and 0.5 M NaCl). Notably, Ru–Ni0.85Se/CC–12 h exhibited excellent performance with remarkably low overpotentials of 34.1 and 44.2 mV at 10 mA/cm2 in the 1 M KOH solution and the alkaline-simulated seawater environment, respectively. Furthermore, it demonstrated remarkable durability, showing negligible performance degradation even after continuous 18 h at 10 mA/cm2. The outstanding HER performance of Ru–Ni0.85Se/CC–12 h in both alkaline solution and alkaline-simulated seawater can be attributed to the atomic Ru doping in Ni0.85Se, which modifies its geometric and electronic structure, thereby enhancing its activity and resistance to chloride ion poisoning and erosion simultaneously.