Efficient and stable chlorine evolution reaction in a neutral environment using a low-ruthenium-doped CuMnRu/CC electrode

The chlorine evolution reaction (CER) is a critical process in the chlor-alkali industry. However, the electrocatalytic activity and selectivity of non-precious metal-based catalysts in CER remain unsatisfactory, posing a significant challenge to the development of efficient and economical CER electrocatalysts. In this study, a CuMnRu/CC electrode containing a low Ru content (0.0356 wt%) was successfully synthesized via a simple thermal decomposition method. In a 2 M NaCl solution (pH = 7), this electrode achieved a current density of 99.8 mA cm −2 at an applied potential of 1.84 V (vs. RHE), which significantly exceeded the performance of traditional DSA electrodes (31.3 mA cm −2 ), with a Faradaic efficiency of 94.67%. Additionally, the CuMnRu/CC electrode exhibited exceptional durability and stability in a 100-h stability test, showing only a marginal increase in potential. Furthermore, DFT calculations demonstrated that ruthenium doping improved the electronic structure and facilitated electron transfer, reducing the reaction energy barriers during the electrocatalytic chlorine evolution reaction (CER) on the CuMnRu/CC electrode, which led to a considerable enhancement in the overall catalytic performance. In summary, the CuMnRu/CC electrode exhibits not only highly efficient CER catalytic activity but also notable economic and stability benefits, offering a promising electrode material for the chlor-alkali industry.