Rapid synthesis of an aluminum-doped ultrathin Rux–RuO2 heterostructure optimized through combined wet–dry microwave radiation for efficient acidic and alkaline overall water splitting

In the context of overall water splitting, traditional catalysts like Pt/C and IrO2 are inadequate due to high costs and limited functionality. In response to this challenge, our research introduces a versatile catalytic material, synthesized via an innovative “wet–dry” microwave radiation technique, designed for effective overall water splitting under both acidic and alkaline conditions. In just 110 seconds, we synthesize aluminum-modified ultrathin Rux/RuO2 heterostructures (A-RRO@G), with a diameter of approximately 2.3 nm and a height of less than 1 nm, which significantly reduces cost and preparation time. Thanks to the high atomic utilization and the electronic structure modulation facilitated by the ultrathin Rux/RuO2 heterostructure with the Al dopants, electronic configurations and kinetic reaction pathways are significantly optimized. This results in superior water-splitting performance in both acidic and alkaline environments. Notably, the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) mass activities surpass those of 20 wt% Pt/C by 16.60 and 5.19 times under alkaline and acidic conditions, respectively, and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) mass activities exceed that of commercial IrO2 by two orders of magnitude. This research provides insights for developing advanced catalysts tailored for efficient water splitting, marking a significant scientific and practical enhancement in clean energy conversion and storage.