Dodecylamine‐Assisted Hydrothermal Synthesis of Carbon‐Supported Ultrafine IrRu Nanoparticles for Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysis and Overall Water Splitting.

Ruthenium (Ru)‐ and iridium (Ir)‐based nanomaterials have always been regarded as efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in acidic electrolytes. Herein, we develop a facile dodecylamine‐assisted hydrothermal synthesis for producing carbon‐supported IrRu alloy nanoparticles with controllable Ir/Ru ratios and ultrafine sizes towards high‐efficiency OER and overall water electrolysis. In this strategy, the dodecylamine that serves as a capping and reducing agent enables the final IrRu alloy nanoparticles to possess average sizes <3 nm and high degree of dispersion on carbon substrate. By combining high OER activity of Ru with high acidic robustness of Ir, the as‐prepared IrRu/C nanoparticles at a suitable Ir/Ru ratio of 1/3 show good activity and durability for the OER electrocatalysis and overall water splitting. In specific, the Ir1Ru3/C catalyst exhibits the lowest overpotential of 302 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm−2 and the highest mass activity of 120.5 mA mg−1 at 1.532 V for OER in 0.5 M H2SO4 electrolyte. In addition, a two‐electrode acidic electrolyzer assembled with Ir1Ru3/C at anode and commercial Pt/C at cathode (Pt/C|| Ir1Ru3/C) exhibits a low cell voltage of 1.44 V for achieving the current density of 10 mA cm−2, along with a satisfied 20h durability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]