For Low-cost, High-efficiency Hydrogen Production

- Implementation of a new micro-cluster type electrocatalyst fabricated using Ru doping via hydrothermal deposition and immersion-assisted methods -

- Paper published in the world-renowned Journal of Colloid and Interface Science (IF: 9.4), by Elsevier

Professor Ji-hoon Lee’s research team (Department of Electronic Engineering), together with researcher Sul-sam Im (first author), has successfully implemented the world’s first Ru-doped copper-manganese-boron-phosphorus (Ru/CuMnBP) electrocatalyst, fabricated using a Ru doping method through hydrothermal deposition and immersion-assisted techniques.

Ru/CuMnBP microclusters exhibit relatively low HER/OER transition overpotentials of 11mV and 85mV at 10mA/cm² in 1M KOH. It also shows a low 2-E switching cell voltage of 1.53V at 10mA/cm² for overall water splitting, which is comparable to the benchmark electrode of Pt/C||RuO2. At an ultra-high current density of 2,000mA/cm², the bifunctional Ru/CuMnBP exhibits an extremely low 2-E cell voltage of 3.13V and good stability in 1M KOH for more than 10 hours. The excellent electrochemical performance is attributed to the large electrochemically active surface area provided by the micro-cluster structure, the high intrinsic activity and active site density of the optimized CuMnBP micro-cluster achieved through component ratio adjustments, and the beneficial Ru doping effect, which enhances conductivity and stability. By using a small amount of Ru through a simple absorption doping approach, the electrochemical reaction rates for both HER and OER are significantly improved, making the Ru/CuMnBP micro-cluster a promising candidate for advanced electrocatalyst applications.

Schematic of the hydrothermal reaction and Ru immersion approach for the new dual-function Ru/CuMnBP micro-particle electrocatalyst for overall water-splitting applications

 (Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2024)

The research team consists of Shusen Lin (Researcher, Kwangwoon University - First Author), Rutuja Mandavkar (PhD Candidate, Kwangwoon University), Md Ahasan Habib (PhD Candidate, Kwangwoon University), Sumiya Akter Dristy (PhD Candidate, Kwangwoon University), Mehedi Hasan Joni (PhD Candidate, Kwangwoon University), Jae-hun Jeong (Research Professor, Kwangwoon University - Corresponding Author), and Ji-hoon Lee (Professor, Kwangwoon University - Corresponding Author). The study was conducted solely by Kwangwoon University. Researcher Sul-sam Im (Shusen Lin) enrolled in Kwangwoon University's integrated master's and PhD program in the Department of Electronics in 2019 and is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Kwangwoon University Institute of Nanodevices. Researcher Sul-sam Im has participated in various research fields to date and has published numerous papers. During his fellowship, researcher Sul-sam Im expressed his ambition to publish further groundbreaking research and continue his postdoctoral training and studies at a leading university in his home country.

This research was supported by the Brain Korea 21 Plus (BK-21) program led by the National Research Foundation of Korea and the Ministry of Education, as well as by Kwangwoon University. The findings were published in the scientific journal Journal of Colloid and Interface Science (JCR IF: 9.4) in August 2024, under the title 'Fabrication of Ru-doped CuMnBP Micro Cluster Electrocatalyst with High Efficiency and Stability for Electrochemical Water Splitting Application at Industrial-Level Current Density.'

Meanwhile, Professor Ji-hoon Lee's team is conducting research on high-performance energy materials with excellent energy efficiency, various metasurface-based nanomaterials, and optoelectronic devices and system technologies. To date, they have published over 170 papers in high-ranking SCI JCR journals. Professor Ji-hoon Lee serves as an Assistant Editor and Editorial Board member for SCI journals of globally renowned publishers, as well as a Guest Editor for various SCI-grade international journals. He also holds several committee and organizer positions for international conferences. He has also served as a reviewer for Advanced Materials (IF 27.4), Nano Energy (IF 16.8), Advanced Functional Materials (IF 18.5), and over 30 other SCI journals in the past two years.

* Publication Web link : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2024.08.009