C₆₀ Fullerenol to Stabilize and Activate Ru Nanoparticles for Highly Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in Alkaline Media

Ruthenium (Ru)-based catalysts exhibited great potential for the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction. However, the strong adsorption of H on the Ru surface and the undesirable agglomeration of Ru are obstacles to further boosting their hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance. Herein, we develop C₆₀ fullerenol C₆₀(OH)₂₄ to stabilize, disperse, and activate Ru nanoparticles through Ru–O–C₆₀ connections. Despite the ultrahigh Ru content (38.6 wt %), Ru nanoparticles are densely and uniformly dispersed on the C₆₀ substrate due to the anchoring and confinement effects of C₆₀ fullerenols. Moreover, the electron-withdrawing properties of C₆₀ induce the electrons to flow from Ru to C₆₀ through the Ru–O–C₆₀ interface, which enhances the electronic metal–support interaction, thereby optimizing the adsorption behavior of different intermediates. The synthesized Ru–OC₆₀-300 has a remarkably small overpotential (4.6 mV at 10 mA cm^–2) and Tafel slope (24.7 mV dec^–1), showing high activity and stability toward alkaline HER. Density functional theory simulations reveal that the Ru–O–C₆₀ interface engineering weakens the Ru–H affinity, promotes water dissociation, and accelerates the hydrogen evolution kinetics.