Heterostructured Ru/Ni(OH)₂Nanomaterials as Multifunctional Electrocatalysts for Selective Reforming of Ethanol

The electrochemical reforming of ethanol into hydrogen and hydrocarbons can reduce the electric potential energy barrier of hydrogen production from electrochemical water splitting, obtaining high value-added anode products. In this work, Ru/Ni(OH)2 heterostructured nanomaterials were synthesized successfully by an in situ reduction strategy with remarkable multifunctional catalytic properties. In the hydrogen evolution reaction, Ru/Ni(OH)2 exhibits a smaller overpotential of 31 mV to obtain a current density of 10 mA/cm2, which is better than that of commercial Pt/C. Notably, such heterostructured Ru/Ni(OH)2 nanomaterials also perform an outstanding catalytic selectivity toward an acetaldehyde product in the oxidation of ethanol. DFT calculations reveal that abundant Ru(0)-Ni(II) heterostructured sites are the key factor for the excellent performances. As a result, an ethanol-selective reforming electrolyzer driven by a 2 V solar cell is constructed to produce hydrogen and acetaldehyde in the cathodic and anodic part, respectively, via using Ru/Ni(OH)2 heterostructured catalysts. This work provides a forward-looking technical guidance for the design of novel energy conversion systems.