Exploring bifunctional electrocatalysts with high activity for practical overall water splitting is urgent but challenging. Boosting low-cost catalysts with trace amount of noble metals supplies a promising scheme. Herein, Ru nanoparticles decorated Co(OH)₂ nanosheet array on carbon cloth substrate (Ru-Co(OH)₂/CC) is prepared via a two-step electrodeposition strategy. Trace Ru in the sample activates the bifunctionality of Co(OH)₂ in alkaline media. For oxygen evolution, the synergism between Ru and Co(OH)₂ can generate abundant oxygen vacancies for much improved catalysis activity, achieving low overpotential of 203 mV at 10 mA cm⁻². For hydrogen evolution, Ru endows Co(OH)₂ with Pt-like catalysis activity, for instance, the exchange current density of 1.32 mA cm⁻² for Ru-Co(OH)₂/CC that is comparable to that of Pt/C (1.44 mA cm⁻²), as well as low overpotential of 55 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² that is close to that of Pt/C (35 mV). The excellent bifunctionality is demonstrated in a Ru-Co(OH)₂/CC constructed two-electrode configuration. The robust catalytic activity (cell voltage of 1.54 V at 10 mA cm⁻²) with high durability of 60 h is obtained for overall water splitting. Moreover, a single AAA battery can drive the sustainable overall water splitting in such a cell.

探索具有高活性的双功能电催化剂以进行实际的总水分解是紧急的，但具有挑战性。用痕量的贵金属促进低成本催化剂的发展提供了一个有希望的方案。在此，通过两步电沉积策略制备了在碳布基底上的Ru纳米颗粒装饰的Co（OH）₂纳米片阵列（Ru-Co（OH）₂ / CC）。样品中的痕量Ru激活了碱性介质中Co（OH）₂的双功能。对于氧气的释放，Ru和Co（OH）₂之间的协同作用可产生大量的氧空位，大大提高了催化活性，在10 mA cm ^-2时实现了203 mV的低过电势。为了释放氢，Ru赋予Co（OH）₂具有类似Pt的催化活性，例如Ru-Co（OH）₂ / CC的交换电流密度为1.32 mA cm ^-2，与Pt / C（1.44 mA cm ^-2）相当10 mA cm ^-2的低过电势为55 mV，接近Pt / C（35 mV）。Ru-Co（OH）₂ / CC构造的两电极结构证明了优异的双功能性。对于总的水分解，获得了具有60 h的高耐久性的强大的催化活性（10 mA cm ^-2时的电池电压为1.54 V ）。此外，单个AAA电池可以驱动这种电池中可持续的总水分解。