 This research has developed a new type of electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction, HER. It consists of ruthenium nanoparticles and individual ruthenium atoms dispersed onto a carbon surface. This combination of materials allows for improved performance compared to existing electrocatalysts. The researchers found that the presence of both nanoparticles and individual atoms leads to better performance than either material alone. The catalyst also showed excellent performance in alkaline conditions, with an overpotential of only 9 mV at 10 mA Cm2. This article was authored by Chun-Hu, Erhong Song, Mao Yuan and others.