RuP2-based hybrids derived from MOFs: highly efficient pH-universal electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction

• Published in: Journal of materials chemistry. A, Materials for energy and sustainability Materials for energy and sustainability, 2021-05, Vol.9 (20), p.12276-12282
• Main Authors: Ji-Sen, Li, Meng-Jie, Huang, Yu-Wei, Zhou, Xiao-Nan, Chen, Yang, Shuang, Ji-Yu, Zhu, Guo-Dong, Liu, Ling-Juan, Ma, Sheng-Hao Cai, Ji-Yuan, Han
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbon; Catalysts; Catalytic activity; Chemical synthesis; Durability; Electrocatalysts; Hybrids; Hydrogen evolution reactions; Metal-organic frameworks; Nanoparticles; pH effects; Ruthenium; Ultrafines
• ISSN: 2050-7488; 2050-7496
• DOI: 10.1039/d1ta01868j

Rational design of efficient, low-cost, and durable electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in various pH media is highly desirable but remains challenging. Herein, for the first time, we present a novel hybrid of ruthenium diphosphide encapsulated in P-doped porous carbon (denoted as RuP2@PC) utilizing metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as templates by a multi-step strategy. Unexpectedly, benefitting from the synergistic contribution of highly dispersed ultrafine RuP2 nanoparticles, porous carbon skeleton, and P-dopant, the as-synthesized RuP2@PC exhibits exceptional catalytic activity and superior durability as pH-universal electrocatalysts for the HER. Particularly, a low overpotential of 78.9 mV to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and a small Tafel slope of 36.7 mV dec−1 can be achieved in 1.0 M KOH toward the HER. Such outstanding electrocatalytic properties exceed those of commercial Pt/C and rank the catalyst among the best HER electrocatalysts reported until now. Importantly, this work paves a new route in elaborately fabricating efficient and stable electrocatalysts based on MOFs for energy-related fields.