Active Sites Implanted Carbon Cages in Core-Shell Architecture: Highly Active and Durable Electrocatalyst for...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Non-noble metal electrocatalysts face challenges in efficiency and stability for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).
• Developing robust catalysts for HER in both acidic and alkaline media is crucial for hydrogen production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel non-noble metal electrocatalyst, cobalt encapsulated by N, B codoped ultrathin carbon cages (Co@BCN), for the HER.
• To evaluate the catalytic activity, durability, and underlying mechanisms of the Co@BCN catalyst.

Main Methods:

• A bottom-up synthesis approach using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as precursors and self-sacrificing templates.
• Electrochemical characterization to assess HER performance in acidic and alkaline environments.
• Stability tests under extreme conditions and density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Main Results:

• The optimized Co@BCN catalyst exhibited remarkable electrocatalytic performance for hydrogen production.
• The ultrathin carbon cages provided excellent protection against corrosion and oxidation in harsh environments.
• Synergistic effects between cobalt nanoparticles and the N, B codoped carbon shell were identified as key to the superior performance.

Conclusions:

• Co@BCN is a highly active and durable non-noble metal electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction.
• The protective carbon shell and synergistic effects are critical for achieving high efficiency and stability.
• This work offers a promising strategy for designing advanced electrocatalysts for clean energy applications.