Ta₃N₅ Nanobelt-Loaded Ru Nanoparticle Hybrids' Electrocatalysis for Hydrogen Evolution in Alkaline Media

Electrochemical hydrogen evolution is a highly efficient way to produce hydrogen, but since it is limited by high-cost electrocatalysts, the preparation of high-efficiency electrocatalysts with fewer or free noble metals is important. Here, Ta₃N₅ nanobelt (NB)-loaded Ru nanoparticle (NP) hybrids with various ratios, including 1~10 wt% Ru/Ta₃N₅, are constructed to electrocatalyze water splitting for a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media. The results show that 5 wt% Ru/Ta₃N₅ NBs have good HER properties with an overpotential of 64.6 mV, a Tafel slope of 84.92 mV/dec at 10 mA/cm² in 1 M of KOH solution, and good stability. The overpotential of the HER is lower than that of Pt/C (20 wt%) at current densities of 26.3 mA/cm² or more. The morphologies and structures of the materials are characterized by scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, respectively. X-ray photoelectron energy spectroscopy (XPS) demonstrates that a good HER performance is generated by the synergistic effect and electronic transfer of Ru to Ta₃N₅. Our electrochemical analyses and theoretical calculations indicate that Ru/Ta₃N₅ interfaces play an important role as real active sites.