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Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Simple Methods for the Preparation of Non-noble Metal Bulk-electrodes for Electrocatalytic Applications
Published on: June 21, 2017
Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction of Nonmetallic Phosphorus Corroles Bearing Nitro Group
Jia-Yu Huang1, Lei Shi1, Feng Li1
1School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fuel Cell Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.
Abstract:
Three new metal-free phosphorus corrole complexes 1-3 bearing a nitro group at the ortho-, meta- or para-position of the 10-meso phenyl group were synthesized and used as electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The position of the nitro group may significantly influence their catalytic HER performance in both organic and aqueous media. The catalytic activity follows the order of 2 > 3 > 1 in both media. When using trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) or p-toluenesulfonic acid (TsOH) as proton sources, the electrocatalytic HER proceeds via an EECC pathway (E: electron transfer; C: chemical reaction). The best catalyst 2 showed maximum turnover frequency values of 24.87 s-1 in DMF containing TFA and 156.25 h-1 in aqueous solution. DFT calculation results well rationalize the experimental observations.
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