Ru nanoparticle-loaded amorphous CoMoP as an efficient electrocatalyst for alkaline water/seawater hydrogen evolution†

Abstract

A low-cost carrier is developed and the size of Ru nanoparticles is reduced to enhance the performance of Ru catalysts used in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this study, a nanorod array catalyst was synthesized by combining ruthenium (Ru) with amorphous cobalt–molybdenum–phosphorus (CoMoP/NF). Numerous studies have shown that amorphous structures provide structural flexibility and rich defects for the HER and aid in the uniform loading of Ru nanoparticles. Ru nanoparticles that are uniformly distributed offer a high density of active sites, increasing the electrochemical surface area. Ru-CoMoP/NF exhibited exceptional HER performance in alkaline and alkaline seawater solutions (122 mV @ 100 mA cm⁻² and 127 mV @ 100 mA cm⁻²). Meanwhile, the catalyst can be stably exported for 50 h at 100 mA cm⁻². Additionally, the unique structure and isotropic characteristics of the amorphous phase improve the corrosion resistance and make the catalyst maintain good activity in seawater. This study demonstrates the advantages of an amorphous phosphide, enriches the types of supported Ru-based nanomaterials, and provides insights into the development of highly efficient catalysts.