Controllable distribution of surface-modified MIL-53 with ruthenium nanoparticles on nickel foam and its high efficiency electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution†

Central to the development of electrocatalysts that are cost-effective and highly functional are the synthesis of materials and the meticulous delineation of their morphology. This article introduces a solvent-thermal method for constructing ruthenium-based electrocatalysts (Ru/MIL-53@NF), distinguished by the in situ generation of ruthenium nanoparticles (NPs) on MIL-53 with notable dispersion. The procedure requires precise control over ruthenium integration and results in electrocatalysts with exceptional dispersion properties. Furthermore, the optimally engineered Ru/MIL-53@NF exhibited outstanding electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance, registering an overpotential of merely 17 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² and a Tafel slope of 53.7 mV dec⁻¹, thus outstripping the standard 20 wt% Pt/C benchmark. This research highlights the careful calibration of synthetic parameters to forge ruthenium-based electrocatalysts with both high efficacy and stability.