Ru-Mo2C nanoclusters anchored on N, P crownshaft-derived porous carbon for efficient hydrogen evolution in alkaline seawater

Noble-metal-based electrocatalysts have long been the top choice for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts, offering low overpotentials and Tafel slopes. Nonetheless, their use in alkaline media has been limited due to the sluggish kinetics of the Volmer process. Herein, we develop a unique biomass-derived heteroatom-doped porous carbon material via self-templating to anchor ruthenium-molybdenum carbide (Ru-Mo2C) nanoclusters. The synthesized Ru-Mo2C-supported heteroatom-doped porous carbon (RuMo-NPCSPC) shows exceptional electrocatalytic ability for alkaline HER, achieving low overpotentials of 49, 85, and 92 mV to realize 10 mA cm-2 in 1 M KOH, alkaline seawater, and simulated alkaline seawater, respectively. The RuMo-NPCSPC also boasts low Tafel slopes and ultrahigh Faradaic Efficiencies (98-100 %) in alkaline media, outperforming most noble metal-based catalysts and mercantile Pt/C. Most importantly, the catalyst demonstrates outstanding stability, signifying its potential for industrial hydrogen production. This work delivers profound perspectives into synthesizing advanced nanostructured porous carbon materials using abundant biomass resources for alkaline HER.