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

Abstract

In the development of electrocatalysts that are cost-effective and highly functional, central to this endeavor is 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, resulting 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.