Boron doping activate strong metal-support interaction for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction in full pH range

Developing rhodium-based electrocatalysts with strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) is crucial for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in full pH range, but it is still challenging. In this work, a boron doping strategy is proposed to activate the SMSI of ultra-small Rh nanoparticles encapsulated by N-doped carbon matrix (BRh@NC). Density functional theory (DFT) reveals that boron doping can regulate the electronic structure and the water adsorption energy, further boosting the HER activity. Consequently, the as-prepared B-Rh@NC nanospheres possess Pt-like activity for HER with low overpotentials in 1.0 M KOH (eta 10 = 26 mV), 0.5 M H2SO4 (eta 10 = 43 mV), and 1.0 M PBS (eta 10 = 70 mV), as well as outstanding stability. This work opens up a new way to construct remarkable pH-universal electrocatalysts.

Automated summary

A boron doping strategy is proposed to activate the strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) of ultra-small Rh nanoparticles encapsulated by N-doped carbon matrix (BRh@NC). Density functional theory (DFT) reveals that boron doping enhances the electronic structure and water adsorption energy, resulting in boosted hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity. The prepared B-Rh@NC nanospheres exhibit Pt-like activity for HER in various electrolytes with low overpotentials and excellent stability. This work paves the way for constructing remarkable pH-universal electrocatalysts.