Sn-mediated topological transformation of Archimedean polyhedra of Prussian blue analogues boosts the electrocatalytic performance for alkaline hydrogen production.

Abstract

The exploitation of an extraordinary and low-cost electrocatalyst to solve energy shortage and environmental pollution issues is crucial. Herein, a topological Archimedean polyhedron of CoFe PBA (Prussian blue analogue) was synthesized via a Sn-induced crystal growth regulation strategy. After phosphating treatment of the as-prepared Sn-CoFe PBA, a Sn-doped binary CoP/FeP hybrid was obtained (Sn-CoP/FeP). Benefiting from the rough polyhedral surface and internal porous structure of Sn-CoP/FeP, when served as a highly efficient electrocatalyst, it exhibited outstanding HER performance, i.e., to drive a current density of 10 mA cm-2, it required a low overpotential of 62 mV in alkaline medium, along with a long-term cycling stability for 35 h. This work is of great significance for the development of indispensable novel catalysts for hydrogen production, and would shed new light on the topology-related performance of electrocatalysts for energy storage and conversion.