Spatially localized fabrication of uniform Rh nanoclusters on nanosheet-assembled hierarchical carbon architectures as excellent electrocatalysts for boosting alkaline hydrogen evolution

Abstract

Construction of homogenously distributed and ultrafine Rh nanoclusters (NCs) anchored on suitable support with low loading toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is paramount but remains challenging. Here, we developed a space confinement-assisted strategy for the construction of highly dispersed and ultrasmall Rh NCs supported on 3D nanosheet-assembled hierarchical carbon architectures (NHCAs) as advanced electrocatalysts for alkaline HER. Benefiting from the abundant and ultrasmall micro/mesopores of NHCAs, uniformly dispersed Rh NCs with diameters of 1.83 nm were embedded in NHCAs without the aid of surface capping agents. The resultant Rh NCs/NHCAs exhibited excellent electrochemical HER activity with low overpotentials of 7 and 48 mV at 10 and 100 mA cm−2 current densities in basic solution, respectively, superior than most of the previous developed electrocatalysts. The surface-clean and ultrafine Rh NCs with high dispersity on the NHCAs surface could provide abundant surface-active sites and resulted in the high performance of Rh NCs/NHCAs for HER. The present study may offer a novel yet convenient pathway to synthesize highly dispersed and catalytically active supported noble metal electrocatalyst for catalytic applications.