Activity For Hydrogen Generation Research Articles

WO3–x/PbS/Au Ternary Heterojunction Nanostructures for Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation

The design of photocatalyst with excellent light-harvesting and charge-separation abilities is quite important for high-performance photocatalysis. Herein, narrow-bandgap PbS, wide-bandgap WO3–x, and Au nanoparticles were combined to form a plasmon-mediated Z-scheme nanostructure for the first time. Particularly, PbS nanoparticles were deposited on oxygen-abundant WO3–x nanobricks, then Au nanoparticles were grown on the hybrids to form WO3–x/PbS/Au ternary nanostructures. Because of the cooperation of wide and narrow bandgaps as well as the oxygen vacancies and plasmon, the ternary hybrids displayed wide light absorption ranging from ultraviolet to near-infrared region. Meanwhile, the energy band arrangement of PbS and WO3–x provides a direct Z-scheme pathway and built-in electric field for charge transfer and separation. As a result, WO3–x/PbS hybrids displayed a large enhancement on photocatalytic hydrogen generation activity compared with the components under visible light irradiation, which is 9.2 and 9.8 times of WO3–x and PbS, respectively. Furthermore, the WO3–x/PbS/Au ternary hybrids showed the best photocatalytic performance that is 21.8 and 2.4 times of WO3–x and WO3–x/PbS hybrids. Meanwhile, the ternary photocatalysts possessed prominent apparent quantum efficiency under near-infrared light irradiation. The prominent photocatalytic performance can be attributed to the broadband light absorption, enhanced specific surface area, efficient charge transfer and separation induced by the oxygen-vacancy and plasmon-mediated Z-scheme band energy structure.

Efficient Red-Light-Driven Hydrogen Evolution with an Anthraquinone Organic Dye

The direct utilization of the full solar spectrum to obtain renewable fuels remains a challenge because the conversion of the low-energy light (red and near-infrared) is difficult. Current light-driven systems show activity for hydrogen generation with the high-energy part of sunlight. Here we report the use of a simple anthraquinone organic dye in an artificial photosynthetic system that promotes efficient red-light-driven production of hydrogen. The system contains no noble metal and exhibits a turnover number greater than 0.78 million and a quantum yield of 30.6% at 630 nm. A mechanistic study revealed that the excited-state and redox properties of the chromophore are critical to achieving high activity and stability.

Fabrication of P-MoO2-Fe3O4 nanobelts for efficient overall water splitting

Recent studies indicate that irregular MoO2 nanomaterials are much less active in oxygen evolution reaction and water electrolysis due to poor electron transfer. The catalytic performance for MoO2 is essential to be mediated by tailoring its shape, size, and composition. Here, we develop a simple approach to realize shape and size control of P-MoO2-Fe3O4 nanobelts with 150–230 nm in diameter, inheriting from α-MoO3 nanobelts. Surface structure analysis reveals doping of P into MoO2-Fe3O4, generation of interfacial structure between MoO2-Fe3O4, and defective structures. At 10 mA/cm2, P-MoO2-Fe3O4 nanobelts achieve superior oxygen evolution reactivity with 270 mV to RuO2 with 319 mV and exhibit higher hydrogen generation activity (200 mV) compared with P-MoO2 nanobelts (250 mV) and P-Fe3O4 nanosheets (220 mV). The unique structures with interface of MoO2-Fe3O4 and defective sites for P-MoO2-Fe3O4 nanobelts promote overall water splitting reactivity.

FeSe2/CoSe nanosheets for efficient overall water splitting under low cell voltages

Electrocatalysts with high activity and stability for hydrogen generation from water have become the increasing demand of future energy system. Despite all the advances in the synthesis of transition metal selenide nanostructures, the fabrication of two-dimensional (2D) electrocatalyst remains a major challenge. Here, a unique 2D FeSe2/CoSe nanosheet structure is synthesized by hydrothermal and selenization processes. In an alkaline solution, a FeSe2/CoSe nanosheet electrode exhibits a low overpotential of 73 mV for 10 mA cm−2 in the hydrogen evolution reaction. Furthermore, as an anode in oxygen evolution reaction, its surface can self-transform to a stable FeOOH/CoOOH layer without any morphology transition, and it requires only 183 mV to reach 10 mA cm−2. In a two-electrode system, it needs a cell voltage of only 1.48 V to achieve 10 mA cm−2. This work provides an easy way to construct bimetallic transition metal selenide electrocatalysts for efficient overall water splitting.

Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from reduced graphene oxide-defect rich TiO2-x nanocomposites

Solar-driven photocatalytic hydrogen generation by splitting water molecules requires an efficient visible light active photocatalyst. This work reports an improved hydrogen evolution activity of visible light active TiO2-x photocatalyst by introducing reduced graphene oxide via an eco-friendly and cost-effective hydrothermal method. This process facilitates graphene oxide reduction and incorporates intrinsic defects in TiO2 lattice at a one-pot reaction process. The characteristic studies reveal that RGO/TiO2-x nanocomposites were sufficiently durable and efficient for photocatalytic hydrogen generation under the visible light spectrum. The altered band gap of TiO2-x rationally promotes the visible light absorption, and the RGO sheets present in the composites suppresses the electron-hole recombination, which accelerates the charge transfer. Hence, the noble metal-free RGO/TiO2-x photocatalyst exhibited hydrogen production with a rate of 13.6 mmol h−1g−1cat. under solar illumination. The appreciable photocatalytic hydrogen generation activity of 947.2 μmol h−1g−1cat with 117 μAcm−2 photocurrent density was observed under visible light (>450 nm).

Engineering multifunctional carbon black interface over Mn0.5Cd0.5S nanoparticles/CuS nanotubes heterojunction for boosting photocatalytic hydrogen generation activity

Developing exceptionally robust and cost-effective cocatalysts to suppress charge recombination and reduce the reaction energy barrier remains an enormous challenge for producing high-valued and storable hydrogen fuel from photocatalytic water splitting. Herein, novel Mn0.5Cd0.5S nanoparticles modified with multifunctional carbon black (CB) nanowires and CuS nanotubes as dual cocatalysts were fabricated via sonochemical loading, and subsequent in-situ deposition routes. In this ternary hierarchical architecture, both CB nanowires and CuS nanotubes can serve as normal electron cocatalysts to markedly promote the hydrogen generation performance by lowering the thermodynamic overpotential for hydrogen evolution. Moreover, due to the high electrical conductivity, the multifunctional CB material can also function as a bridge to effectively capture and transmit the photoexcited electrons from Mn0.5Cd0.5S to CuS with outstanding electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity, thus maximizing the carrier separation and H2-evolution reaction kinetics. Interestingly, the cooperative effects between CB and CuS dual cocatalysts are also helpful for improving the oxidation capacity of photoexcited holes by lowering the valence band position of Mn0.5Cd0.5S, which further accelerates the electron-hole separation. As a result, the constructed Mn0.5Cd0.5S/CB/CuS hierarchical multiheterojunction catalyst shows the superior hydrogen generation efficiency of 819.9 μmol h−1 and excellent stability under simulated solar light irradiation.

Manganese phosphorous trifulfide nanosheets and nitrogen doped carbon dot composites with manganese vacancies for a greatly enhanced hydrogen evolution

As a novel chalcogenide photocatalyst, MnPS3 suffered from limited visible light absorption, high photogenerated electron-hole recombination, and low hole oxidation capability due to its high valence band (VB) potential. In this work, the novel MnPS3 nanosheets-Nitrogen-doped carbon dots (NCDs) composites were fabricated by immobilizing NCDs with terminal amine groups on Na+ intercalated MnPS3 nanosheets for a greatly enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production activity. MnPS3 nanosheets of 400 nm with Mn2+ vacancies are produced in high yield by NaCl intercalation and subsequent exfoliation in N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP). NCDs with 5 nm are evenly loaded on the surface of MnPS3 nanosheets of 400 nm via strong chemical interactions of ammonium sulfate salts formed at the interface. The MnPS3-NCDs composites exhibit enhanced light absorption at 500–600 nm, reduced charge recombination and notably promoted photocatalytic activity in relative to neat MnPS3 nanosheets. MnPS3-NCDs composite with the NCDs content of 16.5% possessed the highest photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of 339.63 μmol·g−1·h−1 with good cycling stability, which is 9.17 times that of exfoliated MnPS3 nanosheets. The type-II MnPS3-NCDs heterojunction is conducive to the efficient interfacial carrier transport and the significantly improved photocatalytic hydrogen generation activity. Our work confirmed that the non-toxic MnPS3 could possess photocatalytic performance comparable to CdS, which will be promising to become an attractive visible-light driven photocatalyst in environmental purification and energy applications.

Tailoring Plasmonic Bimetallic Nanocatalysts Toward Sunlight‐Driven H2 Production

AbstractHybrid nanoparticles combining plasmonic and catalytic components have recently gained interest for their potential use in sunlight‐to‐chemical energy conversion. However, a deep understanding of the structure–performance that maximizes the use of the incoming energy remains elusive. Here, a suite of Au and Pd based nanostructures in core–shell and core‐satellites configurations are designed and their photocatalytic activity for Hydrogen (H2) generation under sunlight illumination is tested. Formic acid is employed as H2 source. Core‐satellite systems show a higher enhancement of the reaction upon illumination, compared to core–shell ones. Electromagnetic simulations reveal that a key difference between both configurations is the excitation of highly localized and asymmetric electric fields in the gap between both materials. In this scheme, the core Au particle acts as an antenna, efficiently capturing visible light via the excitation of localized plasmon resonances, while the surrounding Pd satellites transduce the locally‐enhanced electric field into catalytic activity. These findings advance the understanding of plasmon‐driven photocatalysis, and provide an important benchmark to guide the design of the next generation of plasmonic bimetallic nanostructures.

A novel Dy3+ modified Zn2Ti3O8 nanoparticles for efficient hydrogen production photocatalysis

Novel Dy 3+ :Zn 2 Ti 3 O 8 (Dy 3+ :ZTO) nano-photocatalysts with different Dy 3+ concentrations were applied to enhance the photocatalytic hydrogen generation activity from sodium borohydride hydrolysis reaction. XRD and Raman measurements confirm the formation of cubic Zn 2 Ti 3 O 8 phase as a major phase in addition to minor TiO 2 phase. The analysis of XPS spectra shows the existence of lattice oxygen (LO) and non-lattice oxygen (NLO) where 0.07 mol Dy 3+ :ZTO has the highest percentage of NLO compared to the undoped photocatalyst. The energy gap value decreases with increasing doping concentrations (3.137 eV for 0.07 mol Dy 3+ :ZTO). The degree of disorder, represented by Urbach energy, has an optimum high value (0.169 eV) for 0.07 mol Dy 3+: ZTO. The photoluminescence studies revealed that Dy 3+ dopant can effectively separate the photogenerated electron/hole pairs in the ZTO. These photocatalysts have strong photocatalytic hydrogen generation. The most active nano-photocatalyst towards hydrogen generation was 0.07 mol Dy 3+ : ZTO (5.6 mmol/g). The highest photocatalytic activity for 0.07 mol Dy 3+ : ZTO are attributed to the lower recombination rate associated with the higher disorder and oxygen vacancies relative to the undoped photocatalyst. The stability and reusability of the most active photocatalyst were investigated. The results confirm that the developed photocatalyst has good durability in hydrogen generation reaction. The results, moreover, revealed that Dy 3+ : ZTO nano-photocatalyst is a promising nanomaterial in the field of energy production. Graphical illustration for the hydrogen generation. • Novel Dy 3+ :Zn 2 Ti 3 O 8 (Dy 3+ :ZTO) nano-photocatalysts were prepared. • Dy 3+ dopant can effectively separate the photogenerated carriers in the ZTO. • Dy 3+ :ZTO enhances the photocatalytic activity of hydrogen generation. • Catalyst reusability and stability of 0.07 mol Dy 3+ :ZTO was tested.

Bi@H-TiO2/B-C3N4 heterostructure for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen generation activity under visible light

Herein, a ternary Bi@H-TiO2/B-C3N4 type II heterostructure is successfully designed and prepared via metal Bi as cocatalyst for photocatalytic H2 generation. As expected, under λ > 300 nm light, the highest photocatalytic hydrogen production rate (HPR) of Bi@H-TiO2/B-C3N4 is up to 223.08 μmol g−1 h−1. Excitingly, under visible light (λ > 400 nm), the highest HPR of Bi@H-TiO2/B-C3N4 is increased to 18.84 μmol g−1 h−1, which is about 67.3 times, 37.7 times and 6.8 times as high as that of H-TiO2, B-C3N4 and H-TiO2/B-C3N4 under the same conditions, respectively. Moreover, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and transient photocurrent tests manifest that the interface resistance of Bi@H-TiO2/B-C3N4 composite decreases and the photocurrent density increases after loading metal Bi. These results indicate that loading metal Bi as cocatalyst (providing more electron trapping sites) is beneficial to improve photocatalytic activity in the type II heterostructure composite. And the electron transfer directions (B-C3N4 → H-TiO2 → Bi or B-C3N4 → Bi) are proved by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy test. Therefore, the Bi@H-TiO2/B-C3N4 photocatalyst with strong visible light absorption is expected to be a promising candidate in photocatalytic fields under visible light.

Modulating Pt-O-Pt atomic clusters with isolated cobalt atoms for enhanced hydrogen evolution catalysis

Platinum is the most efficient catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction in acidic conditions, but its widespread use has been impeded by scarcity and high cost. Herein, Pt atomic clusters (Pt ACs) containing Pt-O-Pt units were prepared using Co/N co-doped carbon (CoNC) as support. Pt ACs are anchored to single Co atoms on CoNC by forming strong interactions. Pt-ACs/CoNC exhibits only 24 mV overpotential at 10 mA cm−2 and a high mass activity of 28.6 A mg−1 at 50 mV, which is more than 6 times higher than commercial Pt/C with any Pt loadings. Spectroscopic measurements and computational modeling reveal the enhanced hydrogen generation activity attributes to the charge redistribution between Pt and O atoms in Pt-O-Pt units, making Pt atoms the main active sites and O linkers the assistants, thus optimizing the proton adsorption and hydrogen desorption. This work opens an avenue to fabricate noble-metal-based ACs stabilized by single-atom catalysts with desired properties for electrocatalysis.

Ni composite electrodes for hydrogen generation: Activation of Nb-based semiconductors

The hydrogen evolution reaction depends on the accumulation of electrons on the catalytic center to enable the two-electron processes involved in water reduction. This work reports on the modification of inexpensive nickel (Ni) composite electrodes with engineered semiconductor heterojunctions based on earth-abundant transition metals that show superior hydrogen generation activity in the presence of a non-toxic electrolyte (K2CO3). This is, small amounts of cobalt (Co) or copper (Cu) oxides can improve the reactivity of composite electrodes formed by deposition of titanium (Ti) or niobium (Nb) semiconductors onto Ni surfaces. In general, modified Nb-based semiconductors show better performance and their enhanced activity can be understood in terms of modified surface potentials upon formation of semiconductor-Ni heterojunctions. Photoelectrochemical activity can be detected in the presence of Cu oxides, where hydrogen generation onset potential is reduced under UV–Vis light irradiation. The study demonstrates that small composition changes can greatly affect the activity of Nb-based Ni composite electrodes, showing exciting new applications for Nb-based materials.

Polymeric viologen-based electron transfer mediator for improving the photoelectrochemical water splitting on Sb2Se3 photocathode

The photogenerated charge carrier separation and transportation of inside photocathodes can greatly influence the performance of photoelectrochemical (PEC) H2 production devices. Coupling TiO2 with p-type semiconductors to construct heterojunction structures is one of the most widely used strategies to facilitate charge separation and transportation. However, the band position of TiO2 could not perfectly match with all p-type semiconductors. Here, taking antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) as an example, a rational strategy was developed by introducing a viologen electron transfer mediator (ETM) containing polymeric film (poly-1,1′-dially-[4,4′-bipyridine]-1,1′-diium, denoted as PV2+) at the interface between Sb2Se3 and TiO2 to regulate the energy band alignment, which could inhibit the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers of interfaces. With Pt as a catalyst, the constructed Sb2Se3/PV2+/TiO2/Pt photocathode showed a superior PEC hydrogen generation activity with a photocurrent density of −18.6 mA cm−2 vs. a reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) and a half-cell solar-to-hydrogen efficiency (HC-STH) of 1.54% at 0.17 V vs. RHE, which was much better than that of the related Sb2Se3/TiO2/Pt photocathode without PV2+ (−9.8 mA cm−2, 0.51% at 0.10 V vs. RHE).

PtCo nanoparticles supported on hierarchical SAPO-34 for hydrolysis of ammonia borane and tandem reduction of 4-nitrophenol

In this work, hierarchical SAPO-34 supported PtCo bimetallic catalysts with different Pt/Co ratios were prepared by impregnation method. The obtained PtCo/SAPO-34 catalysts displayed high catalytic activities and durability for the dehydrogenation of ammonia borane (AB). Among them, Pt1Co5/SAPO-34 catalyst delivered the highest hydrogen generation activity with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 262 molH2(molPt∙min)−1 at 303 K as well as excellent catalytic activity in catalytic hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) by coupling with hydrolytic dehydrogenation of AB, due to the electron interaction of Pt and Co in PtCo alloy and the high metal dispersion and exposure of Brønsted acidic sites on SAPO-34 support. Moreover, it is noteworthy that the prepared Pt1Co5/SAPO-34 catalyst also exhibited superior recycle stability, with 81% of the initial TOF value after five runs of hydrolysis reaction.

Meso‐Microporous Nanosheet‐Constructed 3DOM Perovskites for Remarkable Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

AbstractThree‐dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) structures have been widely utilized to largely enhance a photocatalytic activity. However, the common nanoparticles‐constructed 3DOM photocatalysts possess numerous grain boundaries, unavoidably leading to a fast recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. Herein, for the first time, a hierarchically two‐dimensional (2D) meso‐microporous perovskite nanosheet‐constructed 3DOM CaTiO3 to significantly reduce the grain boundaries is designed and fabricated. Using carbon quantum dots (CQDs) as a metal‐free co‐catalyst, the 3DOM CQDs‐CaTiO3 exhibits an outstanding photocatalytic activity for hydrogen generation of 0.13 mmol h−1 (20 mg photocatalyst) with remarkable apparent quantum efficiency (QAY) of 14.55% at 365 nm monochromatic light. This unprecedented performance is endowed by the synergy of a macro‐meso‐microporosity architecture, a large surface area, enhanced light harvesting, and improved charge carriers separation and transport. Density functional theory calculations and finite difference time‐domain simulations further reveal the mechanism behind the enhanced separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. The present work demonstrates a trial on rationally designing meso‐microporous nanosheet‐constructed 3DOM perovskites for solar driven hydrogen production.

Ultrathin layered Zn-doped MoS2 nanosheets deposited onto CdS nanorods for spectacular photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

The utilization of non-precious and noble-metal free catalysts for the photo conversion of water into hydrogen is of significant interest. In particular, the typical layered MoS2 has attracted interest as a low-cost alternative to platinum in the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution system. However, theoretical studies have suggested that the activity of the MoS2 co-catalyst arises only at the S sites on the edges of grains, and not on the basal planes. In this respect, the doping of a foreign metal into the MoS2 system is an interesting method for boosting the hydrogen production rate by increasing the conductivity and number of active sites. Herein, simple methods are used to decorate CdS nanorods with earth-abundant, few-layered zinc-doped MoS2 nanosheets (Zn-MoS2/CdS), and the so-obtained Zn-MoS2/CdS composite is used for the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction under solar irradiation in the presence of lactic acid as a hole scavenger. Thus, the catalyst is shown to provide significant hydrogen generation activity, along with excellent and continuous photo stability for more than 60 h under optimal conditions. Moreover, the hydrogen evolution rate of the Zn-MoS2/CdS composite is up to ~75-fold greater than that of the pure CdS. The loading of Zn-MoS2 is shown to increase the synergistic effects of the photocatalyst due to the effective separation of charge carriers, extensive exposure of catalytic sites, and high dispersion of the few-layered Zn-MoS2. In addition, the stability of the optimized material is enhanced by the doping of Zn metal into the MoS2. To the best of our knowledge, the hydrogen evolution activity of the as-prepared composite is the highest ever reported for the CdS and single metal-doped MoS2-based catalysts. Hence, this type of Zn-MoS2/CdS composite is strongly believed to have great potential as a low-cost, highly-efficient, noble-metal free catalyst for the photocatalytic reduction of water.

Morphology-engineered carbon quantum dots embedded on octahedral CdIn2S4 for enhanced photocatalytic activity towards pollutant degradation and hydrogen evolution

In recent years, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and CdIn2S4 have considered as the representatives of the most potential photocatalysts applied in the field of photocatalysis for efficiently solving energy shortage and environmental pollution. In this work, a novel CQDs hybridized CdIn2S4 (CQDs/CIS) heterostructure with 2D nanosheet/3D nanooctahedra morphology was successfully fabricated by a simple in-situ solvothermal method. Most interestingly, the morphology of hybrid gradually evolved from 3D octahedron to 2D nanosheet with the increase of CQDs. This unique 2D/3D structure and synergistic effect between CQDs and CdIn2S4 increased the multi-dimensional active reaction sites and enhanced the quantum yield and the separation efficiency of photogenerated electron pairs. Therefore, CQDs/CIS hybrids showed excellent photocatalytic activities of H2 generation, RhB and TCH degradation. Especially, CQDs/CIS-3 heterostructure presented the highest photocatalytic efficiency and its hydrogen generation activity (956.79 μmol g−1 h−1) was 7.57-fold improvement by contrast with pure CdIn2S4 (126.35 μmol g−1 h−1). Moreover, RhB and TCH degradation rate constants of CQDs/CIS-3 were about 8.14 and 2.32 times higher than those of CdIn2S4, respectively. Furthermore, the effect of CQDs on the evolution of heterostructure morphology and photocatalytic mechanism were also proposed. This research work would offer useful enlightenment for elucidating the affect of CQDs on the morphology evolution and construction of CQDs-based hybrid with excellent performances for H2 production and pollutant removal.

Insight into morphology dependent charge carrier dynamics in ZnSe-CdS nanoheterostructures.

Semiconductor nanoheterostructures (NHSs) are being increasingly used for the photocatalytic conversion of solar energy in which photo-induced charge separation is an essential step and hence it is necessary to understand the effect of various factors such as size, shape, and composition on the charge transfer dynamics. Ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy is used to investigate the nature and dynamics of photo-induced charge transfer processes in ZnSe-CdS NHSs of different morphologies such as nanospheres (NSs), nanorods (NRs), and nanoplates (NPs). It demonstrates the fast separation of charge carriers and localization of both charges in adjacent semiconductors, resulting in the formation of a charge-separated (CS) state. The lifetime of the charge-separated state follows the order of NSs < NPs < NRs, emphasizing the effect of morphology on the enhancement of photo-induced charge separation and suppression of backward recombination. The separated charge carriers have been utilized in visible light driven hydrogen production and the hydrogen generation activity follows the same order as that for the lifetime of the CS state, underlining the role of charge separation efficiency. Therefore, the variation of the morphology of NHSs plays a significant role in their charge carrier dynamics and hence the photocatalytic hydrogen production activity.

Uv-Visible Light Sensitized Nitrogen Doped Nico2o4@G-C3n4 Heterojunction - Based Nanocomposites as Novel Photocatalysts for Enhanced Hydrogen Generation and Electrochemical Activity

Uv-Visible Light Sensitized Nitrogen Doped Nico2o4@G-C3n4 Heterojunction - Based Nanocomposites as Novel Photocatalysts for Enhanced Hydrogen Generation and Electrochemical Activity

Steam pretreatment-mediated catalytic activity modulation for ammonia borane hydrolysis over ruthenium nanoclusters on nitrogen/oxygen-rich carbon nanotubes

Supported metal nanoclusters (NCs) have been demonstrated as essential kinds of catalytic materials for hydrolysis of ammonia borane (AB). The uniform anchoring of metal NCs on carbon matrix is challenging using traditional impregnation and immobilization routes without any stabilizing ligands. In this study, we report an economical, simple and efficient steam pretreatment-mediated strategy of using nitric acid vapor to adjust the surface chemistry and textural structure of carbon nanotubes (f-CNTs) and thereby achieving the uniform deposition of well-defined Ru NCs onto the f-CNTs toward hydrogen production from AB hydrolysis. Compared to its pristine carbon nanotube analogues, the rich N/O-functional groups, increased defects and specific surface area of f-CNTs enable the formation of Ru NCs (1.71 nm in diameter) with high dispersion, which considerably boost the catalytic hydrolysis of AB to produce hydrogen under mild conditions. Specifically, Ru@f-CNTs with an optimal metal loading of 2 wt% delivers a considerable activity in hydrogen generation from AB hydrolysis with turnover frequency of 764 min−1 at 298 K, superior to many reported Ru-based catalysts. The present strategy provides an efficient way to prepare various carbon supported metal catalysts that possess great promise in catalytic application.