Graphene-Decorated Boron-Carbon-Nitride-Based Metal-Free Catalysts for an Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is an emerging renewable energy source to derive clean, efficient, and high-energy-density hydrogen fuel from electrochemical water splitting mostly by using traditional noble-metal-based catalysts. However, their scarcity has led to the emergence of carbon-based materials which are exceptionally promising alternatives for the HER. Herein, graphene capsules-decorated boron-carbon-nitride sheets are developed by pyrolyzing a mixture of pyridine borane and custom-made GCs. The 3D hollow GCs effectively increase the surface area to supplement more exposed active sites for the hydrogen adsorption/desorption reaction. The carbon-rich ternary hybrid structure favors adjusting the electrical conductivity, which provides better HER catalytic performances (overpotential of 333 mV at 10 mA cm(-2)) in acidic conditions. The long-term stability for 24 h and the simplest designing technique propose an effective metal-free electrocatalyst for commercial applications in the renewable energy field.

Automated summary

A novel carbon-based material, graphene capsules-decorated boron-carbon-nitride sheets, has been developed to enhance the catalytic performance for the hydrogen evolution reaction by increasing surface area and providing more active sites. The 3D hollow structure of graphene capsules contributes to achieving higher efficiency in acidic conditions.