P-Doped Ag Nanoparticles Embedded in N-Doped Carbon Nanoflake: An Efficient Electrocatalyst for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Electrolytic hydrogen generation needs efficient and durable electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction. In this Letter, for the first time, we report on the development of P-doped Ag nanoparticles embedded in N-doped carbon nanoflake (denoted as “P-Ag@NC”) for effective hydrogen evolution electrocatalysis. When tested in 0.5 M H2SO4, such P-Ag@NC demands overpotential of only 78 mV to drive a catalytic current density of 10 mA cm–2, which is 198 mV less than that of Ag@NC counterpart. Remarkably, this catalyst also shows strong long-term electrochemical durability with the preservation of its catalytic activity for at least 85 h. Density functional theory calculations suggest that P doping brings the optimization of hydrogen adsorption free energy to a more thermo-neutral value.