Ultralow Pt0 loading on MIL-88A(Fe) derived polyoxometalate-Fe3O4@C micro-rods with highly-efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Synthesis of catalysts with high activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has been a hot topic in electrocatalysis. In this paper, using MIL-88A(Fe) metal-organic complex, polyoxometalate (POM) and H2PtCl6 as starting materials, hierarchic and low Pt0-loading micro-rods (denoted as Pt-POMFe, i.e. Pt-PW12Fe or Pt-PMo12Fe) have been synthesized, in which the Pt0 nanoparticles can be stabilized by POM. The Pt-PW12Fe micro-rod containing [PW12O40]3- polyoxoanion component (0.30% Pt0-loading) which retains the spindle structure of its parent MIL-88A(Fe) exhibits a low overpotential of 28 mV at current density of 10 mA·cm−2 for HER that is close to the electrocatalytic effect of commercial Pt/C (ca. 20% Pt0-loading). Such high electrocatalytic reactivity is mainly caused by the synergistic effect of the three components of POM, Pt0, and Fe3O4@C. The structure effectively increases the active sites of the catalyst and improves its conductivity and stability. The Pt-POMFe catalyst extends a new family of MOF-POM functional materials and provides a new concept to the design and synthesis of highly-efficient and low-cost electrocatalyst for hydrogen production.