Two Novel Polyoxometalate-Encapsulated Metal–Organic Nanotube Frameworks as Stable and Highly Efficient Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Two novel polyoxometalate (POM)-encapsulated metal–organic nanotube (MONT) framework crystalline materials with unprecedented copper-mixed ligands, HUST-200 and HUST-201, have been successfully synthesized by an effective synthesis strategy. The encapsulation not only provides a shield to increase the chemical stability, but also does not affect its catalytic activity, and, therefore, the crystalline materials are very active for HER (H+ can diffuse easily through the pores of the MONTs). Remarkably, HUST-200 displays a low overpotential of 131 mV (catalytic current density is equal to 10 mA·cm–2). This work thus offers a new way for devising HER electrocatalysts with low cost using POM-encapsulated MONT frameworks.