N-Doped Carbon-Wrapped Cobalt Nanoparticles on N-Doped Graphene Nanosheets for High-Efficiency Hydrogen Production

Development of non-noble-metal catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with both excellent activity and robust stability has remained a key challenge in the past decades. Herein, for the first time, N-doped carbon-wrapped cobalt nanoparticles supported on N-doped graphene nanosheets were prepared by a facile solvothermal procedure and subsequent calcination at controlled temperatures. The electrocatalytic activity for HER was examined in 0.5 M H2SO4. Electrochemical measurements showed a small overpotential of only −49 mV with a Tafel slope of 79.3 mV/dec. Theoretical calculations based on density functional theory showed that the catalytically active sites were due to carbon atoms promoted by the entrapped cobalt nanoparticles. The results may offer a new methodology for the preparation of effective catalysts for water splitting technology.