Electrospun nano-Ir anchored mesoporous carbon nanofibers for hydrogen evolution reaction

It is essential to develop high-performance hydrogen evolution reaction catalysts. Reducing the amount of precious metals is an effective approach to replace Pt-based catalyst. Here, an electrocatalyst of metallic iridium anchored on mesoporous carbon nanofibers (Ir- m CNFs) is reported. After optimized the nanostructure (pore-forming agent content) of Ir- m CNFs, at the current density of 10 mA cm −2 , the overpotential reaches 28 and 39 mV in alkaline and acid medium. Moreover, the content of Ir in this catalyst is just around 6 wt%. In conclusion, this paper reports an effective precious metal based HER catalysts with a lower amount of rare metals.