Ru decorated natural cellulose nanofiber-derived carbon aerogel for efficient hydrogen evolution in alkaline seawater

Highly active, stable and affordable hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts are intensively needed for global energy conversion systems. Carbon-supported ruthenium (Ru)-based electrocatalysts have been rising stars in recent years and the pursuit of higher activity has arisen intensive research interest. Herein, a novel electrocatalyst with cellulose nanofibers containing abundant carboxyls and hydroxyls as the carbon source to anchor Ru nanoparticles (Ru/NC) was designed and synthesized. Benefiting from the anchoring and dispersion of the carbon substrate to the Ru nanoparticles and the synergistic interaction between the different components, the obtained Ru/NC exhibited optimal HER activity in all the corresponding contrast electrocatalysts, with low overpotentials of 16 mV, 22 mV, and 46 mV to attain 10 mA cm − - 2 in 1.0 M KOH, 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 and 1.0 M KOH + seawater, respectively. Further, the Tafel slope of Ru/NC in alkaline seawater indicated that its HER process followed a Volmer-Tafel mechanism. Additionally, the synthesized Ru/NC also displayed excellent stability in different electrolytes. This work will provide a novel and interesting insight into the fabrication of advanced carbon-supported electrocatalysts with resource-rich biomass as cost-effective carbon source.