Molten salt assisted to synthesize molybdenum–ruthenium boride for hydrogen generation in wide pH range

Developing a highly-efficient electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a necessary step for hydrogen energy production. In this work, molybdenum-ruthenium boride (Mo–Ru–B) electrocatalyst is synthesized with the assistance of the molten salt method. The introduced Ru–B plays a key role in enhancing the electrocatalytic activity. Then, the prepared Mo–Ru–B exhibits highly active in alkaline, acidic, neutral and alkaline seawater with overpotentials of 50 mV, 48 mV, 109 mV, and 108 mV to reach 10 mA cm−2. Moreover, the synthesized Mo–Ru–B also exhibits excellent stability in various applied electrolytes. The work provides a new approach to the design of stable and high-performance metal boride based electrocatalysts.