ZIF-8-derived ZnS–Ni3Fe–Ni co-loaded N-doped porous carbon for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction catalysis

Abstract Herein, N-doped porous carbon (NC) decorated with ZnS, Ni3Fe, and metallic Ni, and denoted as ZnFeNiS/NC, was fabricated via the direct carbonization of a zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8), that is, a Zn-based metal–organic framework, combined with absorption and sulfurization processes. The synthesized material was used as an electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline solutions. Compared with Zn/NC, ZnFe/NC, and ZnFeNi/NC, ZnFeNiS/NC exhibited excellent HER activity with the lowest potential (162.57 mV) and Tafel slope (65.48 mV decade−1) at a current density of 10 mA cm−2. This better performance can be attributed to the synergistic effects of the ZnS, Ni3Fe, and Ni dopants; the ZnS, Ni3Fe, and Ni nanoparticles embedded in NC not only provided many active reaction sites but also ensured long-term stability in alkaline media. The new method presented here could allow the fabrication of non-noble-metal electrocatalysts with excellent electrocatalytic activity for HER.