Fabrication of cobalt porphyrin. Electrochemically reduced graphene oxide hybrid films for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution in aqueous solution.

Here we report on an experimental study of an electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) based on cobalt porphyrin and electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ERGO) functional multilayer films, which are prepared by the alternating layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly of negatively charged graphene oxide (GO) and positively charged [tetrakis (N-methylpyridyl) porphyrinato] cobalt (CoTMPyP) in combination with an electrochemical reduction procedure. The resulting [ERGO@CoTMPyP]n multilayer films display relatively high electrocatalytic activity and superior stability toward HER in alkaline media. Electrochemical studies indicate that CoTMPyP in the multilayer films is the active catalyst for the reduction of protons to dihydrogen.