A MOF-derived coral-like NiSe@NC nanohybrid: an efficient electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction at all pH values.

A coral-like NiSe@NC nanohybrid as an effective electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at all pH values, constructed via the in situ selenation of a Ni-MOFs precursor, is reported. The electrocatalyst shows overpotentials of 123 mV, 250 mV and 300 mV in 0.5 M H2SO4, 1.0 M KOH and 1.0 M PBS, respectively, to afford a current density of 10 mA cm-2. Meanwhile, NiSe@NC also exhibits a small Tafel slope and superior long-term stability over a wide pH range. The excellent electrocatalytic performance should be ascribed to the unique coral-like structure with a large BET specific surface area (125.4 m2 g-1) and mesoporous features, as well as synergistic effects between NiSe nanocrystals and highly conductive N-doped porous carbon.