Simple fabrication of trimetallic platinum-nickel-cobalt hollow alloyed 3D multipods for highly boosted hydrogen evolution reaction

Alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts with high catalytic activity and long-term durability are of significance for sustainable energy applications. Herein, we prepared trimetallic PtNiCo hollow alloyed 3D multipods (HAMPs) with rough surfaces by an effective one-pot solvothermal strategy coupled with acid etching, as evidenced by a series of characterizations. By virtue of the trimetals and unique structures, the PtNiCo HAMPs exhibited excellent HER performance in 1.0 M KOH electrolyte with a low overpotential (η, 20 mV) and small Tafel slope (46.3 mV dec−1), superior to homemade PtNi HAMPs, PtCo nanocrystals (NCs) and commercial Pt/C catalysts. This study provides some constructive guidelines for synthesis of advanced hollow multimetallic catalysts in energy systems.