Rare-earth lanthanum doped molybdenum borides for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction

Molybdenum borides (MoB_x) have attracted significant attention as a catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) due to its platinum-like electronic structure and high electrical conductivity. However, despite the development of several effective strategies to improve its synthesis and modulate its electronic structure, the electrocatalytic performance remains unsatisfactory. In recent years, doping with heterogeneous elements, particularly rare earth metals, has been a widely adopted and effective approach to modulate the local electronic structure of molybdenum-based electrode materials. In this study, the rare-earth lanthanum doped molybdenum borides (La-MoB_x) were successfully synthesized, which exhibits good electrocatalytic performance for HER, as well as superior activity for overall water splitting in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ electrolyte. This study can broaden the research on rare earth-modified electrocatalysts, demonstrating a general approach to obtain non-noble metal catalysts with high catalytic activity. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.