Although platinum is currently a state-of-the-art catalyst for electrochemical hydrogen production, its scarcity and cost restrict

its use in practical processes. Therefore, the design and development of Pt-free electrocatalysts with effi cient hydrogen production

performance, in terms of activity and durability, have been at the forefront of sustainable HER catalyst engineering.

In this study, a ruthenium-based electrocatalyst comprising a Ru component integrated into a cobalt-based metal − organic

framework (MOF)-derived Co-nitrogen-doped carbon template (Ru/Co-NC) was synthesized via a multiple-step synthetic

approach. The optimal Co-NC support benefi ts the support − metal interaction for Ru incorporation, enhancing the electrocatalytic

HER performance. Importantly, the Ru/Co-NC catalysts require an overpotential of only 45 mV to reach a current

density of 10 mA cm −2 and a Tafel slope of 43 mV dec −1 , and surpass the performance of commercial Pt/C at a high current

density of 100 mA cm −2 . Its unique structural features endow Ru/Co-NC with good long-term HER stability with negligible

changes after accelerated degradation tests. This work off ers an eff ective method for preparing MOF-derived nanocatalysts

with compositional and structural control for industrial HER requirements.