ORALS

The electrocatalytic properties of some fullerenes, particularly for hydrogen evolution reactions (HER), were recently studied and predicted by computational studies. The catalytic performance of the most common fullerenes is deficient compared to other carbon-based nanocatalysts. Here, for the first time, we provide insights into how functionalization can alert the electron density on the carbon cages of the fullerenes and influence the highly purified C60 compounds to achieve better hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) activity using a combination of experimental and theoretical approaches. The bis-pyrrolidine hexa-adducts of the C60 compound exhibited remarkable HOR catalytic activity of metal-free catalyst with a current density of 4.1 µA/cm2 and mass activity of 27 A· mg-1 at 0.4 V at room temperature. These results further demonstrate the relevance of such novel molecular catalysts for developing new HOR catalysts for fuel cell applications.