Enhancement of electrical conductivity and electrochemical activity of hydrogenated amorphous carbon by incorporating boron atoms

Conductive boron-doped hydrogenated amorphous carbon (B-DLC) thin films were successfully synthesized with RF plasma-enhanced CVD method. By incorporating boron atoms in amorphous carbon, conduction types were changed from n- to p-type, and volume resistivity was decreased from 30.4 (non-doped) to 6.36 × 10^-2 Ω cm (B/C 2.500 atom%). B-DLC film with sp²/(sp² + sp³) carbons of 75 atom% exhibited high resistance to electrochemically-induced corrosion in strong acid solution. Furthermore, it was clarified that boron atoms in DLC could enhance kinetics of hydrogen evolution during water electrolysis at B-DLC surface. B-DLC is, therefore, a promising electrode material for hydrogen production by increasing the concentration of boron atoms in B-DLC and enhancing the reactivity of H ₂ evolution.