• Ir nanoclusters supported on nitrogen-doped carbon frameworks (Ir@NC) exhibit exceptional HER activity with an overpotential of only 23 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in acidic media.
• The synthesis method involves simple immersion of ZIF-8-derived carbon in IrCl3 solution followed by calcination-reduction, offering scalability for industrial applications.
• The electronic interaction between Ir clusters and N-doped carbon support optimizes the HER process, as evidenced by an ultra-low Tafel slope of 25.8 mV dec−1.
• Ir@NC demonstrates excellent stability for over 24 hours at 10 mA cm−2, addressing the critical challenge of catalyst durability in acidic electrolytes.