A Molecular Strategy to Ni45pt55@Nc Nanoparticles as Efficient and Robust Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

•A molecular strategy for the preparation of efficient electrocatalyst of N-doped Ni45Pt55@NC NPs by employing a new-designed metallopolymer P-NiPt as precursor was reported.•The Ni45Pt55@NC NPs possesses outstanding HER electrocatalytic activity with a low Pt-loading amount of 8.35 wt% in 0.5 M H2SO4 electrolyte.•DFT calculations prove that the improved HER catalytic activity and stability could be mainly attributed to the interaction between Ni and Pt atoms.