Exploring hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalyst with highly catalytic features in alkaline conditions is considered as significance for water splitting. In this study, a general and simple method was developed to prepare flower-like platinum-cobalt-ruthenium alloy nanoassemblies (PtCoRu NAs) by using murexide and cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) as the co-structure-directing agents. Benefiting from the structural advantages and multimetallic compositions, the as-prepared PtCoRu NAs displayed remarkably enhanced electrocatalytic performance for the HER in 1.0 M KOH, with a low overpotential (eta, 22 mV) to drive 10 mA cm(-2), small Tafel slope (46 mV dec(-1)), and high exchange current density (j(0), 3.30 mA cm(-2)) during the long-term electrolysis. The as-developed strategy sheds some valuable guidelines for preparing advanced multimetallic catalysts for production of hydrogen in fuel cells. (C) 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.