Abstract

Molybdenum compounds (Mo2C, MoS2, MoP, Mo2N, etc.) and their composites with different nanosized carbon materials are considered to be one of the most promising Pt-free hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts. Along with non-metallic dopants (N, P etc.), d-metals are also used as dopants to increase the activity of Mo-containing hybrid catalysts in HER. Thus, we have recently shown the possibility of obtaining HER nanocomposite electrocatalysts based on vanadium doped particles of Mo2C and N,P-doped reduced graphene oxide (rGO) using precursor based on polypyrrole, H3PVMo11O40 (PVMo11) and rGO – V-Mo2C/N,P-rGO. It was found that doping with vanadium atoms in situ promotes an increase in the activity of catalysts in HER, compared with the analogue obtained in the absence of V doping. The nature of the nitrogen-containing conjugated polymer can also affect the type of metal-containing particles formed during the high-temperature processing of such macromolecules together with the metal precursors. Given this, the paper shows the possibility of obtaining a promising hybrid electrocatalyst for HER based on vanadium-doped Mo2C, Mo2N and N,P-doped rGO (V-Mo2C,Mo2N/N,P-rGO) by pyrolysis of composite-precursor based on poly-5-aminoindole, PVMo11 and rGO. It was found that the simultaneous presence of Mo2C and Mo2N phases in the catalyst causes an increase in the activity of V-Mo2C,Mo2N/N,P-rGO in HER compared to the analogue containing only Mo2C phase (V-Mo2C/N,P-rGO), which is manifested in reduction in hydrogen evolution overpotential at a current density of 10 mA/cm2 (on 15-29 mV), an increase in the magnitude of exchange currents (by ~ 2.3-2.7 times), as well as in the anodic shift of the process onset potential and the reduction of Tafel slope (in alkaline electrolyte).

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