An extremely active and durable Mo2C/graphene-like carbon based electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction

Abstract

The efficiency of hydrogen production from electrolysis of water is severely limited by the sluggish kinetics of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Here we report our findings in the development of a very active and durable HER electrocatalyst derived from a one-pot synthesis of highly porous molybdenum carbide (Mo2C) nanoparticles uniformly dispersed on nitrogen-doped graphene-like carbon. The nanocomposite catalyst displays excellent HER activity and durability in an acidic electrolyte among all non-noble-metal catalysts ever reported. The remarkable performance is attributed to the unique nanostructure of the Mo2C phase, the conductive nitrogen-doped graphene-like carbon network, the high porosity of the hybrid, and the synergistic effect between the Mo2C and the carbon substrate. Further, the facile and low-cost synthetic strategy for preparation of such nanostructures may open up opportunities for exploiting other high-performance electrocatalysts for various applications.