Abstract
As a sustainable and clean energy source, hydrogen can be generated by electrolytic water splitting (i.e., a hydrogen evolution reaction, HER). Compared with conventional noble metal catalysts (e.g., Pt), Mo based materials have been deemed as a promising alternative, with a relatively low cost and comparable catalytic performances. In this review, we demonstrate a comprehensive summary of various Mo based materials, such as MoO2, MoS2 and Mo2C. Moreover, state of the art designs of the catalyst structures are presented, to improve the activity and stability for hydrogen evolution, including Mo based carbon composites, heteroatom doping and heterostructure construction. The structure–performance relationships relating to the number of active sites, electron/ion conductivity, H/H2O binding and activation energy, as well as hydrophilicity, are discussed in depth. Finally, conclusive remarks and future works are proposed.
Highlights
Considering the environmental pollution and greenhouse effect caused by the excessive utilization of fossil fuels, the exploitation of renewable and clean energy sources is imminent and imperative in order to realize the sustainable development of industries and economies [1,2]
Characterized by a carbon free nature, green product (H2 O) and high energy density, hydrogen has been regarded as a promising alternative to conventional fossil fuels, prior to other renewable energies that suffer from an intermittent nature and low energy density [3,4]
A MoS2 bicontinuous network was synthesized with a nanoscale size and mesoporous structure, providing more active sites for hydrogen evolution [16]
Summary
Considering the environmental pollution and greenhouse effect caused by the excessive utilization of fossil fuels, the exploitation of renewable and clean energy sources is imminent and imperative in order to realize the sustainable development of industries and economies [1,2]. General routes of producing hydrogen include the gasification of coal and biomass, conversion of hydrocarbons (e.g., methane and tar molecules) and electrolytic water splitting [2]. The former two methods require a high reaction temperature (i.e., intensive energy input) and exhibit a low purity of hydrogen with additional emissions of carbon dioxide [5]. Example, NiMo nanowires were constructed on Ni foam and exhibited a comparable activity to Pt/C commercial catalysts due to the metal–metal synergy and abundant active sites in the hierarchical porous structure [15] In another case, a MoS2 bicontinuous network was synthesized with a nanoscale size and mesoporous structure, providing more active sites for hydrogen evolution [16]. Conclusive remarks and possible solutions to the existing challenges will be proposed
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