The partially unzipped carbon nanotubes supported molybdenum carbide composite for enchanced hydrogen evolution reaction

Abstract

The substrate effect of electrocatalyst on the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was explored in present work, and the multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) with different unzipped extent was used as the model substrate to support molybdenum carbide nanoparticles. The partially unzipped MWCNT which contained the carbon nanotube core and graphene nanoribbon shells was important for the high HER performance. The final molybdenum carbide/reduced graphene oxide nanoribbon catalyst showed a lower overpotential of 135 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a small Tafel slope of 59 mV decade−1 in 0.5 M H2SO4.