A durable and pH-universal self-standing MoC–Mo2C heterojunction electrode for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27118-6
• Publication Date: 2021-11-22T11:02:58Z
• Authors: Wei Liu; Xiting Wang; Fan Wang; Kaifa Du; Zhaofu Zhang; Yuzheng Guo; Huayi Yin; Dihua Wang
• Keywords: /147/135; /145; Science; 02 engineering and technology; 01 natural sciences; 7. Clean energy; Article; 4016 Materials Engineering; /128; 4018 Nanotechnology; /140/146; 40 Engineering; /639/4077/909/4086; 3403 Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry; 34 Chemical Sciences; Q; article; /639/638/161/886; /119/118; 0104 chemical sciences; 7 Affordable and Clean Energy; /639/301/299/886; 0210 nano-technology

Efficient water electrolyzers are constrained by the lack of low-cost and earth-abundant hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts that can operate at industry-level conditions be prepared with a facile process. Here we report self-standing MoC-Mo2C catalytic electrode via one-step electro-carbiding approach using CO2 as feedstock. The outstanding HER performances low overpotentials 500 mA cm-2 in both acidic (256 mV) alkaline electrolytes (292 mV), long-lasting lifetime over 2400 h (100 d), high-temperature performance (70 oC) due to hydrophilic porous surface, intrinsic mechanical strength self-grown MoC (001)-Mo2C (101) heterojunctions have ΔGH* value -0.13 eV condition, energy barrier 1.15 for dissociation solution. preparation large (3 cm × 11.5 cm) demonstrates possibility scaling up this process prepare various carbide electrodes rationally designed structures, tunable compositions, favorable properties.