A Novel Bimetallic Nickel-Molybdenum Carbide Nanowire Array for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Developing efficient, low-cost electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is critical for advancing renewable energy technologies.
• Noble metal-based catalysts are effective but expensive, driving research into alternatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate novel, noble-metal-free electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction.
• To develop self-supported nickel-molybdenum carbide nanowires on carbon cloth with enhanced catalytic activity.

Main Methods:

• Hydrothermal synthesis of NiMoO4 nanowires on carbon cloth.
• Electropolymerization of polypyrrole (PPy) as a carbon source.
• Carbothermal reduction to form Ni3Mo3C@NPC NWs/CC (N,P-doped carbon).

Main Results:

• Optimized Ni3Mo3C@NPC NWs/CC exhibited a pure-phase, nanowire array structure.
• Achieved low overpotentials of 161 mV (acidic) and 215 mV (alkaline) for 100 mA cm-2 current density.
• Demonstrated excellent stability for over 48 hours.

Conclusions:

• The self-supported Ni3Mo3C@NPC NWs/CC electrode is a highly active and stable noble-metal-free electrocatalyst for HER.
• The unique nanostructure and composition contribute to its superior performance in both acidic and alkaline media.
• This material represents a promising candidate for future hydrogen production technologies.