Mesoporous Mo₂C/Carbon Hybrid Nanotubes Synthesized by a Dual-Template Self-Assembly Approach for an Efficient...

Molybdenum carbide-containing nanomaterials have drawn considerable attention in the application of hydrogen production electrocatalysts in light of the high abundance, low cost, and Pt-like electronic structure of molybdenum carbide. In this article, we report the synthesis of one-dimensional (1D) Mo₂C/carbon mesoporous nanotubes (Mo₂C/C PNTs) through a dual-template self-assembly approach, which employs 1D MoO₃ nanobelts as the structure-directing template as well as one of the Mo₂C precursors, along with block copolymer (BCP) micelles as the pore-forming template. In aqueous solution, the interface self-assembly of the micelles with pyrrole (Py) molecules absorbed in the PEO domains leads to the tight arrangement of the micelles on the surfaces of the MoO₃ nanobelts. The polymerization of Py and the subsequent pyrolysis at 800 °C under a nitrogen atmosphere yield Mo₂C/C PNTs with well-defined mesopores. Among the resultant Mo₂C/C PNT samples, Mo₂C/C PNTs with a specific surface area of 69 m²/g, a N atom percentage of 5.5 atom %, and an optimum Mo₂C content of 40 wt % exhibit the highest HER catalytic performance in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ electrolyte, with a low onset potential of 34 mV, a satisfied overpotential of 140 mV at 10 mA/cm², and excellent cycling stability. This study not only opens an avenue toward new Mo₂C-containing nanomaterials but also provides a new system for the fundamental study on 1D porous nanohybrids with potential applications as hydrogen production electrocatalysts.