Construction of Porous Mo

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Developing efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is crucial for clean energy technologies.
• Molybdenum phosphides (Mo3 P) are promising HER catalysts, but their performance is often limited by structure and stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize novel porous Mo3 P/Mo nanobelts using a new strategy.
• To investigate the formation mechanism of these nanobelts.
• To evaluate their catalytic activity and stability for HER in alkaline media.

Main Methods:

• Novel synthesis strategy for Mo3 P/Mo nanobelts.
• Varied hydrogen (H2)/phosphine (PH3) content and reaction temperature to study formation mechanism.
• Electrochemical testing for HER catalysis (overpotential, Tafel slope).
• Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized porous Mo3 P/Mo nanobelts for the first time.
• Disclosed the growth and formation mechanism by controlling H2 /PH3 ratios and temperature.
• Optimized nanobelts achieved a low overpotential (78 mV at 10 mA cm-2) and Tafel slope (43 mV dec-1).
• Demonstrated long-term stability in alkaline media, outperforming platinum wire.
• DFT calculations confirmed favorable H2 O dissociation on Mo3 P surfaces.

Conclusions:

• The novel porous Mo3 P/Mo nanobelts are highly efficient and stable HER electrocatalysts in alkaline media.
• The synthesis strategy and mechanistic understanding provide a pathway for designing advanced catalysts.
• These materials show potential for applications in hydrogen production and renewable energy.