Integration of Ni Doping and a Mo2C/MoC Heterojunction for Hydrogen Evolution in Acidic and Alkaline Conditions
Changhai Liu1, Lei Sun1, Linlin Luo1
1School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Photovoltaic Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213164, China.
Abstract:
Although nonprecious metal catalysts based on earth-abundant 3d transition metals (TMs) are regarded as promising substitutes for a noble metal electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), their large-scale application is still inhibited by their inadequate activity and durability. Here, a facile method for nonprecious metal catalysts has been developed to prepare molybdenum carbide on nitrogen-doped carbon. By optimizing the Ni doping ratio, the Ni0.5@MoC/NC exhibits the lowest overpotential for 10 mA cm-2 and superior stability in both acidic and alkaline media for HER application, outperforming most of the reported HER electrocatalysts. In addition, a theoretical simulation has also confirmed the possible mechanism for the synergistic effect with the regulative adsorption energy of hydrogen species with Ni doping and formation of a Mo2C/MoC heterojunction in the Ni0.5@MoC/NC electrocatalyst. Therefore, this work provides a new avenue for designing two-dimensional nanostructures with an optimized electronic structure for promising TM HER electrocatalysts in a wide pH range.
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