Laser-assisted coupling of nitrogen-doped carbon-coated molybdenum/molybdenum dioxide rods for efficient pH-universal...

Herein, a simple and fast laser-assisted coupling method is used for preparation of rod-like carbon-coated Mo/MoO₂ hybrids at room temperature and air environment. Under high energy of laser and reductive atmosphere caused by precursor decomposition, Mo-polydopamine complex-wrapped MoO₃ rods are quickly converted into nitrogen-doped carbon-coated Mo/MoO₂ rods. Carbon-coated Mo/MoO₂ exhibits high surface area, uniform metal dispersion and appealing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalytic performance in a wide pH range. Carbon-coated Mo/MoO₂ shows overpotential of 134, 108 and 164 mV to deliver current density of 10 mA cm^-2 under alkaline, acidic and neutral solution, respectively. Theoretical calculation demonstrates that combination of Mo and MoO₂ into Mo/MoO₂ composite favors the dissociation of water and adsorption of hydrogen. This study not only provides a high-efficiency strategy for preparation of electrocatalysts but also give guidance for development of hybrid electrocatalysts for HER.