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Published on: December 6, 2021
Graphite Nanoflake-Modified Mo2C with Ameliorated Interfacial Interaction as an Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen
Fangfei Lin1, Benhui Lv1, Haopeng Gao1
1State Key Laboratory of Marine Resources Utilization in South China Sea, Key Laboratory of Research on Utilization of Si-Zr-Ti Resources of Hainan Province, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
Molybdenum carbide (Mo2C) quantum dots on graphite nanoflakes boost hydrogen production. This advanced catalyst shows excellent stability and efficiency in alkaline conditions, outperforming edge-anchored structures.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- Molybdenum carbide (Mo2C) is a cost-effective, stable electrocatalyst with platinum-like activity for hydrogen production.
- Optimizing Mo2C electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) requires designing ultrasmall particles and favorable interfaces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate and evaluate molybdenum carbide (Mo2C) quantum dots anchored on graphite nanoflakes (Mo2C/G) as an electrocatalyst for HER.
- To investigate the influence of interfacial interactions between Mo2C and graphite nanoflakes on HER performance.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of Mo2C quantum dots anchored on graphite nanoflakes (Mo2C/G).
- Electrochemical characterization of Mo2C/G for HER in alkaline media.
- Density functional theory (DFT) calculations to analyze interfacial interactions.
Main Results:
- Mo2C/G composites demonstrated a low overpotential of 136 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and a Tafel slope of 76.81 mV dec-1.
- The catalyst exhibited stable performance over 10 hours and 2000 cycles.
- DFT calculations and experiments confirmed that Mo2C quantum dots on defective graphite nanoflake basal planes yield superior HER performance compared to edge anchoring.
Conclusions:
- Graphite nanoflakes serve as an effective matrix for dispersing Mo2C quantum dots, enhancing active site exposure and conductivity.
- Optimized interfacial interactions, particularly on defective basal planes, significantly improve the electrocatalytic activity for HER.
- The Mo2C/G system represents a promising strategy for developing efficient and stable electrocatalysts for hydrogen production.
