Engineering monolayer Ti₃C₂T_x-Ni/C heterostructures for enhanced hydrogen evolution catalysis

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Growing demand for clean energy technologies necessitates efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts.
• Advancing renewable energy systems relies on developing high-performance catalysts for hydrogen production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize a novel heterostructure catalyst for enhanced HER performance.
• To investigate the catalytic activity and stability of Ti3C2Tx@NiC heterostructures.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a Ni/C-doped nanofilm and monolayer Ti3C2Tx heterostructure using magnetron sputtering.
• Electrocatalytic testing in 1 M KOH to evaluate overpotential and current density.
• Stability testing over 24 hours to assess catalyst durability.

Main Results:

• The optimized Ti3C2Tx@NiC catalyst (Ni:C ratio 1:1) achieved an overpotential of 111 mV at 10 mA cm-2.
• The catalyst demonstrated excellent long-term stability, maintaining high activity after 24 hours.
• The heterointerface formation promoted efficient H+ adsorption and H2 desorption.

Conclusions:

• The Ti3C2Tx@NiC heterostructure exhibits superior HER catalytic activity and durability.
• Synergistic interactions between Ni and C species at the heterointerface enhance performance.
• This study presents a viable strategy for cost-effective HER electrocatalyst development.