Facile Synthesis of Crystalline Molybdenum Carbide (Mo2C) Nanoparticles Coupled with a N-Doped Porous Carbon Sheet: A Synergistic Effect on the Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Mo2C is a unique material due to its tunable phase and electronic structures. Because of the interaction of molybdenum and carbon, the D band of molybdenum atoms expands, similar to Pt. This hybridization minimizes the energy required for hydrogen adsorption, thereby enhancing the electrocatalytic characteristics. In this article, we report the direct one-pot synthesis of Mo2C on N doped on a porous carbon sheet for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reactions using ammonium molybdate as a molybdenum source, glucose as a carbon source, and ammonia as a nitrogen source. The porosity and Mo2C nanostructure embedded in N-doped carbon have helped to facilitate the infusion of electrolytes and the detachment of hydrogen molecules from the surface of a Mo2C-N-doped porous carbon sheet. Besides, the prepared composite has shown the most efficient HER performances with the overpotential and Tafel slope of Mo2C and Mo2C-NC mA/cm2being 133 and 95 mV and 76 and 69 mV dec–1, respectively; it also has excellent stability in an acidic medium. Because of its easy resource, simple preparation, and excellent performance, the prepared Mo2C on a N-doped carbon sheet has a significant potential to be an alternative for cost-effective hydrogen production.