Anchoring ultra-small Mo2C nanocrystals on honeycomb-structured N-doped carbon spheres for efficient hydrogen evolution

Abstract

Molybdenum carbide (Mo₂C) has attracted considerable research interest as one of the most efficient non-noble electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Supporting nanosized Mo₂C on a conductive carbon matrix with high porosity and large surface area represents an efficient strategy to enhance its HER performance. Herein, we constructed a Mo₂C based HER catalyst consisting of ultra-small Mo₂C nanocrystals anchored on honeycomb-structured N-doped carbon spheres (Mo₂C-HNCS). The as-prepared Mo₂C-HNCS manifests a high HER catalytic activity in alkaline media with an overpotential of 128 mV at 10 mA cm⁻², a Tafel slope of 60 mV decade⁻¹, and good stability.