Mn, P co-doped sharp-edged Mo2C nanosheets anchored on porous carbon for efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Abstract

Molybdenum carbide (Mo₂C) has received great attention as a promising non-noble metal electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The exposure of more catalytic sites and optimal Mo–H bonding strength via heteroatom doping is strongly desirable for the HER. Herein, Mn, P co-doped sharp-edged Mo₂C nanosheets (NSs) anchored on porous carbon with a high specific surface area of 1266 m² g⁻¹ are synthesized with KCl particles as templates and the activating agent. On one hand, the as-obtained interconnected porous carbon matrix can afford efficient electron and mass transfer channels. On the other hand, a higher intrinsic activity can also be achieved due to the optimized electronic structure of Mo₂C by the doping of Mn and P, leading to outstanding HER kinetics with a small Tafel slope of 52 mV dec⁻¹. This work provides a facile route to prepare nonprecious HER catalysts with heteroatom doping.