Coupled molybdenum carbide and reduced graphene oxide electrocatalysts for efficient hydrogen evolution

Ji-Sen Li, Yu Wang, Chun-Hui Liu, Shun-Li Li, Yu-Guang Wang, Long-Zhang Dong, Zhi-Hui Dai (), Ya-Fei Li and Ya-Qian Lan ()
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Ji-Sen Li: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University
Yu Wang: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University
Chun-Hui Liu: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University
Shun-Li Li: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University
Yu-Guang Wang: Key Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry in Universities of Shandong, Jining University
Long-Zhang Dong: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University
Zhi-Hui Dai: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University
Ya-Fei Li: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University
Ya-Qian Lan: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Electrochemical water splitting is one of the most economical and sustainable methods for large-scale hydrogen production. However, the development of low-cost and earth-abundant non-noble-metal catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction remains a challenge. Here we report a two-dimensional coupled hybrid of molybdenum carbide and reduced graphene oxide with a ternary polyoxometalate-polypyrrole/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite as a precursor. The hybrid exhibits outstanding electrocatalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction and excellent stability in acidic media, which is, to the best of our knowledge, the best among these reported non-noble-metal catalysts. Theoretical calculations on the basis of density functional theory reveal that the active sites for hydrogen evolution stem from the pyridinic nitrogens, as well as the carbon atoms, in the graphene. In a proof-of-concept trial, an electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution is fabricated, which may open new avenues for the design of nanomaterials utilizing POMs/conducting polymer/reduced-graphene oxide nanocomposites.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11204

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