Molybdenum carbide on hierarchical porous carbon synthesized from Cu-MoO2 as efficient electrocatalysts for electrochemical hydrogen generation

Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) from water electrolysis, currently, is fundamental for large-scale solar fuel production by utilizing earth-abundant element and non-noble metal-based catalysts. Herein, Mo2C on hierarchical porous carbon rods composed of cross-linked carbon networks (Mo2C/CLCN) was synthesized by using Cu-MoO2 rods as Mo source and Cu template. The copper plays key roles in protecting Mo2C from excess covering carbon to enhance the HER performance. When evaluated for HER activity, Mo2C/CLCN exhibit a low onset potential of -85 mV with a Tafel slope of 48.2 mV dec(-1), an operating overpotential of 145 mV at the cathodic current density of 10 mA cm(-2) and outstanding long-term cycling stability in acidic electrolyte, which superior to most of non-doping Mo2C. This work suggests that the in-situ template method by multi-element compounds is an inspiring strategy for synthesizing the efficient water splitting electrocatalysts with high electrochemical active area and more catalytically active sites.