Mo₂C Nanoparticles Decorated Graphitic Carbon Sheets: Biopolymer-Derived Solid-State Synthesis and Application as an Efficient Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Generation

Abstract

The present work reports on the preparation of Mo2C nanoparticles decorated graphitic carbon sheets (Mo2C/GCSs) via a biopolymer-derived solid-state reaction between (NH4)6Mo7O24·4H2O and sodium alginate at 900 °C under Ar. As a novel hydrogen evolution reaction electrocatalytst, the Mo2C/GCSs hybrids exhibit high activity in acidic solutions with an onset potential of 120 mV, a Tafel slope of 62.6 mV dec–1, and an exchange current density of 12.5 × 10–3 mA cm–2. Moreover, such Mo2C/GCSs catalysts also show excellent durability during long-term 3000 cycles.