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MoC Quantum Dots@N‐Doped‐Carbon for Low‐Cost and Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reaction: From Electrocatalysis to Photocatalysis
Author(s) -
Zhou Xunfu,
Tian Yuhui,
Luo Jin,
Jin Bei,
Wu Zhijun,
Ning Xiaomei,
Zhan Liang,
Fan Xuliang,
Zhou Tao,
Zhang Shanqing,
Zhou Xiaosong
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.202201518
Subject(s) - overpotential , materials science , catalysis , bifunctional , electrocatalyst , photocatalysis , graphitic carbon nitride , water splitting , carbon fibers , chemical engineering , gibbs free energy , inorganic chemistry , nanotechnology , chemistry , electrochemistry , organic chemistry , electrode , composite number , composite material , engineering , physics , quantum mechanics
Sustainable and highly efficient non‐noble metal catalysts could facilitate the realization of closed‐loop and carbon‐neutral hydrogen (H 2 ) economy via low‐cost electrocatalytic (EC) or photocatalytic (PC) H 2 evolution reaction (HER) from water. Herein, molybdenum carbide (MoC) quantum dots onto N‐doped porous carbon are in situ synthesized and immobilized, resulting in a bifunctional catalyst MoC@NC. Density functional theory calculation suggests that the targeted catalyst has a suitable Gibbs free‐energy (Δ G H* ) for the adsorption of atomic hydrogen, which is beneficial to both EC and PC HERs. For EC HER, the as‐prepared MoC@NC catalyst delivers a low overpotential of 160 mV at −10 mA cm −2 and a remarkable H 2 evolution rate in alkaline electrolytes. For PC HER, MoC@NC couple with 2D graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C 3 N 4 ), which significantly reduces the PC HER energy barrier and enhances the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers, and consequently, achieves an outstanding photocatalytic H 2 evolution rate of 1709 µmol h −1 g −1 , which is 213‐fold of that of pure g‐C 3 N 4 . This study paves a new avenue for developing sustainable non‐noble metal catalysts for both EC and PC HERs.