title: Coupled molybdenum carbide and reduced graphene oxide electrocatalysts for efficient hydrogen evolution.
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.
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.|Key Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry in Universities of Shandong, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jining University, Qufu, Shandong 273155, China.
authors.forename: Ji-Sen
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors.forename: Chun-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors.forename: Shun-Li
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry in Universities of Shandong, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jining University, Qufu, Shandong 273155, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Guang
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors.forename: Long-Zhang
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Hui
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors.forename: Ya-Fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors.forename: Ya-Qian
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Lan