Synthesis of Mo-based nanostructures from organic-inorganic hybrid with enhanced electrochemical for water splitting

A simple method to fabricate Mo-based nanostructures were developed by the thermal decomposition of MoOx-based organic-inorganic hybrid nanowires. Well-defined Mo-based nanostructures, including MoO2 and MoO3 nanowires, can be prepared by changing the hybrid precursor. More importantly, Mo2C/MoO2 heterostructures with porous structure were successfully synthesized under an inert atmosphere. The resultant Mo2C/MoO2 heterostructures show enhanced electrocatalytic activity and superior stability for electrochemical hydrogen evolution from water. The enhanced performance might be ascribed to the high electrical conductivity and porous structures with one-dimensional structure. Indeed, our result described here provides a new way to synthesize other Mo-based nanostructures for various applications.