Highly-dispersed Ni, N-doped Mo2C nanoparticles prepared from organic-derived polyoxomolybdates for efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Molybdenum carbide is regarded as a noble metal-free and highly efficient electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) owing to its appropriate intermediate binding energy and Pt-like d orbital structure. It's an advanced method doping Ni, Zn, N, P and other atoms to further enhance the electrocatalytic performance of Mo2C, but the content of general doping elements is uncontrollable and cannot be accurately measured. In this work, we employ a unilateral Tris-functionalized Anderson polyoxomolybdate [H3NiMo6O21{(CH2O)(3)CNH3}](3-)as a precursor for the first time to prepare Mo2C nanoparticles. The POMs were mixed with chitosan (CS) in aqueous solution and carbonized at high temperature to abtain highly dispersed N, Ni-doped Mo2C nanoparticles. The final electrocatalyst shows enhanced HER performance and good electrochemical stability. This article offers a feasible preparation of doped cata-lytic materials and extends the application of polyoxometalates. (C) 2022 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In this study, N, Ni-doped Mo2C nanoparticles were prepared using a special polyoxomolybdate as a precursor. The final electrocatalyst exhibited enhanced hydrogen evolution performance and good stability, offering a new method for preparing doped catalytic materials.