Hierarchical BiFeO3/Cr2CTx MXene composite as a multifunctional catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction and as an electrode material for energy storage devices

A multifunctional hierarchical Bismuth ferrite/chromium carbide (BiFeO3/Cr2CTx) MXene has been employed as both electrode material for supercapacitors as well as an electrocatalyst for electrocatalytic water splitting. Here, a facile method is suggested for synthesizing Cr2CTx MXene from the chromium aluminum carbide (Cr2AlC) MAX Phase. X-ray diffraction studies, Scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron mi-croscopy indicate that the aluminum atomic layers are removed from Cr2AlC MAX structure. The electrochemical test reveals that the BiFeO3/Cr2CTx MXene composite, which is produced with less Al2O3, performs well in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with a low overpotential of 128 mV in 1 M potassium hydroxide. 53.3 mV dec- 1, and 0.16 & omega; cm-2, respectively, are the values of the calculated Tafel slope and charge transfer resistance. In a dielectrode electrolysis system, BiFeO3/Cr2CTx MXene electrode needs only 1.81 V of cell potential to provide 10 mA cm-2 with long-term stability. The specific capacity of 671.2 C g- 1 at a current density of 1 A g- 1 is obtained for BiFeO3/Cr2CTx MXene electrode with 90% capacitance retention after 3000 cycles. The potential use of BiFeO3/Cr2CTx MXene towards HER and supercapacitor application is demonstrated by this study, which offers a gentle path for the fabrication of Cr2CTx MXene composites for energy storage and HER applications.

Automated summary

A multifunctional hierarchical BiFeO3/Cr2CTx MXene is synthesized and applied as an electrode material for supercapacitors and an electrocatalyst for water splitting. The aluminum atomic layers are successfully removed from the Cr2AlC MAX Phase to obtain the Cr2CTx MXene. The BiFeO3/Cr2CTx MXene composite exhibits excellent performance in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with a low overpotential and also shows high capacitance retention after cycles, demonstrating its potential for energy storage and HER applications.