Recent progress of MXenes and MXene-based nanomaterials for the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction

Abstract

Hydrogen as a future energy carrier has several advantages such as sustainability, zero-emission and high energy density. The generation of hydrogen through water electrolysis has been considered the cleanest and most sustainable method. Regarding this, developing non-noble metal electrocatalysts for catalyzing the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at the cathodes of electrolysis cells has become a hot research area. Over the past decade, MXenes and their nanocomposites have been explored as heterogeneous electrocatalysts, attracting widespread attention, especially in HER electrocatalysis. Among different types of non-noble metal electrocatalysts, MXenes and MXene-based materials have shown both excellent HER activity and remarkable stability. In this review, the recent advances in MXenes and their composites applied in HER electrocatalysis are overviewed in terms of their synthesis, functional mechanisms, and HER performance/optimization. Several technical challenges are analyzed, and the corresponding strategies to overcome these challenges are also proposed for future research and development of such a class of materials toward practical applications in devices for electrochemical energy storage and conversion.