Controlled synthesis of Mo2C micron flowers via vapor–liquid–solid method as enhanced electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction

Abstract

Mo₂C demonstrates excellent performance in catalysis, and it has been found to possess excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalytic activity and highly efficient nitrogen fixation. The catalytic activity of Mo₂C is greatly influenced and restricted by the preparation method. Sintering and carbon deposition, which affect the catalytic activity of Mo₂C, are inevitable in the traditional vapor–solid–solid (VSS) process. In this study, we report the controllable synthesis of α-Mo₂C micron flowers by adjusting the growth temperature via a vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) process. The density of the Mo₂C micron flowers is closely related to the concentration of Na₂MoO₄ aqueous solution. The as-grown Mo₂C micron flowers dispersed with Pt are validated to be an enhanced collaborative electrocatalyst for HER against Pt/VSS-Mo₂C.