Ti3C2Tx MXene-supported ruthenium nanoclusters for efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Abstract

Developing an efficient and stable catalyst is both attractive and challenging for the electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) due to the aggravation under the operating environment. MXene (Ti₃C₂T_x) is a potential catalyst support because of its abundant surface functional groups and unique hydrophilicity. However, anchoring noble metals onto MXene to construct high-performance electrocatalysts still presents some challenges. Herein, we present an MXene nanoparticle-supported Ru nanocluster (Ru@MXene-NP) electrocatalyst for HER. The Ru@MXene-NP not only effectively prohibits self-stacking but also ensures the full exposure of Ru nanoclusters. Thus, the Ru@MXene-NP catalyst exhibits an overpotential of 38.4 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² and a Tafel slope of 26.4 mV dec⁻¹ in an acidic medium, showcasing superior performance compared to most previously reported MXene-based catalysts. The small Tafel slope and low charge transfer resistance (R_ct = 0.39 Ω) value indicate its fast electron transfer behavior. In addition, cyclic voltammetry curves and chronoamperometry tests demonstrate the high stability of Ru@MXene-NP. This work offers a novel perspective for designing catalysts by supporting noble metal nanoclusters on the MXene substrate's surface.