Enhancing electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance through homogeneous deposition of 2H-Phase MoSe2 on Ti3C2Tx

Abstract

The interplay between catalytic agents and substrates in composite materials is crucial in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, maximizing the utilization of support carrier architectures and ensuring the uniform nucleation and growth of active nanocrystals are imperative for the enhancement of HER capabilities in composite nanomaterials. Herein, we demonstrate a homogeneous synthesis of oxygen-modified 2H-phase molybdenum diselenide nanocrystals on titanium carbide (denoted as MoSe₂/O@Ti₃C₂T_x) to achieve an enhanced HER performance. The improved performance is ascribed to the organ-like structure of Ti₃C₂T_x, which offers numerous sites for anchoring MoSe₂ nanocrystals, hence preventing their excessive aggregation and achieve uniform growth. Ultrathin MoSe₂ crystals and Ti₃C₂T_x interact to reduce the energy barrier for water molecule dissociation, thus improving the catalytic performance for HER. The MoSe₂/O@Ti₃C₂T_x catalyst exhibits outstanding HER performance under acidic conditions, achieving a Tafel slope of 82 mV dec^-1 and a low overpotential of 121 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻², comparable to the best reported MoSe₂-based nanocomposite catalysts. Durability assessments indicate sustained performance for a minimum duration of 10 h at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻². This work lays the groundwork for the development of next-generation high-performance nanocomposite hydrogen evolution catalysts.