Electrospun nanofibers of 2D Cr2CTx MXene embedded in PVA for efficient electrocatalytic water splitting†

The usage of transition metal carbide-based electrocatalysts has proven to be an efficient and effective strategy for enhancing the kinetics of water splitting reactions encompassing the generation of hydrogen (hydrogen evolution reaction, HER) and oxygen (oxygen evolution reaction, OER). In this investigation, we have prepared a composite material by integrating Cr₂CT_x MXene (derived from Cr₂AlC MAX phase) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) through electrospinning technique. Carbonization of the MXene-PVA nanofibers resulted in the formation of Cr₂CT_x/carbon nanofiber (Cr₂CT_x/CNF) that exhibits high porosity, stability, surface area, and electrocatalytic activity. Systematic examination and optimization for the electrocatalytic water splitting reaction reveales outstanding performance, characterized by substantially lower overpotentials of 265 mV and 250 mV at the constant current density of 10 mA cm⁻² with lower Tafel slope values of 85 mV dec⁻¹ and 52 mV dec⁻¹ for HER and OER, respectively. Moreover, this work presents a novel strategy for fabricating non-precious electrocatalyst Cr₂CT_x/CNF through a cost-effective and straightforward electrospinning and carbonization process, advancing electrocatalytic water splitting applications, especially for oxygen evolution reactions.