Enhancing electrocatalytic activity and stability of hydrogen evolution reaction via Mo2C-Ru dual active site catalyst with graphene interface engineering

Overcoming the trade-off between activity and stability in catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) poses a significant challenge in the advancement of hydrogen energy. Dual active site catalysts have garnered attention for their tunable interfacial electronic structures. In this study, we initially synthesized beta-Mo2C nanoparticles and subsequently prepared Mo2C-Ru dual active site catalysts by incorporating a small amount of Ru. We then employed interface engineering techniques to integrate graphene as a rapid electron transport channel and protective layer, resulting in the creation of Mo2C-Ru@RGO. This catalyst demonstrated an impressively low overpotential of just 16 mV in alkaline seawater at a current density of 10 mA cm-2. Moreover, its electrochemical performance in both alkaline solutions and simulated seawater outperformed that of commercial Pt-C by 20%. By combining in situ Raman spectroscopy with computational analysis, we identified that the synergistic effect of the dual active sites effectively mitigated the shared defect inherent in the Ru-Mo2C system, specifically addressing the strong metal-hydrogen binding energy barrier. Additionally, the interfacial interaction between Mo2C-Ru and graphene-enhanced the effective transfer of electrons. This study underscores the potential for developing composite electrocatalysts through multi-level interface design, offering a promising solution for the sustainable advancement of hydrogen energy.