Molybdenum carbide nanoparticles as a catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction and the effect of pH

Molybdenum carbide nanoparticles supported on carbon catalysts have been prepared by a modified carbothermal reduction method. The soft carburization conditions of this method allow the preparation of nanoparticulate Mo2C even with a high Mo loading (50 wt.%). The catalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction was analyzed both in an electrochemical cell at various pH and in a laboratory-scale electrolyzes. These nanoparticles were found to be very active in catalyzing hydrogen evolution reaction in acidic media and appeared to promote kinetics leaning toward the Volmer-Heyrovskji mechanism at low pH. Moreover, the Mo2C/C catalyst was shown to be suitable for hydrogen production in a laboratory-scale electrolysis cell, retaining its performance during a four-week durability experiment. Thus this study implies that the investigated Mo2C/C electrocatalyst is a promising alternative to platinum as a cathode material for electrolytic hydrogen production because of its favorable kinetics and stability. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.