Rapid Synthesis of C60-MoC Nanocomposites by Molten Salt Electrolysis for Hydrogen Evolution

Abstract

Molybdenum carbide is a promising alternative of Pt/C in H2 evolution reaction (HER). However, its synthesis is time-consuming and energy-intensive. In this work, we propose a rapid one-pot strategy to fabricate C60-MoC nanocomposites in Li2CO3-K2CO3 molten salt using CO2 and ammonium molybdate as carbon and Mo sources, respectively. The as-obtained C60-MoC-600 sample at 600 °C shows high HER activity in both acid and alkaline electrolytes. Especially in 1 M KOH, the η 10 (overpotential at 10 mA cm−2) of C60-MoC-600 is 142 mV. Under an industrial current density of 220 mA cm−2, its activity with an overpotential of 250 mV is close to that of commercial Pt/C and exhibits excellent constant current stability during 10 h. This strategy not only implements the simple synthesis of MoC-based catalysts but also paves a highly efficient way for the rapid abatement and high-value-added utilization of CO2.