Mo2C Ceramic Electrode Embedded with PtMo3 Nanograins for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction at High Current Density

The scarcity and high price seriously hinder the large-scale industrial application of Pt as the preferred catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). A PtMo₃@Mo₂C catalytic electrode was designed based on a porous Mo₂C ceramic membrane with finger-like holes, where PtMo₃ nanograins were uniformly embedded in the surface of the Mo₂C grains by electrodeposition and thermal reduction. The loading of Pt is as small as 7.8 × 10^-4 g m^-2. The electrode exhibits extraordinary HER catalytic performance with an overpotential of 189 mV to drive a current density of 2.0 A cm^-2 (acidic) and 212 mV to drive a current density of 1.0 A cm^-2 (alkaline). Under ultrahigh current densities, the electrode can operate stably for over 152 h, demonstrating high structural stability and catalytic stability. Theoretical calculations indicate that the formation of Mo₂C(100)/PtMo₃(200) can further optimize the electronic structure of the interface Pt atoms, thereby enhancing the HER performance.