Hierarchical BiFeO3/Cr2CTx MXene composite as a multifunctional catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction and as an electrode material for energy storage devices

A multifunctional hierarchical Bismuth ferrite/chromium carbide (BiFeO3/Cr2CTx) MXene has been employed as both electrode material for supercapacitors as well as an electrocatalyst for electrocatalytic water splitting. Here, a facile method is suggested for synthesizing Cr2CTx MXene from the chromium aluminum carbide (Cr2AlC) MAX Phase. X-ray diffraction studies, Scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy indicate that the aluminum atomic layers are removed from Cr2AlC MAX structure. The electrochemical test reveals that the BiFeO3/Cr2CTx MXene composite, which is produced with less Al2O3, performs well in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with a low overpotential of 128 mV in 1 M potassium hydroxide. 53.3 mV dec−1, and 0.16 Ω cm−2, respectively, are the values of the calculated Tafel slope and charge transfer resistance. In a dielectrode electrolysis system, BiFeO3/Cr2CTx MXene electrode needs only 1.81 V of cell potential to provide 10 mA cm−2 with long-term stability. The specific capacity of 671.2 C g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1 is obtained for BiFeO3/Cr2CTx MXene electrode with 90% capacitance retention after 3000 cycles. The potential use of BiFeO3/Cr2CTx MXene towards HER and supercapacitor application is demonstrated by this study, which offers a gentle path for the fabrication of Cr2CTx MXene composites for energy storage and HER applications.