MoS2/Mo2TiC2Tx supported Pd nanoparticles as an efficient electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction in both acidic and alkaline media

Development of electrocatalytic hydrogen production technology is the key to solving environmental and energy problems. Two-dimensional material Mo₂TiC₂T_x (T_x = –OH, –F) has shown great potential in electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution because of its excellent conductivity and hydrophilicity. However, due to the lack of sufficient active sites of Mo₂TiC₂T_x itself, its practical applications in electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution are limited. In this work, a highly-efficient hydrogen evolution electrocatalyst, namely Pd@MoS₂/Mo₂TiC₂T_x, is prepared through a simple pyrolysis method. In such a composite, the MoS₂ nanoflowers hybridized with the ammonia-treated Mo₂TiC₂T_x (MoS₂/Mo₂TiC₂T_x) are used as a substrate for loading a small number of Pd nanoparticles (4.27 at.%). Notably, the introduction of Pd nanoparticles into MoS₂/Mo₂TiC₂T_x provides abundant active sites for the hydrogen evolution reaction, improves the conductivity of the electrocatalyst, speeds up the adsorption and desorption of hydrogen, and induces a synergistic effect with the MoS₂. As a result, the Pd@MoS₂/Mo₂TiC₂T_x catalyst exhibits excellent electrocatalytic performance and remarkable stability in both acidic and alkaline media. In a 0.5 mol/L H₂SO₄ electrolyte, the overpotential of Pd@MoS₂/Mo₂TiC₂T_x was 92 mV with a Tafel slope of 60 mV/dec at a current density of 10 mA/cm². Meanwhile, the catalyst displayed an overpotential of 100 mV associated with a Tafel slope of 80 mV/dec at the current density of 10 mA/cm² in a 1 mol/L KOH electrolyte. This work shows the great potential of using Mo₂TiC₂T_x-based material in the field of electrocatalysis.     

Enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction on highly stable titania‐supported PdO and Eu2O3 nanocomposites in a strong alkaline solution

In this work, PdO/TiO₂ and Eu₂O₃/TiO₂ nanocomposites (NCs) were synthesized using a new facile, template‐free, and one‐step solvothermal approach and characterized by several instrumentation techniques. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies revealed the presence of oxidized form of the Pd and Eu nanoparticles within the NC materials (PdO and Eu₂O₃). The two catalysts exhibited remarkable activity for the hydrogen evaluation reaction (HER) in a strong alkaline solution (4.0 M NaOH) with PdO/TiO₂ catalyst being the best, which recorded an exchange current density (j_o) of 0.26 mA cm^?2 and a Tafel slope (β_c) of 125 mV dec^?1. Such parameters are not far from those recorded for a commercial Pt/C catalyst (0.71 mA cm^?2 and 120 mV dec^?1) performed here under the same operating conditions. Eu₂O₃/TiO₂ catalyst recorded j_o and β_c values of 0.05 mA cm^?2 and 135 mV dec^?1. The Tafel slopes 125 and 135 mV dec^?1 calculated on the PdO/TiO₂ and Eu₂O₃/TiO₂ catalysts suggest a HER kinetics controlled by the Volmer step. PdO/TiO₂ catalyzed the HER with a high turnover frequency of 2.3 H₂/s at 0.2 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode, while Eu₂O₃/TiO₂ catalyst only measured a turnover frequency value of 1.25 H₂/s at the same overpotential. The two catalysts exhibited excellent stability and durability after 10 000 cycles and 72 hours of controlled potential electrolysis at a high cathodic overpotential, reflecting their practical applicability. Scanning electron microscope and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy examinations revealed that the morphology and chemistry of both catalysts were not altered as a result of the performed long‐term stability and durability tests.     

Ultrafine Ru nanoparticles derived from few-layered Ti3C2Tx MXene templated MOF for highly efficient alkaline hydrogen evolution

It is meaningful to search high-efficient and inexpensive electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) due to the energy crisis and environmental pollution. Here, we report the preparation of ultrafine Ru nanoparticles from a hybrid of ZIF-L(Co) MOF and polydopamine coated few-layered Ti₃C₂T_x MXene (FL-Ti₃C₂T_x). FL-Ti₃C₂T_x is used as a template to grow regular leaf-shaped ZIF-L(Co) nanosheets through the reaction of Co ions anchored on the MXene surface with 2-methylimidazole. The obtained hybrid is then doped with Ru ions through ion exchange between Ru and Co ions, followed by thermal annealing at a temperature of 350 °C in an Ar atmosphere to produce ultrafine Ru nanoparticles. The obtained Ru@ZIF-L(Co)/FL-Ti₃C₂T_x nanocomposite shows outstanding HER performance with a low overpotential of 16.2 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm^?2, a small Tafel slope of 21.0 mV dec^?1 and excellent stability in 1.0 M KOH solution. This work provides a new strategy for the design and synthesis of highly efficient HER catalyst via MOFs with tunable composition and structure.     

Phosphatizing engineering of heterostructured Rh2P/Rh nanoparticles on doped graphene for efficient hydrogen evolution in alkaline and acidic media

A wide diversity of phosphides of platinum-group metal including Rh, Ru and Ir exhibit intriguing electrocatalytic activity toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The phosphidation degree, namely the P dosage in these phosphides shows pronounced influence on the catalytic performance but is hard to control. In this work we developed a reliable strategy to synthesize Rh₂P-based nanoparticles with controlled phosphidation degree, and investigated the influence of phosphidation degree on HER. It is found that the heterostructured Rh₂P/Rh nanoparticle, i.e., the P-deficient composite with mixed metallic and phosphide phases, outperforms either the metallic Rh or pure Rh₂P nanoparticles. As-synthesized Rh₂P/Rh nanoparticles supported on P/N co-doped graphene (denoted as Rh₂P/Rh-G) display remarkable HER activity with tiny overpotential of 17 and 19 mV at 10 mA cm^?2 current density in alkaline and acid, efficiently surpassing its Rh-based rivals and benchmark Pt/C catalyst. Meanwhile it illustrates a large mass-specific activity (3.23 and 6.26 A mg^?1 @50 mV overpotential in alkaline and acid, respectively) due to its high activity and low metal loading. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation indicates that the Rh₂P/Rh heterostructured interface possesses the optimal close-to-zero value of hydrogen adsorption energy and water dissociation process is accelerated, and thus boosts HER activity.     

Synthesis of Co2FeAl alloys as highly efficient electrocatalysts for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction

The development of cost-effective non-precious metal electrocatalysts is a major challenge for water splitting applications, but it is important for the realization of renewable energy systems. Alloying has proved an effective way to design metal-based electrocatalysts, and by controlling the annealing temperature, the surface morphology and crystallinity of the alloy can be tuned to control the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance. In this work, with a simple coprecipitation method, we have prepared Co₂FeAl alloys at different annealing temperatures (550 °C–670 °C), which exhibit excellent crystallinity and electrocatalytic performance for HER in alkaline solution. Among all conditions, the Co₂FeAl alloys prepared at 620 °C shows the better crystallinity and the higher purity, and it could achieve a low overpotential of 149 mV at 10 mA cm^?2 in alkaline solution. The overpotential demonstrates persistent stability with only 3 mV change after over 1000 cycles. Both density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental results revealed that alloying optimizes the electronic structure near the Fermi surface of the system, improving the electron transport efficiency and enhancing the catalytic activity. These Co₂FeAl alloys are appealing candidates for high-performance alkaline HER electrocatalytic electrodes in water electrolysis due to their outstanding electrocatalytic properties.     

In situ synthesis of V2O3@Ni as an efficient hybrid catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline and neutral media

The exploration of cheap and efficient electrodes for hydrogen evolution reactions (HER) is extremely challenging. Herein, we report a newly-designed V₂O₃@Ni hybrid grown in situ on nickel foam as an efficient HER catalyst. The nickel foam not only promoted the electron transfer rate as a supporting substrate, but also worked as the source of Ni to enhance the integration of catalyst components with abundant active sites. Moreover, benefitting from the synergistic effect of the interface between V₂O₃ and Ni, which accelerated the entire electrochemical kinetics and facilitated the electron transfer, the in situ V₂O₃@Ni hybrid catalysts afforded a small overpotential of 47 mV and 100 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm^?2 in 1.0 M KOH and 1.0 M PBS, respectively, and with excellent long-term stability. In addition, this research provides a new route for the fabrication of noble-metal-free electrocatalysts with excellent HER performance over a broad range of pH values.     

Rational design of Ni-induced NC @Mo2C@MoS2 sphere electrocatalyst for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction in acidic and alkaline media

Exploiting efficient and low-cost electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER) of water electrolysis remains a challenge. Herein, we designed an efficient electrocatalyst of Ni-induced nitrogen-doped carbon @ molybdenum carbide @ molybdenum disulfide sphere (NC@Mo₂C@MoS₂-(Ni)) by two simple coating steps following pyrolysis process. Benefiting from the regular spherical morphology, unique structure, synergistic effect between Mo₂C and MoS₂, inducement effect of elemental Ni that initial added and removed in final synthesis procedure, heteroatom N and P doping. The catalyst NC@Mo₂C@MoS₂-(Ni) exhibits relatively good catalytic performance of overpotentials of 205 and 216 mV at 10 mA cm^?2 and Tafel slopes of 61.4 and 42.7 mV dec^?1 in acidic and basic media, respectively. This work not only fabricate the electrocatalyst of NC@Mo₂C@MoS₂-(Ni) towards HER, but also provides a way to rationally design more efficient other functional electrocatalysts.     

CoO/NF nanowires promote hydrogen and oxygen production for overall water splitting in alkaline media

The exploration of catalysts with high activity and low cost for water splitting is still necessary. Herein, a nanowire-like morphology CoO/NF electrode is synthesized using facile hydrothermal reaction and calcination treatment. The urea can regulate its morphology during the synthetic process of CoO/NF. Electrochemical studies reveal that the as-obtained CoO/NF exhibits excellent electrocatalytic performance with overpotential of 307 mV at current density of 10 mA cm⁻² and Tafel slope of 72 mV dec⁻¹ for oxygen evolution reaction, and CoO/NF delivers current density of 10 mA cm⁻² at overpotential of 224 mV for hydrogen evolution reaction. The results of the oxygen evolution reaction stability show that the overpotential of CoO/NF electrode is only increased by 4 mV at current density of 10 mA cm⁻². The two-electrode water splitting with CoO/NF electrodes as both anode and cathode needs a cell potential of 1.76 V to reach 10 mA cm⁻². Therefore, this simple method to prepare CoO/NF electrode can enhance the properties of electrocatalysts, which makes CoO/NF a promising material to replace noble metal-based catalysts.     

Nitrogen-doped cobalt sulfide as an efficient electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline and acidic media

The enhancement in intrinsic catalytic activity and material conductivity of an electrocatalyst can leads to promoting HER activity. Herein, a successful nitrogenation of CoS₂ (N–CoS₂) catalyst has been investigated through the facile hydrothermal process followed by N₂ annealing treatment. An optimized N–CoS₂ catalyst reveals an outstanding hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance in alkaline as well as acidic electrolyte media, exhibiting an infinitesimal overpotential of ?0.137 and ?0.097 V at a current density of ?10 mA/cm² (?0.309 and ?0.275 V at ?300 mA/cm²), corresponding respectively, with a modest Tafel slope of 117 and 101 mV/dec. Moreover, a static voltage response was observed at low and high current rates (?10 to ?100 mA/cm²) along with an excellent endurance up to 50 h even at ?100 mA/cm². The excellent catalytic HER performance is ascribed to improved electronic conductivity and enhanced electrochemically active sites, which is aroused from the synergy and mutual interaction between heteroatoms that might have varied the surface chemistry of an active catalyst.     

Engineering NiCoP/MoxC heterojunction for highly efficient hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline and acid solution

A hybrid electrocatalyst composed of NiCoP and Mo_xC has been prepared via the two-step calcination method. Microscopic analysis demonstrates that the heterojunctions formed by the NiCoP and Mo_xC are disordered and stacked irregularly. The NiCoP/Mo_xC heterojunctions are produced during the second calcination treatment. The synergistic effects promote water adsorption and dissociation, and H₂ desorption. More active sites are provided by the irregular structure, the NiCoP/Mo_xC-X catalyst are imparted excellent electrocatalytic activity toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity. To sustain a current density of 10.0 mA/cm², the overpotentials of NiCoP/Mo_xC-15 are 79.0 and 116.0 mV while the Tafel slopes are 52.3 and 57.4 mV/dec for the electrocatalyst operated in 1.0 M KOH and 0.50 M H₂SO₄, respectively. When operating in alkaline medium for 10.0 h at an overpotential of 123.0 mV, the retaining catalytic activity of this material reaches 93.0%.     

3D nickel foams with controlled morphologies for hydrogen evolution reaction in highly alkaline media

Water electrolysis is the cleanest method for hydrogen production, and can be 100% green when renewable energy is used as electricity source. When the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is carried out in alkaline media, nickel (Ni) is a low cost catalyst and an interesting alternative to platinum. Still, its performance has to be enhanced to meet the high efficiency of the nobler metals, an objective that requires further tailoring of the surface area and morphology of Ni-based electrode materials. Unlike commercially available porous Ni, these features can be easily controlled via electrodeposition, a one-step process, taking advantage of the dynamic hydrogen bubble template (DHBT). Generally, changes in surface porosity and morphology have been mainly achieved by altering the main parameters, such as the current density or the deposition time. However, very scarce work has been done on the role of supporting electrolyte (i.e., its concentration and composition) in tailoring the foam features and consequently their catalytic activity. Hence, this approach paves the way to optimum design of metallic foam structures that can be obtained only with modifications in the electrolytic bath. In this work, 3D Ni foams are obtained from different composition baths by galvanostatic electrodeposition in the hydrogen evolution regime on stainless steel current collectors. Their porosity and morphology are analysed by optical microscopy and SEM. The electrochemical performance is evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, while catalytic activity towards HER and materials’ stability in 8 M KOH are tested using polarisation curves and chronoamperometry measurements, respectively. The recorded high currents and extended stability of the Ni foams with dendritic morphology demonstrate its outstanding performance, making it an attractive cathode material for HER in highly alkaline media.     

Nano-pom-pom multiphasic MoS2 grown on carbonized wood as electrode for efficient hydrogen evolution in acidic and alkaline media

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂), attracts great attention in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) field, however, low catalytic activity sites and poor conductivity still limit its further application. In this study, an efficient hydrogen evolution electrode with nano-pom-pom multiphasic MoS₂ uniformly grew on porous carbonized wood (NP MoS₂/CW) was developed. Interestingly, the nano-pom-pom are stacked from sheets of MoS₂. Fully exposed active edges of nano-pom-pom MoS₂ and high excellent electrical conductivity of carbonized wood enhance collectively electrocatalytic performance for HER. Specifically, the NP MoS₂/CW electrode requires an overpotential of 109.5 mV and 305 mV to achieve the current density of 10 mA cm⁻² and 400 mA cm⁻², respectively (0.5 M H₂SO₄). NP MoS₂/CW has excellent electrocatalytic performance and stability in acidic and alkaline media due to the perfect combination of NP MoS₂ unique nanostructure and the unique properties of CW. Therefore, the present work provides a promising strategy into the rational development and utilization of MoS₂ for the development of hydrogen evolution.     

Atomic-scale intercalation of amorphous MoS2 nanoparticles into N-doped carbon as a highly efficient electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction

The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) properties of the catalysts are significantly dependent on their microscopic structure. Interfacial engineering at the atomic level is the main approach to design high performance of electrocatalysts. Herein, an interfacial modulation strategy is proposed to fabricate monolayer amorphous MoS₂ nanoparticles with an average of 3.5 nm in diameter stuck in multilayer N-doped carbon (MoS₂/NC), boosting a high HER activity. The amorphous MoS₂ could provide more edge active sites and NC layers endow the fast electron transfer. The XPS, Raman spectra and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the C–S bond in MoS₂/NC provides the fast electron transfer and decreases H binding energy. Benefiting the unique sandwiched structure, the MoS₂/NC boosts a low overpotential of 152.6 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻², a small Tafel slope of 60.3 mV dec⁻¹, and outstanding long-term stability with 97.3% retention for over 24 h. This strategy provides a new opportunity and development of interfacial engineering for turning intrinsic catalytic activity for water splitting.     

Metal-organic framework derived ellipse-like NiS2 nanocatalyst for stable electrochemical hydrogen generation in alkaline electrolyte

The development of non-precious and high-efficient electrocatalysts to enhance the activity and stability in alkaline media is impending for massive hydrogen and oxygen production. In this study, NiS₂ nanoparticles array with ellipse-like topography was fabricated via simple hydrothermal and sulfurization treatment. The NiS₂-400 featured with the unique loose stacking topographic architecture contributes to more exposed active sites, the smaller contact resistance between electrode/electrolyte, faster ion diffusion and electron transfer. As a result, NiS₂-400 electrode requires only overpotentials of 116 and 178 mV to drive current densities of 10 and 50 mA cm^?2 in 1.0 M KOH towards the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), coupled with a Tafel slope of 93.0 mV dec^?1. Moreover, the resultant NiS₂-400 nanoparticles exhibit excellent electrochemical stability for more than 50 h. In addition, the density functional theory (DFT) calculation further confirms that the (200) facet acts as the predominant active site, contributing to the enhanced HER performance.     

MOFs-derived hybrid nanosheet arrays of nitrogen-rich CoS2 and nitrogen-doped carbon for efficient hydrogen evolution in both alkaline and acidic media

Rational design of highly active, economical and stable electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is still a great challenge for future applications. Herein, we use a 2D metal-organic framework array as the reactive template and precursor, to fabricate a hybrid nanosheet array of nitrogen-rich CoS₂@nitrogen-doped carbon on Ti foil substrate (N–CoS₂@NC/Ti) through a simple thermal treatment in the presence of thiourea. Owing to the prominent synergistic effect of the coupling between CoS₂ and NC, a high content of Co-N_x species as well as unique nanoarray architectures, the as-synthesized N–CoS₂@NC/Ti electrode exhibits remarkable activity and robust durability for HER under both acidic and alkaline conditions, which is obviously superior to the CoS₂@NC/Ti.     

In-situ construction of direct Z-scheme sea-urchin-like ZnS/SnO2 heterojunctions for boosted photocatalytic hydrogen production

Constructing direct Z-scheme heterostructure is an effective way to promote the separation of photogenerated carriers and optimize the redox ability of the photocatalytic system. This work reports the in-situ synthesis of sea-urchin-like ZnS/SnO₂ Z-scheme heterojunctions via a one-step hydrothermal method. Both experimental results and density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the tight interfaces derived from in-situ precursor dissociation can ensure a fast transfer for photogenerated carriers, meanwhile, the Z-scheme type of heterojunctions can increase the carrier separation efficiency and maintain the high reduction ability of photogenerated electrons. As expected, the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of the as-optimized ZnS/SnO₂ sample can reach 2.17 mmol g^?1 h^?1, which is 15.5 times higher than that of the commercial ZnS. This work can offer a novel strategy for designing Z-scheme heterojunction as well as controlling the contact interface for boosted photocatalytic activity.     

Pt/Fe-NF electrode with high double-layer capacitance for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline media

The electrode with high catalytic activity, low hydrogen overpotential and low cost is desired for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) via electrocatalytic water splitting. In this study, Pt/Fe-Ni foam (Pt/Fe-NF) electrode was synthesized via cathodic electrodeposition followed by impregnation deposition. Physical and electrochemical properties of Pt/Fe-NF, NF and Pt/NF electrodes were characterized by various techniques. The Pt/Fe-NF electrode exhibited better electrochemical activity for HER under alkaline condition than those of Pt/NF and NF electrodes, owing to the introduction of zero valences Pt and Fe onto the NF, and synergetic effect resulted from the formation of Fe-Ni alloy. Furthermore, Pt/Fe-NF electrode showed extremely high double-layer capacitance (69.1 mFcm^?2), suggesting high active sites for the Pt/Fe-NF. Tafel slope of Pt/Fe-NF was 59.9 mV dec^?1, indicating that the Volmer-Heyrovsky HER mechanism was the rate-limiting step. The Pt/Fe-NF electrode with great electrocatalytic activity is a promising electro-catalyst for industrial hydrogen production from alkaline electrolyte.     

Supercritical water synthesized Ni/ZrO2 catalyst for hydrogen production from supercritical water gasification of glycerol

Catalysts are crucial to promote the technical feasibility of supercritical water gasification (SCWG) for H₂ production from wet biomass, yet catalysts prepared by conventional methods normally encounter sintering problems in supercritical water. Herein, a series of ZrO₂-supported Ni catalysts were tried to be prepared by supercritical water synthesis (SCWS) and evaluated for SCWG in terms of activity and property stability. The SCWS was conducted at 500 °C and 23 MPa using metal nitrates as starting materials. Effect of precursor concentration on property and catalytic performance of the SCWS-prepared catalysts for SCWG of 20 wt% glycerol were systematically studied. XRD, SEM-EDS, TEM and TGA were applied for catalyst characterization. Results verified the successful obtaining of Ni/ZrO₂ nanocatalysts with Ni crystals of 30–70 nm and ZrO₂ crystals of ~11 nm by the SCWS process, which were found to be active on the WGSR for SCWG to increase the H₂ yield as high as 155%. Importantly, the SCWS-prepared Ni/ZrO₂ catalysts exhibited excellent property stability and anti-coking ability for SCWG of glycerol.     

Interface engineering of Ni0.85Se/Ni3S2 nanostructure for highly enhanced hydrogen evolution in alkaline solution

Interface engineering is considered as an effective strategy to improve the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance of electrocatalysts. Herein, the Ni_0.85Se/Ni₃S₂ heterostructure grown on nickel foam (NF) is synthesized via successive wet-chemical processes. The obtained Ni_0.85Se/Ni₃S₂ heterostructure is firstly investigated as an HER electrocatalyst in alkaline media and exhibits more excellent electrochemical properties over Ni₃S₂. And it delivers a low overpotential of 145 mV at a current density of ?10 mA cm^?2, and superior stability. Based on the analysis of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), the enhanced HER activity is due to the modulation of surface electronic structure, ascribing from the construction of heterointerface between Ni_0.85Se and Ni₃S₂. Meanwhile, the Ni_0.85Se/Ni₃S₂ heterostructure prepared in this work is also verified to be employed as a promising alternative to noble metal catalysts in HER.     

Surfactant-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of nitrogen doped Mo2C@C composites as highly efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction

We describe a facile surfactant-assisted hydrothermal route to synthesize nitrogen doped Mo₂C@C composites in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as carbon source and structure guiding agent. The resulting Mo₂C@C composites consist of Mo₂C nanocrystals with sheet-like morphology and well-dispersed nitrogen element doping. Controllable experiments indicate that the additive amount of CTAB can efficiently tune porous structure and electrochemical activity of the as-prepared Mo₂C@C materials. This unique nitrogen doped Mo₂C@C composite provides several advantages for electrocatalytic applications: (1) nitrogen doped carbons can prevent the aggregation of Mo₂C nanocrystals and render it high conductivity; (2) the homogeneous dispersion of Mo₂C nanocrystals provides abundant active sites; (3) 2D morphology, the hierarchical porosity, and high surface areas allow large exposed field of active sites and facilitate mass transfer. As a result, the nitrogen doped Mo₂C@C composites deliver superior HER electrocatalytic activities with a low overpotential of only 100 mV and also a low Tafel slope of 53 mV/dec in alkaline condition. Such CTAB-assisted strategy may open up an opportunity towards synthesis of low cost and high performance Mo-based electrocatalysts for various applications, such as water splitting.