In situ derived nanocomposites electrocatalysts from cobalt molybdates for hydrogen evolution reaction

The development of effective but earth-abundant electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution is still a great challenge. Non-noble metal-based multi-phase nanocomposites are regarded as emerging catalysts for efficient catalysts, but their practical application is still hindered by the lack of both satisfying activity and cost-effective synthesis. In this work, ternary CoSe₂/MoO₂/MoSe₂ nanocomposites with controllable phases have been successfully synthesized by simply direct selenization of cobalt molybdate (CoMoO₄) nanorods. Compared with related pure Mo-based and Co-based counterparts, the electric conductivity and the active sites of the as-prepared ternary nanocomposites have been both increased due to the synergistic effects. The as-prepared ternary CoSe₂/MoO₂/MoSe₂ nanocomposites electrocatalysts demonstrated superior HER performance which only requiring an overpotential of 229 mV for reaching 10 mA/cm² current density in acidic media.