Mo2C–CoNi heterostructure-knotted CNFs for efficient hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction

Molybdenum carbide, with its platinum-like electrical properties, has emerged as a promising alternative to precious metal catalysts. However, the inefficiency of its synthesis and limited catalytic activity have severely hindered its widespread application. In this paper, a novel heterostructure composed of Mo 2 C and CoNi alloy nanoparticles was constructed and embedded in carbon nanofibers to form Mo 2 C–CoNi @CNFs by simple electrospinning technology and pyrolysis process, which serves as an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The catalyst demonstrated low overpotentials of 128 mV for HER and 306 mV for OER at 10 mA cm −2 in 1 M KOH, together with low Tafel slope values of 74.2 mV dec −1 and 72.4 mV dec −1 respectively, along with outstanding stability over 100 h. The remarkable catalytic activity and durability are all attributed to synergistic effect of multiple components and high electrical conductivity of carbon nanofibers. This work not only advances the understanding of Mo 2 C-based catalysts, but also offers a path towards more efficient and cost-effective catalysts for energy conversion processes.