In-situ hydrothermal growth of NH2-MIL-125(Ti) on surface of MXene and incorporated in sodium alginate for enhanced electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction

The energy crisis calls for eco-friendly alternatives, and hydrogen production presents a viable solution. As a clean energy source, hydrogen can be produced from water using renewable power, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels and substantially cutting greenhouse gas emissions paving the way for a greener future. This work involves the fabrication of Ti 3 C 2 T x and NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti) by hydrothermal procedures. Ti 3 C 2 T x material served as the substrate for the immobilization of NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti), which were then incorporated into sodium alginate to generate (Ti 3 C 2 T x @NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti)-SA). The electrocatalytic efficacy of Ti 3 C 2 T x @NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti)-SA was evaluated for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) under alkaline factors using a 1 M KOH electrolyte. The material demonstrated exceptional capacitance, impressive rate capability, and sustained stability during 1000 cycles over a 24 and 48 h. The Ti₃C₂Tₓ@NH₂-MIL-125(Ti)-SA composite exhibits excellent HER catalytic activity in alkaline media, delivering a low overpotential of 14 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² and a Tafel slope of 56.4 mV dec⁻¹ . Although the benchmark Pt/C catalyst shows slightly superior performance (12 mV, 41.1 mV dec⁻¹), the developed composite demonstrates comparable activity, along with advantages of structural stability and cost-effectiveness compared to noble metal-based catalysts. Overall, Ti 3 C 2 T x @NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti)-SA demonstrates excellent electrode performance in alkaline conditions, as compared with pristine Ti 3 C 2 T x and NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti), which marked by remarkable stability, low Tafel slope values, and minimized overpotentials, underscoring its significant promise for efficient water splitting applications.