Unveiling favorable synergy of tubules-like NiMoSe2 with defect-rich borocarbonitride over graphene or MXene for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction electrocatalysis

Hydrogen generation through water splitting has emerged as a promising avenue for green hydrogen fuel production. In this study, we introduce a novel strategy for enhancing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity by combining tubules-like NiMoSe2 with the 2D basal planes of MXene (Ti3C2Tx), borocarbonitride (BCN) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO). A facile one-step hydrothermal approach is employed to achieve the in-situ growth of NiMoSe2 nanotubules on the surfaces of 2D Ti3C2Tx and BCN materials. Characterization techniques confirm the successful integration of these components, highlighting the role of residual functional groups in facilitating nucleation and growth. This unique hybrid structure harnesses the conductive properties of the 2D materials, while providing abundant active sites on the NiMoSe2 nanotubules. Notably, the NiMoSe2/BCN composite outperformed other materials, achieving an overpotential of 215.0 mV to reach a current density of 10 mA cm−2 with a Tafel slope of 88.0 mV dec−1, accompanied by long term stability in acidic electrolyte. This enhanced electrocatalytic performance is attributed to the synergy between NiMoSe2 and BCN, where BCN's defect sites can also act as nucleophiles for H+ ions, promoting electron transfer reactions. Comparative analysis with other state-of-the-art catalysts underscores the competitive performance of the NiMoSe2/BCN nanocomposites towards HER.