Boron- and Nitrogen-Codoped Molybdenum Carbide Nanoparticles Imbedded in a BCN Network as a Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen and Oxygen Evolution Reactions

Boron- and nitrogen-codoped molybdenum carbide nanoparticles imbedded in a B,N-doped carbon network (B,N:Mo2C@BCN) have been synthesized as a noble-metal-free hybrid electrocatalyst via an eco-friendly organometallic complex of Mo imidazole and boric acid. When it is used as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in an aqueous alkaline solution, the B,N:Mo2C/BCN catalyst displays high activity and stability in basic electrolytes, better than those of noble-metal-based Pt/C and IrO2 and previously reported transition metal carbide based electrocatalysts. The mechanistic study reveals that the enhanced performance of the hybrid material is attributable to the improved charge transfer characteristics as well as increased active surface areas owing to its modified electronic structure by B and N codoping and formation of tiny nanoparticles imbedded in BCN networks. The synthesis approach employed in this study could also be suitable for tuning properties of other transition-metal carbides for use as electrocatalysts.