MoO2 nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide/polyimide-carbon nanotube film as efficient hydrogen evolution electrocatalyst

•MoO2 nanoparticles were deposited on RGO/PI-CNT film by electrochemical method.•MoO2 nanoparticles with a small size of 10 nm uniformly dispersed on the RGO sheets.•MoO2/RGO/PI-CNT film can achieve great catalytic property at low overpotential.

Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) through low-cost and earth-abundant electrocatalysts at low overpotentials is a crucial project to clean energy. Molybdenum dioxide/reduced graphene oxide/polyimide-carbon nanotube (MoO2/RGO/PI-CNT) film was synthesized by a simple electrodeposition method as an efficient catalyst for HER. MoO2 nanoparticles with a small size of 10–20 nm uniformly disperse on the RGO surface. The large quantity and small size of MoO2 nanoparticles afford large surface area for HER, greatly enhancing the electrocatalytic performance of MoO2/RGO/PI-CNT film. The HER electrocatalytic property of MoO2/RGO/PI-CNT film in acidic solution is evaluated by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). MoO2/RGO/PI-CNT film exhibit a high electrocatalytic activity for HER at a small onset overpotential (−110 mV vs RHE) with a high current density (10.0 mA cm−2) and a good stability. The low Tafel slope (68 mV dec−1) reveals the Volmer-Heyrovsky mechanism for HER. The comparison between MoO2/RGO/PI-CNT film and other catalysts indicate that the MoO2/RGO/PI-CNT film had a great performance for HER. This work presents a new thought for the synthesis of MoO2/RGO/PI-CNT film as an efficient HER electrocatalyst.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide