Highly active, stable and low-cost noble metal-free electrocatalysts are essential for production of hydrogen. However, preparation of such catalysts is still highly challenging so far. In this work, the Mo2C– carbon nanomaterials have been prepared by controlled thermal technique. By controlling concentration of the reactants in the experimental condition, the Mo2C– carbon nanomaterials have been fabricated, which leads to decreases in contact resistance b/w Mo2C– carbon nanomaterials and graphitic carbon atoms. As a result, the Mo2C– carbon nanomaterial electrode shows remarkable activity for hydrogen evolution reactions with a small onset overpotential of 95 mV, a Tafel slope of 62 mV dec−1, an high exchange current density of 0.32 mA cm−2, good stability during long-term 1000 cycles and exhibits long-term durability for several days. This study opens a new method for the preparation of highly active non-noble electrode for production of hydrogen from water splitting.

Preparation of Mo2C–carbon nanomaterials for hydrogen evolution reaction
    Abstract
    1 Introduction
    2 Experimental
        2.1 Materials
        2.2 Preparation of Mo2C–carbon nanomaterial electrode
        2.3 Characterizations
    3 Results and discussion
    4 Conclusions
    References

• Sathish Reddy(Guangdong‑Hongkong‑Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration (GHMICR), Jinan University/Center for Nanochemistry, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University)
• Li Song(Guangdong‑Hongkong‑Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration (GHMICR), Jinan University)
• Lixing Kang(Center for Nanochemistry, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University)
• Quinliang Feng(Center for Nanochemistry, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University)
• Ran Du(Center for Nanochemistry, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University)
• Jin Zhang(Center for Nanochemistry, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University)
• Liumin He(Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University)
• Ramakrishna Seeram(Guangdong‑Hongkong‑Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration (GHMICR), Jinan University/Center for Nanofibers and Nanotechnology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore)