Controlled synthesis of Mo(2)C micron flowers via vapor–liquid–solid method as enhanced electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction

Mo(2)C demonstrates excellent performance in catalysis, and it has been found to possess excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalytic activity and highly efficient nitrogen fixation. The catalytic activity of Mo(2)C is greatly influenced and restricted by the preparation method. Sintering and carbon deposition, which affect the catalytic activity of Mo(2)C, are inevitable in the traditional vapor–solid–solid (VSS) process. In this study, we report the controllable synthesis of α-Mo(2)C micron flowers by adjusting the growth temperature via a vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) process. The density of the Mo(2)C micron flowers is closely related to the concentration of Na(2)MoO(4) aqueous solution. The as-grown Mo(2)C micron flowers dispersed with Pt are validated to be an enhanced collaborative electrocatalyst for HER against Pt/VSS-Mo(2)C.