Mosub2/subC nanoparticles embedded within bacterial cellulose-derived 3D N-doped carbon nanofiber networks for efficient hydrogen evolution

摘要

Embedding metal-based nanoparticles in bacteria-generated aerogels is a promising way to produce hydrogen fuel using water and electricity. Most water electrolysis methods use platinum catalysts to make hydrogen–oxygen bond splitting easier. But platinum's scarcity has prompted investigations into alternatives such as molybdenum carbide (Mo2C), a catalyst that shows increased activity when coupled with carbon nanofibers. Shu-Hong Yu and colleagues from Hefei, University of Science and Technology of China, now report that bacterial cellulose — a low-cost biomass synthesized by microbes — can act as a favorable support for Mo2C nanocatalysts. Straightforward immersion of bacterial cellulose in an ammonium molybdate precursor solution, followed by freeze drying and pyrolysis, yielded a three-dimensional porous network dotted with spatially separated Mo2C nanoparticles and nitrogen dopants. Tests showed the catalyst had excellent water splitting capabilities over the pH range 0 to 14.