Vanadium Carbide MXene Florets Synthesized without HF and Modified with Nickel Disulfide for Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

This manuscript presents a thorough examination of the synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical aspect assessment of NiS2-modified vanadium-based MXene (V2C) to amplify its efficiency as an electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Synthesizing vanadium MXene without hydrofluoric acid (HF) enhances safety, reduces environmental impact, and lowers costs. This work highlights the crafting of V2C via a salt etching method using cobalt chloride, and NiS2 was successfully incorporated by coupling hydrothermal and chemical vapor deposition methods, yielding an effective catalyst (VNiS2). Various analytical techniques, including X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, were employed to validate the material’s structural and chemical composition, thus confirming the successful synthesis and incorporation of VNiS2. Electrochemical evaluation of VNiS2 unveiled its ability to promote the HER with a decreased overpotential of 185 mV and a Tafel slope of 115 mV dec–1, indicating its high HER efficiency. Additionally, the evaluation of the high electrochemically active surface area and stability assessment corroborated the potential of VNiS2 as a promising HER catalyst. This study could unveil promising pathways for the development of efficient and economically viable catalysts in the realm of sustainable hydrogen production.