Silk Fibroin-Derived\nN‑Doped Carbon Cloth Coupling\nwith Molybdenum Carbide Nanoparticles as a Self-Supported Electrode\nfor Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Handling\ntons of waste textiles is a big challenge in\nthe textile\nand apparel industry. The recycling of waste textiles, especially\nexpensive silk fabrics, is of great significance for resource conservation\nand green, low-carbon cycle development. In addition, the development\nof precious metal-free electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution\nreaction (HER) remains a major challenge. In this study, molybdenum\ncarbide nanoparticle-decorated carbonized silk fabrics (Mo<sub>2</sub>C@CSF) were fabricated using a simple process, which can be directly\nemployed as an HER electrode. The obtained materials exhibit remarkable\nelectrocatalytic HER performance in acidic media with low overpotential\n(60 mV at 10 mA/cm<sup>2</sup>) and long-term stability (more than\n24 h). This work will provide a fresh perspective on the treatment\nof waste silk fabrics and the fabrication of high-performance electrocatalysts.