A highly active and stable electrochemical catalyst of nanoporous molybdenum carbide nanowires (np-Mo₂C NWs) has been developed for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The np-Mo₂C NWs were synthesized simply by pyrolysis of a MoO_x/amine hybrid precursor with sub-nanosized periodic structure under an inert atmosphere. The enriched nanoporosity and large reactive surface of these highly dispersed nanowires with uniform Mo₂C nanocrystallites provide an efficient electrocatalysis, leading to their superior HER activity with lower onset overpotential and higher current densities than Mo₂C microparticles. This study opens a new perspective for the development of highly active non-noble electrocatalysts for hydrogen production from water splitting.

Electrolyte stability is governed by its oxidation and reduction potentials, not by the energy levels of its HOMO and LUMO.

A new method is proposed for the fabrication of a well-defined size and shape distribution of silver nanoparticles in solution; the method employs direct laser irradiation of an aqueous solution containing a silver salt and a surfactant in the absence of reducing agents.