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Main Authors: Dutta, Shrestha, Banerjee, Rudra
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.15092
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author Dutta, Shrestha
Banerjee, Rudra
author_facet Dutta, Shrestha
Banerjee, Rudra
contents Hydrogen production via the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER) is critical for sustainable energy solutions, yet the reliance on expensive platinum (Pt) catalysts limits scalability. Zirconium-doped (\ce{Zr}-doped) MXenes, such as \ce{Ti3C2} and \ce{Ti3CN}, emerge as transformative alternatives, combining abundance, tunable electronic properties, and high catalytic potential. Using first-principles density functional theory (DFT), we show that \ce{Zr} doping at 3\% and 7\% significantly enhances HER activity by reducing the work function to the optimal range of 3.5-4.5~eV and achieving near-zero Gibbs free energy (\dgh) values of 0.18-0.16~eV, conditions ideal for efficient hydrogen adsorption and desorption. Bader charge analysis reveals substantial charge redistribution with enhanced electron accumulation at \ce{Zr} and \ce{N} sites, further driving catalytic performance. This synergy between optimized electronic structure and catalytic properties establishes \ce{Zr}-doped MXenes as cost-effective, high-performance alternatives to noble metals for HER. By combining exceptional catalytic efficiency with scalability, our work positions \ce{Zr}-doped MXenes as a breakthrough for green hydrogen production, offering a robust pathway toward renewable energy technologies and advancing the design of next-generation non-precious metal catalysts.
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spellingShingle Tuning Catalytic Efficiency: Thermodynamic Optimization of Zr-Doped \ce{Ti3C2} and \ce{Ti3CN} MXenes for HER Catalysis
Dutta, Shrestha
Banerjee, Rudra
Materials Science
Hydrogen production via the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER) is critical for sustainable energy solutions, yet the reliance on expensive platinum (Pt) catalysts limits scalability. Zirconium-doped (\ce{Zr}-doped) MXenes, such as \ce{Ti3C2} and \ce{Ti3CN}, emerge as transformative alternatives, combining abundance, tunable electronic properties, and high catalytic potential. Using first-principles density functional theory (DFT), we show that \ce{Zr} doping at 3\% and 7\% significantly enhances HER activity by reducing the work function to the optimal range of 3.5-4.5~eV and achieving near-zero Gibbs free energy (\dgh) values of 0.18-0.16~eV, conditions ideal for efficient hydrogen adsorption and desorption. Bader charge analysis reveals substantial charge redistribution with enhanced electron accumulation at \ce{Zr} and \ce{N} sites, further driving catalytic performance. This synergy between optimized electronic structure and catalytic properties establishes \ce{Zr}-doped MXenes as cost-effective, high-performance alternatives to noble metals for HER. By combining exceptional catalytic efficiency with scalability, our work positions \ce{Zr}-doped MXenes as a breakthrough for green hydrogen production, offering a robust pathway toward renewable energy technologies and advancing the design of next-generation non-precious metal catalysts.
title Tuning Catalytic Efficiency: Thermodynamic Optimization of Zr-Doped \ce{Ti3C2} and \ce{Ti3CN} MXenes for HER Catalysis
topic Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.15092