Amorphous molybdenum selenide nanopowder, obtained by refluxing Mo(CO)6 and Se precursors in dichlorobenzene, shows several structural and electrochemical similarities to the amorphous molybdenum sulfide analogue. The molybdenum selenide displays attractive catalytic properties for the hydrogen evolution reaction in water over a wide range of pH. In a pH 0 solution, it operates with a small onset overpotential of 125 mV and requires an overpotential of 270 mV for generating a catalytic current of 10 mA/cm2. Compared with molybdenum sulfide, the selenide analogue is more robust in a basic electrolyte. Therefore, molybdenum selenide is a potential candidate for incorporating within an electrolyzer or a photoelectrochemical cell for water electrolysis in acidic, neutral, or alkaline medium.
Keywords: catalysis; cluster; hydrogen; molybdenum selenide; water electrolysis.