Research Projects

Nowadays, the ever-increasing energy demand and thereby unprecedent use of fossil fuels and accompanied pollution are among the major challenges we are facing. As a result, the technologies involved in the production of renewable energies with least toxic emissions are in great demand. In addition to solar energy, various other alternatives of clean energy have surfaced recently. Among these, hydrogen production and its utilization as a future fuel is considered as a clean and viable alternative. This is because of its high abundance, clean and environment friendly combustion and extremely large energy density (120 MJ/kg). However, the use of hydrogen as future fuel depends how efficiently we are able to produce it. Among various technologies used for production of hydrogen, electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is considered as one of the greenest method to produce hydrogen energy. The HER efficiency is found to largely dependent on the electrochemical properties of the electrocatalyst i.e., working electrode material. Noble metals such as Pt and Ir possess highest exchange current density and lower overpotential and have been widely used as electrocatalysts, but their scaricity combined with high cost has limited their market acceptance. As a result, other cost effective alternatives are sought. In present work we have proposed such an alternative by making use of MoSe2/Mxenes composite. As MoSe2 exists in various polytypes, which possess different physical properties, and hence may possess varying HER activity. Therefore, it becomes imperative to explore such possibility. Further, Mxenes possess high conductivity and when combined with defects enriched or edge terminated MoSe2, they may give rise to better HER performance. The major work will involve synthesis of different phases (1T and 2H) of MoSe2, a control over their relative presence, structural analysis. Further step involves synthesis of Mxenes, structural analysis, composite formation, electrospinning and HER performance comparison of MoSe2, Mxenes and MoSe2/Mxenes electrospun nanofibers. A major objective will be to realize a taffel slope as small as possible. this will be achieved via control of morphology and defects concentration in the composite. This way a correlation between structure and HER performance will be understood. If all these objective are met, this may help us to have higher current densities with material other than expensive noble metal.