Sign in Subscribe
Hydrogen

Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction with MXene Nanosheets and Gamma-ray Radiation

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Researchers at Peking University have achieved a breakthrough in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance using MXene nanosheets and gamma-ray radiation. According to the study, the newly synthesized Ru/Ti3C2Tx catalysts exhibit enhanced activity across all pH ranges under near-infrared (NIR) light illumination, demonstrating the effectiveness of gamma-ray radiation for synthesizing atomically dispersed electrocatalysts with enhanced HER performance.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study utilized MXene nanosheets, which have an intensity localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect for the utilization of infrared and visible wavelengths of the solar spectrum, to enhance the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance.
  • The gamma-ray radiation method allowed for the synthesis of Ru atom clusters anchored on Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets, resulting in a catalyst with a Tafel slope of 141 mV dec-1 and a current density enhancement of 3.56 mA cm-2 at an overpotential of 200 mV.
  • The study demonstrates the potential of MXene nanosheets and gamma-ray radiation for boosting HER performance, making it a promising method for the production of green hydrogen.
  • The research has been peer-reviewed and published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A.
  • Financial supporters for this research include the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), and the High-Level Innovation and Entrepreneurship Talent Project of Qinchuangyuan.
  • The research was conducted at Peking University, with Jing Peng as the lead researcher and additional authors including Xueyan Que, Yicheng Wang, Jiuqiang Li, Yue Wang, Maolin Zhai, Junqing Bai, and Zeyu Zhang.

Statistics:

  • The HER performance of the newly synthesized catalysts was enhanced by 3.56 mA cm-2 at an overpotential of 200 mV.
  • The Tafel slope of the catalyst was measured to be 141 mV dec-1.
  • The study utilized gamma-ray radiation as a method for synthesizing the Ru atom clusters, which resulted in a catalyst with enhanced HER performance.
  • The research has been published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A, with the article titled "Facile Synthesis of Ru Atom Clusters On Mxene Nanosheets Through Gamma-ray Radiation for Plasma Boosting Hydrogen Evolution Reaction."
  • The study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the High-Level Innovation and Entrepreneurship Talent Project of Qinchuangyuan.

Sources:

  • Facile Synthesis of Ru Atom Clusters On Mxene Nanosheets Through Gamma-ray Radiation for Plasma Boosting Hydrogen Evolution Reaction. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2025.
  • NewsRx. Report Summarizes Nanosheets Study Findings from Peking University (Facile Synthesis of Ru Atom Clusters On Mxene Nanosheets Through Gamma-ray Radiation for Plasma Boosting Hydrogen Evolution Reaction). Nanotechnology Weekly. October 20, 2025; p 2964.

Read more