Chapter 17: Alternative Electrocatalysts: Exploring Quantum Dots and Transition Metal MXenes

Hydrogen emerges as a pivotal clean and versatile energy carrier amid global energy challenges, urging a shift towards renewable hydrogen production. The efficiency of the electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) hinges on catalyst choice, ambient conditions, and electrolyte pH. In transitioning away from costly and scarce catalysts like Pt or Ru, researchers explore Earth-abundant alternatives, notably transition metal-based quantum dots (QDs) and MXenes. QDs offer high surface area and customizable properties, while MXenes demonstrate exceptional conductivity and surface area. QDs, despite challenges such as agglomeration, prove effective when engineered into composites. MXenes, with their unique stacked structure and chemical robustness, hold promise for HER catalysis. As discussed, QDs and MXenes exhibit schematic HER representations, emphasizing their potential as catalysts for sustainable hydrogen production and their adaptability to span diverse fields, offering scalable solutions towards a renewable energy future.