Abstract
The nanoscale (VNbTaZrHf)C high-entropy carbide (HEC) powders with face-centered cubic structure were prepared by electro-deoxidation of metal oxides and graphite in CaCl2 at 1173 K. Appropriate temperature conditions are favorable for suppressing the in-situ sintering growth of HEC particles. Electrochemical performance tests were conducted in 1 mol/L KOH solution to investigate the catalytic performance of (VNbTaZrHf)C HEC. The catalytic performance of (VNbTaZrHf)C HEC for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was evaluated through polarization curves, Tafel slope, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and double-layer capacitance value cyclic voltammetry tests. Results show that the double-layer capacitance value of (VZrHfNbTa)C HEC is 40.6 mF/c
Ye
HECs gain widespread attention due to their exceptional mechanical, oxidation-resistant, and corrosion-resistant properties. Han et a
In electrochemical hydrolysis, the reaction at the cathode is considered as HER. HER is a promising green approach to produce hydrogen from renewable energy sources, and its efficiency depends on the electrocatalys
In this research, VNbTaZrHf HEA and (VZrHfNbTa)C HEC powders were prepared through the one-step preparation method, which involved the direct electro-deoxidation of the stoichiometric metal oxides and graphite in the molten CaCl2 at 1173 K. A three-terminal electrochemical cell was used to investigate the catalytic performance of these HEC powders for hydrogen precipitation.
The raw materials used in this research were mixed powders of Ta2O5, ZrO2, Nb2O5, HfO2, VO2, and graphite. VNbTaZrHf HEA and (VNbTaZrHf)C HEC were separately prepared according to the molar ratio of oxides and graphite with the total mass of 2 g. A binder was prepared by dissolving 0.04 g polyethylene glycol in isopropanol, then it was added to the raw material, and finally the mixed material was uniformly ground. The mixed material was dried at room temperature and pressed into samples at the pressure of 10 MPa using cylindrical grinding tool with diameter of 25 mm. Finally, the pressed samples were sintered at 523 K for 3 h.
The water-free CaCl2 (500 g) was placed in a corundum crucible and vacuum-dried at 673 K for 12 h. Then, the crucible was heated to 1173 K in a reactor with nickel flakes and graphite rods as the cathode and anode, respectively. The molten salt was pre-electrolyzed at 2.8 V to remove impurities and water. The cathode was made of mixed oxide precursors, and the anode was made of a graphite rod with diameter of 1 cm and height of 10 cm. The molten salt was subjected to electro-deoxidation at 3.1 V for 10 h. Finally, the products were cleaned by ultrasound, dried, and fully ground at 373 K.
The electrolytic voltage was provided by direct current power supply (DP310, MESTEK, Shenzhen, China). The phase of precursors and electro-deoxidation products was examined by X-ray diffractometer (XRD, D/max 2500PC, Rigaku, Japan). The microstructure and element distribution of precursors and electro-deoxidation products were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM, TESCAN VEGA II with Oxford INCA Energy 350) at backscattered electron (BSE) mode, energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), field emission SEM (FESEM, ThermoFisher Scientific Quattro S), scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM, ThermoFisher Scientific Talos F200S), and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS, ThermoFisher Scientific ESCALAB250Xi) was used to determine the elements of products and their oxidation states.
The electrochemical performance of HEC and HEA was evaluated by Chenhua CHI 660 instrument (Shanghai Chenhua Instrument Co. Ltd., China). The working electrodes were made by 80wt% VNbTaZrHf or (VNbTaZrHf)C powder+10wt% binder (polyvinylidene fluoride)+10wt% conductive agent (carbon black)+solvent (N-methyl pyrrolidone). The reference electrode was Ag/AgCl, and the counter electrode was platinum sheet.
The electrolyte was 1 mol/L KOH solution, and the area of electrode sheet immersed in the test solution was 1 c
E(RHE)=E(Ag/AgCl)+0.0591×pH value+0.197 | (1) |
where E is the potential.
According to

Fig.1 XRD patterns of VNbTaZrHf HEA and (VNbTaZrHf)C HEC precursors

Fig.2 SEM-BSE images and EDS element distributions of VNbTaZrHf HEA (a) and (VNbTaZrHf)C HEC (b) precursors

Fig.3 XRD patterns of reduced products of VNbTaZrHf HEA and (VNbTaZrHf) HEC samples

Fig.4 SEM-BSE images and EDS element distributions of VNbTaZrHf HEA (a) and (VNbTaZrHf)C HEC (b) after electro-deoxidation process
Powder | C | V | Zr | Hf | Nb | Ta | O |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VNbTaZrHf HEA | 0.94 | 18.67 | 21.47 | 21.06 | 19.35 | 17.44 | 1.07 |
(VNbTaZrHf)C HEC | 61.1 | 5.27 | 9.31 | 9.26 | 7.34 | 6.66 | 1.11 |

Fig.5 STEM images, EDS surface scanning results, HRTEM images, and corresponding FFT patterns of VNbTaZrHf HEA (a) and (VNbTaZrHf)C HEC (b) after electro-deoxidation process

Fig.6 XPS spectra and high-resolution XPS spectra of VNbTaZrHf HEA (a–h) and (VNbTaZrHf)C HEC (i–p) after electro-deoxidation process: (a, i) overall spectra; (b, j) V element; (c, k) Zr element; (d, l) Hf element; (e, m) Nb element; (f, n) Ta element; (g, o) C element; (h, p) O element
The electrochemical HER performance of the VNbTaZrHf HEA and (VNbTaZrHf)C HEC catalysts was tested in 1 mol/L KOH electrolyte.

Fig.7 Polarization curves (a), Tafel plots (b), and EIS results (c) of (VNbTaZrHf)C HEC and VNbTaZrHf HEA samples
Electro-catalyst | Pt | Ir | HEC | HEA |
---|---|---|---|---|
Tafel slope/mV·de | 99 | 122 | 69.0 | 146.3 |
conductivity of the products can reduce the resistance against charge transport, and the carbon content in the product is closely related to the electrical conductivity. The addition of carbon is beneficial to improve the conductivity of the products, therefore reducing the resistance against charge transfer and ultimately improving the kinetics of catalytic reactions.
Fig.

Fig.8 CV curves of VNbTaZrHf HEA (a) and (VNbTaZrHf)C HEC (b); calculated double-layer capacitance of VNbTaZrHf HEA and (VNbTaZrHf)C HEC (c)
1) The overpotential of (VNbTaZrHf)C HEC and VNbTaZrHf HEA is 258.8 and 398.2 mV at the current density of 10 mA/c
2) The addition of carbon enhances the electrical conductivity of HEC and reduces the charge transfer resistance, improving the catalytic reaction kinetics.
3) The double-layer capacitance value of (VNbTaZrHf)C HEC is 40.6 mF/c
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