Synergistic 0D/2D Ti ₃ C ₂ T x MXene Hybrid for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Kinetics

MXenes, an emerging 2D materials group, hold high micro‐structural stability, superior conductivity, and large surface area, enabling efficient atom utilization for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution Reaction (HER). This work evaluates the synergistic improvement in HER activity resulting from a hybrid Water@Ti 3 C 2 T x comprised of Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene quantum dots (MQDs) and nanosheets. Water@Ti 3 C 2 T x is created using a two‐step method in which, first, Ti 3 C 2 T x nanosheets were obtained by acidic etching of the MAX precursor and are hydrothermally treated at 160°C to yield uniformly dispersed and size‐reduced quantum dots. The electrocatalytic behavior of the resulting MQD/sheet hybrid is investigated in a three‐electrode arrangement with a 1 M KOH electrolyte. Water@Ti 3 C 2 T x showed higher HER activity, with an overpotential of 191.95 mV at 10 mA cm −2 . EIS confirms lower charge‐transfer resistance (Rct), suggesting more efficient interfacial charge transport, and the lowered Tafel slope indicates faster reaction kinetics as compared to Ti 3 C 2 T x nanosheets. These enhancements are due to the hybrid's large surface area as validated by enhanced electrochemically active surface area (ECSA), good electrical conductivity, and abundance of accessible active sites resulting from the MQD‐nanosheet structure. Overall, the Ti 3 C 2 T x MQDs/nanosheets system shows great potential as a high‐performance electrocatalyst for next‐generation HER applications.