Epitaxial hexagonal boron nitride for hydrogen generation by radiolysis of interfacial water

The experimental data presented is related to the article “Epitaxial Hexagonal Boron Nitride for Hydrogen Generation by Radiolysis of Interfacial Water”.In this work electron beam-induced splitting of water at the interface of sapphire and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is reported. The hydrogen evolution reaction leads to hBN bubble formation. This process is performed in a scanning electron microscope, which allows direct visualization and monitoring of the process of hydrogen generation by observing the creation of hBN bubbles in situ. Raman spectroscopy mapping was used to prove the presence of molecular hydrogen inside these bubbles. Experiments with heavy water demonstrate that the hydrogen stems from the intercalated water layer. The presented work shows that hBN holds excellent prospects for hydrogen applications and may also be used to develop unconventional hydrogen production schemes.