Gold nanodots-decoration stabilizes and activates metastable metallic phase MoS2 nanosheets for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction. (June 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, W.; Ma, L.; Kong, X.; Kang, Q.; Ding, C.; Qin, S.; Tang, P.; Xu, T.; Bi, H.; Sun, L.
• Is Part Of: Materials today nano. Volume 18(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-06
• Subjects: Transition metal dichalcogenides -- MoS2 nanosheets -- Metallic phase -- Hydrogen evolution reaction; Nanoscience -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology; Nanoscience; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Periodicals; Periodical; Electronic journals; Electronic journals; 620.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mtnano.2022.100209
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2588-8420

Abstract

Abstract: Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), an efficient and sustainable method for clean hydrogen energy producing, has been impeded by scarcity and costly of precious metals electrocatalysts. Two-dimensional (2D) metallic phase MoS2 (M-MoS2 ) nanosheets (NSs) have been identified as cost-effective and efficient alternative electrocatalysts for HER. However, the practical applications of M-MoS2 NSs are often limited by the metastable property of their metallic phase. Here, we demonstrate both the metallic phase stability and the electrocatalytic activity of the M-MoS2 NSs can be dramatically improved by gold (Au) nanodots (NDs) decoration. The obtained Au NDs decorated M-MoS2 NSs (namely, Au NDs@M-MoS2 NSs) maintain well their metallic phase even after about 100 days storage, while the M-MoS2 NSs have already transferred to dominant 2H phase one for about 2 weeks. The results of first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculation also indicate that the Au NDs modification can stabilize the metastable metallic phase of M-MoS2 NSs. Moreover, the as-prepared Au NDs@M-MoS2 NSs also show remarkable enhanced electrocatalytic activity toward HER. These findings may open up an ideal approach to stabilize and activate the metastable metallic phase 2D transition metal dichalcogenides-based electrocatalysts for various promising applications. Graphical abstract: Schematic diagram showing the structure of Au NDs@M-MoS2 NSs and their application for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction. Image 1 Highlights: Au nanodots have been used to stabilize the phase stability of 2D metastable metallic MoS2 nanosheets. The as-prepared Au NDs@M-MoS2 NSs possess high concentrations of metallic phase and exhibit high metallic phase stability. DFT calculations confirm that the Au NDs modification can stabilize the metallic phase of M-MoS2 NSs. The Au NDs@M-MoS2 NSs exhibit high electrocatalytic activity and excellent durability for HER.