As an electrocatalyst, conventional 2H-phase MoS suffers from limited active sites and inherently low electroconductivity. Phase transitions from 2H to 1T have been proposed as an effective strategy for optimization of the catalytic activity. However, complicated chemical exfoliation is generally involved. Here, MoS heterogeneous-phase nanosheets with a 1T phase (1T/2H-MoS) generated in situ were prepared through a facile hydrothermal method. The locally introduced 1T-phase MoS can not only contribute more active sites but also markedly promote the electronic conductivity. Because of this unique structure, the as-synthesized 1T/2H-MoS nanosheets exhibit remarkable performance for the hydrogen evolution reaction with a small overpotential of 220 mV at 10 mA/cm, a small Tafel slope of 61 mV/decade, and robust stability. This work facilitates the development of a two-dimensional heterogeneous nanostructure with enhanced applications.

No abstract

Iron phosphide ultrafine nanocrystals supported on carbon black were synthesized via a facile method and used as a highly efficient hydrogen evolution reaction electrocatalyst.

No abstract

Efficient, stable, and affordable electrocatalysts are essential for large‐scale hydrogen generation through water electrolysis. Nanosized catalyst particles integrated with a conductive current collector are highly desirable candidates yet quite challenging to synthesize. In this study, we prepared a self‐supported electrode constructed with FeP nanocrystals confined in the pores of ordered mesoporous carbon‐coated carbon cloth (FeP@OMC/CC) for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The synergistic effect of ultrafine FeP nanocrystals, ordered mesoporous configuration and highly conductive carbon fiber framework endowed the self‐supported electrode with enriched active sites, accelerated charge and mass transport and strong mechanical stability. Consequently, the as‐synthesized FeP@OMC/CC electrode exhibited remarkable HER performance with a low overpotential (10 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of 51 mV), small Tafel slope (39 mV dec−1), and superior structural and electrochemical stability (over 20 h under an overpotential of 70 mV), which is one of the highest electrocatalytic performance observed among all nonprecious materials.

No abstract