2D Transition‐Metal‐Dichalcogenide‐Nanosheet‐Based Composites for Photocatalytic and Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reactions

Abstract

Hydrogen (H2) is one of the most important clean and renewable energy sources for future energy sustainability. Nowadays, photocatalytic and electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs) from water splitting are considered as two of the most efficient methods to convert sustainable energy to the clean energy carrier, H2. Catalysts based on transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are recognized as greatly promising substitutes for noble-metal-based catalysts for HER. The photocatalytic and electrocatalytic activities of TMD nanosheets for the HER can be further improved after hybridization with many kinds of nanomaterials, such as metals, oxides, sulfides, and carbon materials, through different methods including the in situ reduction method, the hot-injection method, the heating-up method, the hydro(solvo)thermal method, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and thermal annealing. Here, recent progress in photocatalytic and electrocatalytic HERs using 2D TMD-based composites as catalysts is discussed.

Transition Metal‐Promoted V2CO2 (MXenes): A New and Highly Active Catalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

“…However, the high cost and the insufficiency of Pt greatly hamper their practical utilization. To assure a sustainable hydrogen generation, tremendous efforts have been made to develop the earth abundant and cost‐effective alternatives to Pt in the past few decades, including non‐precious metal alloys, metal chalcogenides, metal carbides, metal nitrides, metal phosphides, and so on 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Among these alternatives, 2D layered materials (such as MoS 2 ) have gained broad interest recently because of their extremely large surface areas, low cost, and excellent catalytic activity 9, 10, 11…”

Two-Dimensional Material Molybdenum Disulfides as Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution

“…Several review papers have summarized the structure, synthesis, and composites of 2D TMDs, as well as their application in HER [16][17][18][19][20][21]. It is commonly accepted that unique 2D plenary structures provide ultrahigh specific surface area, atomic thickness, and an atomically flat facet [22].…”

Production of monolayer-rich gold-decorated 2H–WS2 nanosheets by defect engineering

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] Numerous production techniques to obtain 2D-materials exist, with exfoliation in liquid particularly attractive due to its ease, scalable production of bulk quantities, and the possibility of further solution processing. 11 Several distinct exfoliation techniques in liquid are available, with the simplest being liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE).…”