Highly efficient hydrogen evolution reaction by strain and phase engineering in composites of Pt and MoS₂ nano-scrolls

Abstract

The phase transition through local strain engineering is an exciting avenue for controlling electronic, magnetic properties and catalyst activity of materials but complex phenomenon in nanoscience. Herein, we demonstrate the first combinations of bending strain and 2H/1T phase transition by rolling up MoS sheets for improving catalytic activity in relatively inert basal plane surfaces and promoting electron transfer from the less-conducting 2H MoS sheets to the electrodes. Furthermore, we generate various MoS@Pt nanoparticle hybrids nanomaterials and especially MoS@Pt scrolls containing the coverage of Pt NPs (8.3 wt%) have a high catalytic activity (39 mV per decade). The rolled up MoS@Pt sheets with bending strain (2.4%) provide an intra-layer plane gliding that allows the transversal displacement of an S plane from the 2H to the 1T phases (28%). This unique combination also allows us to maximize the intrinsic HER activity among molybdenum-sulfide based catalysts.

Integration of Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Oxide Dots with Au Nanoparticles for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

“…In addition to observing a superior catalytic behavior of AuNPs-NGODs for HER, our next goal was to study its environmental remediation applications. This application of the catalysts is widely investigated by many research groups, including ours. − Thus, the capacity of removing highly toxic organic pollutants (e.g., 4-nitrophenol) and organic dyes (e.g., methylene blue) (in the presence of NaBH 4 ) was evaluated through the abovementioned model reactions.…”

“…Based on the abovementioned results, the enhanced catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol using AuNPs-NGODs hybrids could be attributed mainly to the presence of gold nanoparticles onto NGODs, which might lead to a synergistic effect between them. 47 Most of the researchers 64,65 explained the reduction of 4-nitrophenol using the typical Langmuir− Hinshelwood model. 64 More recently, Strachan et al 66 have provided a detailed step-by-step reduction process, which includes adsorption of 4-nitrophenol onto a catalyst, followed by the formation of a 4-nitrophenolate ion (through the electron transfer from NaBH 4 to 4-nitrophenol) and its reduction to form nitroso phenol as an intermediate product.…”

Tuning Interfacial Structures for Better Catalysis of Water Electrolysis

“…During the past decade, the growing importance of lattice strain in tuning the performance of materials for electrocatalysis has been witnessed in many fields . It is widely accepted that lattice strain can be caused by either surface atoms with lower coordination (or dangling bonds) or lattice mismatch between the cover layer and the substrate .…”

Insertion of Platinum Nanoparticles into MoS2 Nanoflakes for Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

“…The inert basal plane with limited amount of edge active sites greatly limits its catalytic activity. In recent years, some approaches such as chemical interlayer intercalation [ 14 , 20 ], 2H-to-1T phase conversion [ 15 , 21 ] and large surface structural design [ 22 , 23 ] have been reported as effective methods to reduce the HER overpotentials and Tafel slope of MoS 2 .…”