Revolutionary Energy Harvesting: Gravity‐Driven Piezocatalysts for Sustainable Hydrogen Production in MoS₂@Mo₂CT_x Systems

Abstract

Hydrogen (H2) is mainly produced using steam methane reforming, electrolysis, and gasification, which require external energy and special catalysts. A new catalyst by combining MoS2 nanoflowers (NFs) with metal carbide/nitride nanosheets (Mo2CTx MXene) to create a nanosheet bending moment. The MoS2@Mo2CTx heterostructures achieve a production rate of 1164.8 µmol g−1 h−1 under an application of mechanical force, 4.01 and 3.06 times higher than Mo2CTx and MoS2 alone, due to enhanced charge transfer from MoS2's piezoelectricity and Mo2CTx's conductivity. This study introduces a pioneering methodology that harnesses gravitational energy as a continuous mechanical force, simulated using a peristaltic pump, to drive the piezocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), achieving a notable hydrogen production rate of 454.1 µmol g−1 over 24 hours and demonstrating a sustained capability for hydrogen generation. The theoretical calculation results validate the piezoelectric potential in water‐flow‐pressure triggered HER systems. The piezocatalytic HER system, assuming powered by the Hoover Dam, will produce 290.9 kmoles of hydrogen per ton daily, equivalent to utilizing 19 150 kWh of energy in the electrocatalytic system. The simulated gravity‐driven water flow using MoS2@Mo2CTx piezocatalysts for H2 generation demonstrates superior efficiency by eliminating common thermal energy conversion losses, marking a significant breakthrough in sustainable hydrogen production technologies.