Issue 13, 2020

Vanadium-doping in interlayer-expanded MoS2 nanosheets for the efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction

Abstract

Two-dimensional layered MoS2 nanosheets are regarded as a promising catalyst for electrocatalytic hydrogen generation but suffer from limitations of catalytically inert basal planes and poor intrinsic conductivity. In this work, we report a simple hydrothermal method to synthesize defect-rich MoS2 nanosheets featuring vanadium (V) doping, widely expanded interlayer spacings, and a high content of metallic 1T-phase towards the efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The structural characteristics of V(IV)&V(II) co-doping, mixed 1T&2H phases and wide interlayer expansion endow the nanosheets with plentiful disorders and rich defects, thereby resulting in abundant active sites. Furthermore, V(IV)&V(II) co-doping brings in electronic benefits of a narrowed bandgap, improved intrinsic conductivity and optimized hydrogen adsorption free energy of basal planes. By tuning the V dopant content, the 10%V-MoS2 catalyst shows an optimized HER performance with a low overpotential of 146 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a small Tafel slope of 48 mV dec−1, and a long operational stability of 80 h. Our work opens up new opportunities for improving the electrochemical HER performance of layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) by synergistic structural and compositional modulations.

Graphical abstract: Vanadium-doping in interlayer-expanded MoS2 nanosheets for the efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Research Article
Submitted
03 Feb 2020
Accepted
16 May 2020
First published
18 May 2020

Inorg. Chem. Front., 2020,7, 2497-2505

Vanadium-doping in interlayer-expanded MoS2 nanosheets for the efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction

T. Liu, C. Fang, B. Yu, Y. You, H. Niu, R. Zhou, J. Zhang and J. Xu, Inorg. Chem. Front., 2020, 7, 2497 DOI: 10.1039/D0QI00135J

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