Construction of epitaxial heterogeneous interfaces of Ni-MoS2/N-doped porous carbon rods/CC for an efficient hydrogen evolution reaction

Abstract

The construction of heterogeneous interfaces is the most effective strategy to enhance the activity of catalysts for the HER. However, facile fabrication of exceptional heterogeneous interfaces remains a formidable challenge. In this work, novel heterogeneous interfaces of Ni-doped MoS₂ grown on epitaxial N-doped porous carbon cages are prepared with the modified CC as a conductive carrier. Significant phase transformation (from the 2H to the 1T phase) and lattice distortion occur at the heterogeneous interface, resulting in the formation of defects and exposure of active sites. Notably, the overpotential of the Ni-MoS₂/NCR/CC-2 catalyst to achieve 10 mA cm⁻² is only 136 mV with a Tafel slope of 77 mV dec⁻¹. Moreover, the catalyst exhibits remarkable catalytic stability, with a nearly imperceptible decline in performance observed after 36 h of rigorous stability testing.