Dual functionality of silver- and bismuth-based molybdenum disulfide multiple phases towards effective oxygen evolution reaction and dye degradation

Abstract

The engineering of two-dimensional (2D) layered materials through metallic and non-metallic doping has proven to be an intriguing strategy for achieving efficient water oxidation and high catalytic activities. The current study reveals the fabrication of a novel bifunctional Ag/Bi-doped MoS₂ catalyst with a fixed concentration (2 wt%) of bismuth (Bi) and varying concentrations (1 and 3 wt%) of silver (Ag) as dopants in MoS₂ (host) using a facile hydrothermal strategy. The Bi-doped MoS₂ catalyst with 3 wt% Ag exhibited an excellent catalytic activity of 99.57% for the elimination of RhB dye from water and flexibility in a wide pH range, signifying its catalytic dye-degradation potential in diverse pH environments. Additionally, the bifunctional catalyst demonstrated an outstanding electrocatalytic OER performance, requiring an overpotential of only 192 mV to reach a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² and a small Tafel slope of 65.3 mV dec⁻¹.