Ultralow Ru-incorporated MoS2 nanosheet arrays for efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution in dual-pH

Abstract

The design of inexpensive yet effective electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) that can function over a wide pH range is highly desirable. In this study, ultralow Ru-incorporated MoS₂ nanosheet arrays grown on a carbon cloth (Ru-MoS₂/CC) were fabricated for electrocatalytic HER through a simple one-pot hydrothermal method. The effect of the Ru doping amount on the electrochemical performance of MoS₂ nanosheets was studied. The best HER activity was achieved with the optimal 0.01-Ru-MoS₂/CC catalyst, which provided a low overpotential of 169 or 90 mV for HER at 10 mA cm⁻² in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ or 1.0 M KOH electrolytes, respectively. Moreover, the catalyst was shown to be extremely durable under wide pH electrolytes. This research lays the path for the development of MoS₂-based electrocatalysts with strong HER activity across a wide pH range.