Ultrahigh hydrogen evolution performance of under-water "superaerophobic" MoS₂ nanostructured electrodes

The adhesion of as-formed gas bubbles on the electrode surface usually impedes mass-transfer kinetics and subsequently decreases electrolysis efficiency. Here it is demonstrated that nanostructured MoS₂ films on conductive substrates show a faster hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), current increase, and a more-stable working state than their flat counterpart by significantly alleviating the adhesion of as-formed gas bubbles on the electrode. This study clearly reveals the importance of a nano-porous structure for HER, which should be general and beneficial for constructing other gas-evolution electrodes.