High-Sulfur-Vacancy Amorphous Molybdenum Sulfide as a High Current Electrocatalyst in Hydrogen Evolution

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Amorphous molybdenum sulfide (a-MoS_x) is a promising electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution.
• Developing efficient and stable active sites is crucial for electrocatalytic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the creation of sulfur vacancies on a-MoS_x using remote hydrogen plasma.
• To evaluate the electrocatalytic performance and stability of plasma-treated a-MoS_x for hydrogen evolution.

Main Methods:

• Remote hydrogen plasma treatment of amorphous molybdenum sulfide.
• Electrochemical characterization using proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cells.

Main Results:

• Abundant sulfur vacancies were successfully created on a-MoS_x by remote hydrogen plasma.
• Plasma-treated a-MoS_x demonstrated superior catalytic performance compared to platinum.
• Enhanced stability of the plasma-treated a-MoS_x was observed.

Conclusions:

• Remote hydrogen plasma is an effective method for generating active sites on a-MoS_x.
• Plasma-treated a-MoS_x shows potential as a highly efficient and stable electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution, outperforming platinum.
• This study presents a proof-of-concept for the industrial application of plasma-treated a-MoS_x in electrolyzers.