Nanosheets of MoSe

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Developing efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is crucial for clean energy technologies.
• Molybdenum Diselenide (MoSe2) is a promising material for catalysis, but its activity can be enhanced through decoration with noble metal nanoparticles.
• Hydrothermal synthesis and wet-chemical routes offer scalable methods for nanomaterial fabrication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize MoSe2 nanosheets decorated with Palladium (Pd) and Rhodium (Rh) nanoparticles.
• To investigate the electrocatalytic activity of these decorated MoSe2 nanosheets for HER in various electrolytes.
• To compare the performance and stability of Pd- and Rh-decorated MoSe2 for HER.

Main Methods:

• Hydrothermal synthesis of MoSe2 nanosheets.
• Wet-chemical decoration of MoSe2 with Pd and Rh nanoparticles.
• Electrochemical characterization of HER activity in acidic, neutral, and alkaline media, including cyclic voltammetry and Tafel slope analysis.

Main Results:

• Pd and Rh decorated MoSe2 exhibit efficient HER activity across different pH conditions (acidic, neutral, alkaline, saline water).
• MoSe2/Rh demonstrates superior catalytic performance with a lower onset potential (-0.192 V vs. RHE for 10 mA/cm²) compared to MoSe2/Pd (-0.256 V vs. RHE for 10 mA/cm² in 0.5 M H2SO4).
• MoSe2/Rh shows higher electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) and a lower Tafel slope (47 mV/decade in 0.5 M H2SO4), indicating enhanced catalytic efficiency and stability, particularly in neutral and alkaline media.

Conclusions:

• Rhodium-decorated MoSe2 nanosheets are highly effective electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reactions.
• The catalytic performance is maintained across a range of pH conditions, suggesting broad applicability.
• MoSe2/Rh exhibits excellent stability, retaining activity after 12 hours of continuous operation, making it a promising candidate for future energy applications.