Surface-Induced 2D/1D Heterostructured Growth of ReS₂/CoS₂ for High-Performance Electrocatalysts

Two-dimensional/one-dimensional (2D/1D) heterostructures have received much attention from researchers for their abundant catalytically active sites and low contact resistance due to formation of chemical bonds at the interface. The investigation of such heterostructures, however, is confined to lattice-matched materials, which severely limits the material candidates. Herein, we demonstrate a lattice-mismatched 2D/1D heterostructured electrocatalyst consisting of 2D ReS₂ nanosheets and 1D CoS₂ nanowires. We propose that the higher surface energy of the CoS₂ nanowire and the lattice mismatch between 1D and 2D units are crucial for the growth process of ReS₂ nanosheets. More importantly, the terminal S^2- exposed on the surface of CoS₂ nanowires serves not only as the nucleus of ReS₂ nanosheets but also as a bridge to enhance electron transport efficiency. Thus, the ReS₂/CoS₂ heterostructures show outstanding hydrogen evolution reaction performance. This work is of general interest for the design of complex multidimensional nano-heterostructures with outstanding functionalities.