Two-Dimensional High-Entropy Metal Phosphorus Trichalcogenides for Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Developing earth-abundant electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is essential for a sustainable hydrogen energy economy.
• Two-dimensional (2D) high-entropy metal phosphorus trichalcogenides (MPCh3) offer a promising platform by combining the properties of high-entropy alloys (HEAs) and 2D materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of 2D high-entropy MPCh3 as electrocatalysts for HER.
• To elucidate the enhancement mechanism behind the catalytic activity of these novel materials.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of Co0.6(VMnNiZn)0.4PS3 nanosheets as a typical 2D high-entropy catalyst.
• Electrochemical characterizations including overpotential and Tafel slope measurements.
• Spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) analyses to understand the catalytic mechanism.

Main Results:

• The synthesized Co0.6(VMnNiZn)0.4PS3 nanosheets demonstrated enhanced HER performance with an overpotential of 65.9 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and a Tafel slope of 65.5 mV dec-1.
• Optimized S sites on the edge and P sites on the basal plane were identified as active sites for hydrogen adsorption.
• Introduced Mn sites were found to boost water dissociation during the Volmer step.

Conclusions:

• Two-dimensional high-entropy MPCh3 materials provide an effective strategy for enhancing HER performance by integrating HEAs and 2D materials.
• This work presents a new materials platform for designing superior catalysts for various electrochemical systems.
• The findings contribute to the development of catalysts for the upcoming hydrogen energy society.