Dual Self-Built Gating Boosts the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Optimizing intrinsic activity of active sites is crucial for accelerating catalytic kinetics.
• Developing efficient electrocatalysts is key for energy conversion technologies like the hydrogen evolution reaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a "dual self-built gating" design principle for tailoring catalyst electronic structures.
• To enhance the kinetics of the hydrogen evolution reaction through optimized electron transfer and intermediate adsorption/desorption.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a ReS2-WS2/WS2 hybridized heterostructure model catalyst.
• Experimental and theoretical investigations to analyze electron transfer and electronic structure modifications.
• Electrochemical measurements to evaluate catalytic performance, including overpotential and Tafel slope.

Main Results:

• The dual gating strategy successfully tailored the electronic structure, creating an electron-rich region at the catalyst interface.
• This electronic modification balanced intermediate adsorption and hydrogen desorption, enhancing reaction kinetics.
• The ReS2-WS2/WS2 catalyst with dual gating exhibited significantly reduced overpotential (49 mV) and Tafel slope (35 mV dec⁻¹) compared to pure WS2 (210 mV, 116 mV dec⁻¹).
• The catalytic performance was further amplified by an external electric field.

Conclusions:

• The "dual self-built gating" principle offers an effective approach to optimize catalyst electronic structures for improved electrocatalytic activity.
• This strategy provides a new guideline for designing advanced electrocatalysts for reactions like hydrogen evolution.
• The concept is broadly applicable to various catalytic systems.