Recent progress of electrochemical hydrogen evolution over 1T-MoS₂ catalysts

Developing efficient and stable non-noble metal catalysts for the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is of great significance. MoS₂ has become a promising alternative to replace Pt-based electrocatalysts due to its unique layered structure and adjustable electronic property. However, most of the reported 2H-MoS₂ materials are stable, but the catalytic activity is not very ideal. Therefore, a series of strategies such as phase modulation, element doping, defect engineering, and composite modification have been developed to improve the catalytic performance of MoS₂ in the HER. Among them, phase engineering of 2H-MoS₂ to 1T-MoS₂ is considered to be the most effective strategy for regulating electronic properties and increasing active sites. Hence, in this mini-review, the common phase modulation strategies, characterization methods, and application of 1T-MoS₂ in the HER were systematically summarized. In addition, some challenges and future directions are also proposed for the design of efficient and stable 1T-MoS₂ HER catalysts. We hope this mini-review will be helpful to researchers currently working in or about to enter the field.