Stable Mo/1T-MoS₂ Monolith Catalyst with a Metallic Interface for Large Current Water Splitting

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Achieving global carbon neutrality requires efficient catalysts for water splitting to produce green hydrogen (H₂).
• Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) is a promising non-precious metal catalyst for H₂ evolution due to its favorable properties.
• Developing stable and active catalysts is critical for sustainable hydrogen generation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel monolithic catalyst (MC) for highly active and stable water splitting.
• To investigate the performance of 1T-molybdenum disulfide (1T-MoS₂) integrated with a metal molybdenum plate.
• To demonstrate the potential of the MC for efficient green hydrogen production.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of 1T-MoS₂ via a simple hydrothermal method.
• Fabrication of a monolithic catalyst (MC) by vertically bonding 1T-MoS₂ to a metal molybdenum plate using covalent bonds.
• Electrochemical testing of the MC for water splitting performance, including overpotential and durability measurements.

Main Results:

• The synthesized MC exhibits an extremely low-resistance interface and mechanical robustness.
• The MC achieves stable water splitting at a high current density of 350 mA cm^-2 with a low overpotential of 400 mV.
• Negligible performance decay was observed after 60 hours of operation at 350 mA cm^-2, indicating outstanding durability.

Conclusions:

• The novel MC with robust, metallic interfaces is a promising candidate for high-current water splitting.
• This catalyst design facilitates fast charge transfer, enhancing overall water splitting efficiency.
• The developed MC contributes to the advancement of green hydrogen production technologies for carbon neutrality.