Stable 1T-MoS₂ by Facile Phase Transition Synthesis for Efficient Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Catalysis
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• The 1T phase of Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS₂) offers superior electrocatalytic activity and stability compared to the 2H phase.
• Synthesizing the 1T phase of MoS₂ typically requires harsh conditions, limiting its practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a facile hydrothermal synthesis method for inducing the phase transition of MoS₂ from 2H to 1T phase.
• To utilize NH₂-MIL-125(Ti) (Titanium Metal-Organic Framework) as a catalyst to promote this phase transition.
• To investigate the electrocatalytic performance of the resulting MoS₂/Ti MOF heterostructure for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER).

Main Methods:

• Hydrothermal synthesis was employed to achieve the phase transition of MoS₂.
• NH₂-MIL-125(Ti) was used as a phase-inducing agent.
• Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations were performed to analyze electronic properties and OER performance.

Main Results:

• A high conversion ratio of approximately 78.3% for the 2H to 1T phase transition of MoS₂ was achieved.
• The optimized MoS₂/Ti MOF heterostructure exhibited enhanced OER performance.
• An overpotential of 290 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm^-2 was recorded for the heterostructure in OER.

Conclusions:

• The developed hydrothermal method using Ti MOF is effective for inducing the 2H to 1T phase transition in MoS₂.
• The phase-induced MoS₂/Ti MOF heterostructure demonstrates promising electrocatalytic activity for OER.
• DFT calculations confirm the advantages of the 1T phase and the heterostructure for OER.