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Hydrothermally grown MoS2 nanosheets under non-equilibrium condition and its electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance

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Abstract

Molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) is a potential noble metal-free electrocatalyst for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER). However, it’s HER activity is largely governed by the existence of edge sites created by the sulphur non-stoichiometry. Herein we report synthesis of highly disordered 2D-MoS2 nanosheets by simple hydrothermal route under a non-equilibrium growth condition. Excess sulphur content in the precursor than that required to synthesize stoichiometric MoS2 causes wide variation in their morphologies and physico-chemical properties. The sulphur enriched MoS2+δ nanosheets with high density of ripples and wrinkles show the lowest overpotential of 234 mV at a current density of 10 mA/cm2 and also low Tafel slope of 82 mV/dec in acidic electrolyte. Further, a Density Functional Theory-based formalism is employed to mimic various possible configuration of sulphur addition within the supercell and to understand its role over hydrogen absorption and desorption processes.

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Acknowledgments

Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Government of India is being thankfully acknowledged for the grant under the project no. CRG/2018/002254. Authors acknowledge Solar Research & Development Center (SRDC), PDEU for providing FE-SEM, XRD, Raman and Electrochemical facilities.

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  1. Department of Solar Energy, School of Technology, Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Raisan, Gandhinagar, 382426, India

    Naznin Shaikh, Indrajit Mukhopadhyay & Abhijit Ray

  2. Solar Research & Development Center, Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Raisan, Gandhinagar, 382426, India

    Indrajit Mukhopadhyay & Abhijit Ray

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  1. Naznin Shaikh
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Shaikh, N., Mukhopadhyay, I. & Ray, A. Hydrothermally grown MoS2 nanosheets under non-equilibrium condition and its electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance. Journal of Materials Research 37, 1892–1903 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1557/s43578-022-00601-6

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