Anchoring Ultrafine Ru Nanoparticles Triggers 2H MoS2 Basal Plane for Efficient Dual-pH Hydrogen Evolution
Abstract
Coupling noble metals on molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has emerged as a promising strategy for triggering inert basal plane and boosting hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performances. Herein, ultrafine Ru nanoparticles (NPs) are decorated on vertical 2H MoS2 nanosheets via a facile hydrothermal method. Benefiting from new active site centers triggered by ultrafine Ru NPs and vertically grown 2H MoS2 nanosheets on carbon cloth (CC), Ru0.15@2H MoS2 exhibits impressive HER performances in dual pH media, with low overpotentials of 20 and 111 mV and small Tafel slope of 67.6 and 76.3 mV dec-1 in alkaline and acid solutions to drive a current density of 10 mA cm-2. DFT calculation results prove that ultrafine Ru NPs decorated on 2H MoS2 nanosheets endow Ru0.15@2H MoS2 with low hydrogen adsorption free energy and fast charge transfer kinetics. This work provides an effective and simple method for designing MoS2-based catalysts with high catalytic activity to decorate precious metal in a wide pH medium.