Cotton Wool Derived Carbon Fiber Aerogel Supported Few-Layered MoSe2 Nanosheets As Efficient Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution

Recent studies have proven that newly emerging two-dimensional molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2) is a promising noble-metal-free electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Increasing the exposures of the active edges of MoSe2 nanostructures is a key issue to fully realize the excellent electrochemical properties of MoSe2. In this work, a few layered MoSe2/carbon fiber aerogel (CFA) hybrids have been facilely obtained through the combination of high-temperature carbonization and one-pot solvothermal reaction. CFA derived from cotton wool is used as a three-dimensional conductive network for construction of hierarchical MoSe2/CFA hybrids, where few-layered MoSe2 nanosheets are uniformly and perpendicularly decorated on the surfaces of CFA. In the designed and prepared hybrids, CFA effectively increases the exposures of the active edges of MoSe2 nanosheets as well as provides reduced lengths for both electron transportation and ion diffusion. Therefore, the obtained optimal MoSe2/CFA hybrid exhibits excellent electrochemical activity as HER electrocatalyst with a small onset potential of -0.104 V-vs reversible hydrogen electrode and a anal Tafel slope Of 62 mV per decade, showing its great potential as a next-generation Pt-free electrocatalyst for HER.