Construction of Cu2O-g-C3N4/MoS2 composite material through the decoration of Cu2O nanoparticles onto the surface of two-dimensional g-C3N4/MoS2 heterostructure for their application in electrochemical hydrogen evolution

This work focused on developing an efficient electrocatalyst comprising a cost-effective metal oxide and twodimensional layered materials. Tricomponent Cu2O-g-C3N4/MoS2 composite material was synthesized using a facile two-step procedure for their catalytic application in electrochemical hydrogen evolution. In addition to the more electrochemically active surface area (ECSA), the presence of synergistic properties among the components in the Cu2O-g-C3N4/MoS2 composite material contributed to the excellent efficiency of the catalyst in the evolution of hydrogen from an aqueous acidic solution. The composite demonstrated a low overpotential of -0.14 V vs RHE at 10 mA/cm2 and a high total current density of 237.6 mA/cm2 at -0.8 V. The improvement in the performance of the composite material for hydrogen evolution (HER) was supported by PEIS results in addition to CV and LSV. The reaction kinetics of the HER catalyzed by Cu2O-g-C3N4/MoS2 composite material was explained with the help of the Tafel slope. Moreover, the high durability of the catalyst with no drop in the current density for many hours was established through CA measurement.

Automated summary

This study focused on the development of an efficient electrocatalyst composed of a cost-effective metal oxide and two-dimensional layered materials. A tricomponent Cu2O-g-C3N4/MoS2 composite material was synthesized via a simple procedure and showed excellent catalytic efficiency in electrochemical hydrogen evolution. The Cu2O-g-C3N4/MoS2 composite material exhibited a low overpotential and a high total current density, indicating its superior performance. The reaction kinetics and durability of the catalyst were also investigated and explained.