Ultralow Ru-incorporated MoS2 nanosheet arrays for efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution in dual-pH

The design of inexpensive yet effective electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) that can function over a wide pH range is highly desirable. In this study, ultralow Ru-incorporated MoS2 nanosheet arrays grown on a carbon cloth (Ru-MoS2/CC) were fabricated for electrocatalytic HER through a simple one-pot hydrothermal method. The effect of the Ru doping amount on the electrochemical performance of MoS2 nanosheets was studied. The best HER activity was achieved with the optimal 0.01-Ru-MoS2/CC catalyst, which provided a low overpotential of 169 or 90 mV for HER at 10 mA cm(-2) in 0.5 M H2SO4 or 1.0 M KOH electrolytes, respectively. Moreover, the catalyst was shown to be extremely durable under wide pH electrolytes. This research lays the path for the development of MoS2-based electrocatalysts with strong HER activity across a wide pH range.

Automated summary

In this study, ultralow Ru-incorporated MoS2 nanosheet arrays (Ru-MoS2/CC) were fabricated for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) across a wide pH range. The optimal 0.01-Ru-MoS2/CC catalyst exhibited excellent performance in different electrolytes, demonstrating high stability under various pH conditions. This research paves the way for the development of MoS2-based electrocatalysts with strong HER activity.