Interface engineering of the MoS2/NiS2/CoS2 nanotube as a highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting

Developing advanced electrocatalysis for overall water splitting is the important premise of sustainable and green production of hydrogen. In this work, we report a self-template method to synthesis MoS2/NiS2/CoS2 nanotube based on MoO3 nanorod. The interface engineering and strong electronic interaction of the heterogeneous catalyst greatly increase the electron density around the Fermi level, which could facilitate the adsorption of H and OH-containing intermediates. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy measurement demonstrates the enhanced electron density, and density functional theory calculation reveals the strengthened H and OH adsorption based on the Gibbs free energy. Combined with the large electrochemical surface area brought by the unique nanotube structure, the MoS2/NiS2/CoS2 displays low overpotentials of 101 and 230 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA/cm(2) for hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction. In addition, the catalyst can stably drive overall water splitting at a cell voltage of 1.58 V, demonstrating its potential applications. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Developing advanced electrocatalysis for overall water splitting is crucial for sustainable hydrogen production. The self-template method used in this work successfully synthesized MoS2/NiS2/CoS2 nanotube, which exhibited enhanced electron density and improved adsorption properties for H and OH-containing intermediates. The heterogeneous catalyst displayed low overpotentials and stable overall water splitting, showing great potential for practical applications.