Metal Sulfides Yolk-Shell Nanoreactors with Dual Component for Enhanced Acidic Electrochemical Hydrogen Production

The activity of electrocatalysts can be optimized via constructing heterostructures, while it remains a challenge for the universal synthesis of heterocatalysts with covalent interface. Herein, a universal bifunctional-S strategy for the preparation of covalently connected metal sulfides yolk-shell nanoreactors with dual components toward enhanced electrochemical hydrogen production in acid, is reported. Specifically, the yolk-shell MoS2-(CTAB)(2)S-z host with abundant covalent S-2(2-) is first developed by a micelle-confined microemulsion technology. The preencapsulated S-2(2-) in the precursor is utilized to in situ react with the additional M ions (M = Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mn, Cd, Sn), thus creating the covalent microenvironment at the heterointerface, which demonstrates a universal strategy to prepare dual-component metal sulfides nanoreactors (MoS2/MxSy-BS). The resultant MoS2/CdS-BS nanoreactor exhibits excellent hydrogen evolution activity (27 mV at 10 mA cm(-2)) among the MoS2-based heterocatalysts reported in the literature, while representing an improvement of four times than that of as-prepared traditional MoS2/CdS heterocatalyst. Operando X-ray diffractometer patterns are performed to study durability. The enhanced mechanism related to the transformation of catalytic center and the establishment of electronic bridge at the interface of MoS2/CdS-BS are revealed by theoretical calculations. This study inspires to develop covalently connected electrocatalysts via nanoreactors' engineering.

Automated summary

A novel bifunctional-S strategy for the preparation of metal sulfides yolk-shell nanoreactors with dual components has been reported to enhance electrochemical hydrogen production. Experimental and theoretical calculations were used to study the interface mechanism and durability of MoS2/CdS-BS, demonstrating a universal strategy for preparing these materials. This study inspires the development of covalently connected electrocatalysts through nanoreactor engineering.