Amorphous-MoO3-x/MoS2 heterostructure: in situ oxidizing amorphization of S-vacancy MoS2 for enhanced alkaline hydrogen evolution

Cost-effective and durable electrocatalysts for the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are urgently required. The slow HER kinetics suppressed by water dissociation hinder the application of catalysts in alkaline media. Herein, we constructed an amorphous heterostructure that combined amorphous-MoO3-x (A-MoO3-x) and MoS2 by in situ oxidizing amorphization of S-vacancy MoS2. The optimal A-MoO3-x/MoS2 catalyst exhibited a competitive HER overpotential of -146 mV at eta = -10 mA cm(-2). DFT calculations indicate that A-MoO3-x can reduce the energy barriers of water dissociation and H-2 formation, and the heterointerfaces can facilitate charge transfer.