Synergistic Doping and Intercalation: Realizing Deep Phase Modulation on MoS2 Arrays for High‐Efficiency Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

A synergistic N doping plus PO₄^3? intercalation strategy is used to induce high conversion (ca. 41 %) of 2H‐MoS₂ into 1T‐MoS₂, which is much higher than single N doping (ca. 28 %) or single PO₄^3? intercalation (ca. 10 %). A scattering mechanism is proposed to illustrate the synergistic phase transformation from the 2H to the 1T phase, which was confirmed by synchrotron radiation and spherical aberration TEM. To further enhance reaction kinetics, the designed (N,PO₄^3?)‐MoS₂ nanosheets are combined with conductive vertical graphene (VG) skeleton forming binder‐free arrays for high‐efficiency hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Owing to the decreased band gap, lower d‐band center, and smaller hydrogen adsorption/desorption energy, the designed (N,PO₄^3?)‐MoS₂/VG electrode shows excellent HER performance with a lower Tafel slope and overpotential than N‐MoS₂/VG, PO₄^3?‐MoS₂/VG counterparts, and other Mo‐base catalysts in the literature.     

Impedance Biosensing atop MoS2 Thin Films with Mo−S Bond Formation to Antibody Fragments Created by Disulphide Bond Reduction

Immobilization of antibody fragments to 3‐phenoxybenzoic acid (3‐PBA), which are created by disulphide bond (S?S) reduction with tris (2‐carboxyethyl) phosphine (TCEP), is reported atop MoS₂ and Cu‐doped MoS₂ thin films. MoS₂ and Cu‐doped MoS₂ thin films are electrodeposited using previously reported methods and tested for their ability to immobilize antibody fragments, before and after annealing in Ar at 500 °C for 3 h. This annealing procedure removes excess sulphur in the as‐deposited films, and creates coordinatively unsaturated Mo sites that are highly reactive towards sulphur, as previously reported for MoS₂ hydrodesulphurization catalysts. As demonstrated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements, both annealed MoS₂ and Cu‐doped MoS₂ thin films adsorb antibody fragments through Mo?S bond formation, unlike the as‐deposited films. Impedance detection of 3‐PBA is reported utilizing antibody fragments bound to both materials, with a sensitivity of 2.7×10⁸ Ω cm² M^?1 and a detection limit of 2.5×10^?6 M atop MoS₂, and a sensitivity of 5.9×10⁸ Ω cm² M^?1 and a detection limit of 3.8×10^?6 M atop Cu‐doped MoS₂. The rms surface roughness obtained by atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements atop annealed MoS₂ and Cu‐doped MoS₂ ranges from 60–140 nm, so the methods described herein are not limited to ultra‐smooth substrates.     

Engineering Chemically Exfoliated Large‐Area Two‐Dimensional MoS2 Nanolayers with Porphyrins for Improved Light Harvesting

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) is a promising candidate for electronic and optoelectronic applications. However, its application in light harvesting has been limited in part due to crystal defects, often related to small crystallite sizes, which diminish charge separation and transfer. Here we demonstrate a surface‐engineering strategy for 2D MoS₂ to improve its photoelectrochemical properties. Chemically exfoliated large‐area MoS₂ thin films were interfaced with eight molecules from three porphyrin families: zinc(II)‐, gallium(III)‐, iron(III)‐centered, and metal‐free protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP, GaPP, FePP, H₂PP); metal‐free and zinc(II) tetra‐(N‐methyl‐4‐pyridyl)porphyrin (H₂T4, ZnT4); and metal‐free and zinc(II) tetraphenylporphyrin (H₂TPP, ZnTPP). We found that the photocurrents from MoS₂ films under visible‐light illumination are strongly dependent on the interfacial molecules and that the photocurrent enhancement is closely correlated with the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) levels of the porphyrins, which suppress the recombination of electron–hole pairs in the photoexcited MoS₂ films. A maximum tenfold increase was observed for MoS₂ functionalized with ZnPP compared with pristine MoS₂ films, whereas ZnT4‐functionalized MoS₂ demonstrated small increases in photocurrent. The application of bias voltage on MoS₂ films can further promote photocurrent enhancements and control current directions. Our results suggest a facile route to render 2D MoS₂ films useful for potential high‐performance light‐harvesting applications.     

Hierarchical Nanoboxes Composed of Co9S8−MoS2 Nanosheets as Efficient Electrocatalysts for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

The development of hydrogen evolution catalysts based on nonprecious metals is essential for the practical application of water‐splitting devices. Herein, the synthesis of Co₉S₈?MoS₂ hierarchical nanoboxes (HNBs) as efficient catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is reported. The surface of the hollow cubic structure was organized by CoMoS₄ nanosheets formed through the reaction of MoS₄^2? and Co²⁺ released from the cobalt zeolite imidazole framework (ZIF‐67) templates under reflux in a mixture of water/ethanol. The formation process for the CoMoS₄ HNB structures was characterized by TEM images recorded at various reaction temperatures. The amorphous CoMoS₄ HNBs were converted through sequential heat treatments into CoS_x?MoS₂ and Co₉S₈?MoS₂ HNBs. Owing to their unique chemical compositions and structural features, Co₉S₈?MoS₂ HNBs have a high specific surface area (124.6 m² g^?1) and superior electrocatalytic performances for the HER. The Co₉S₈?MoS₂ HNBs exhibit a low overpotential (η₁₀) of 106 mV, a low Tafel slope of 51.8 mV dec^?1, and long‐term stability in an acidic medium. The electrocatalytic activity of Co₉S₈?MoS₂ HNBs is superior to that of recently reported values, and these HNBs prove to be promising candidates for the HER.     

Ultrasmall Cu7S4@MoS2 Hetero‐Nanoframes with Abundant Active Edge Sites for Ultrahigh‐Performance Hydrogen Evolution

Increasing the active edge sites of molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) is an efficient strategy to improve the overall activity of MoS₂ for the hydrogen‐evolution reaction (HER). Herein, we report a strategy to synthesize the ultrasmall donut‐shaped Cu₇S₄@MoS₂ hetero‐nanoframes with abundant active MoS₂ edge sites as alternatives to platinum (Pt) as efficient HER electrocatalysts. These nanoframes demonstrate an ultrahigh activity with 200 mA cm^?2 current density at only 206 mV overpotential using a carbon‐rod counter electrode. The finding may provide guidelines for the design and synthesis of efficient and non‐precious chalcogenide nanoframe catalysts.     

MoS2 Nanosheets Supported on 3D Graphene Aerogel as a Highly Efficient Catalyst for Hydrogen Evolution

The development of efficient catalysts for electrochemical hydrogen evolution is essential for energy conversion technologies. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) has emerged as a promising electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction, and its performance greatly depends on its exposed edge sites and conductivity. Layered MoS₂ nanosheets supported on a 3D graphene aerogel network (GA‐MoS₂) exhibit significant catalytic activity in hydrogen evolution. The GA‐MoS₂ composite displays a unique 3D architecture with large active surface areas, leading to high catalytic performance with low overpotential, high current density, and good stability.     

Ping‐Pong Energy Transfer in Covalently Linked Porphyrin‐MoS2 Architectures

Molybdenum disulfide nanosheets covalently modified with porphyrin were prepared and fully characterized. Neither the porphyrin absorption nor its fluorescence was notably affected by covalent linkage to MoS₂. The use of transient absorption spectroscopy showed that a complex ping‐pong energy‐transfer mechanism, namely from the porphyrin to MoS₂ and back to the porphyrin, operated. This study reveals the potential of transition‐metal dichalcogenides in photosensitization processes.     

Large‐scale Two‐dimensional MoSx Catalyst Prepared under Mild Conditions for Enhancing Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

As an electrocatalyst with abundant resources and great potential, molybdenum disulfide is regarded as one of the most likely alternatives to expensive noble‐metals catalysts. However, it is still a challenge to achieve large scale production of few‐layer MoS₂ with enhancing activity of electrocatalytic hydrogen reaction at ambient conditions. Herein, we developed a simple environmentally friendly two‐step method, which included intercalation reaction and a subsequent electrochemical reduction reaction for mass preparation of defect‐rich desulfurized MoS_x (D?MoS_x) nanosheets with plentiful sulfur vacancies. The ratio of sulfur‐molybdenum atoms can be adjusted from 2 : 1 to 1.4 : 1 by regulating the desulfurization voltage. It was found that the HER catalytic activity of the D?MoS_x was enhanced compared with that of pristine MoS₂ (P?MoS₂), the current density of D?MoS_x (desulfurization at ?1.0 V) at ?0.3 V versus RHE was about 169% of the P?MoS₂, and the Tafel slope decreased to 136 mV dec^?1. This method can be widely applied to large‐scale preparation of other two‐dimensional materials.     

A Photoelectrochemical Biosensor Fabricated using Hierarchically Structured Gold Nanoparticle and MoS2 on Tannic Acid Templated Mesoporous TiO2

In a tannic acid assisted synthesis of mesoporous TiO₂, tannic acid was used as a cost effective and non‐toxic template for pore formation. Meanwhile, a gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) deposited TiO₂ nanocomposite was coated on an indium tin oxide electrode for the fabrication of a photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensing system. Upon the formation of anatase structure, the electrode was coated with MoS₂ for effective visible light absorption. The mesoporous structure led to an enhanced surface area by improving Au NPs and glucose oxidase adsorption. Incorporation of Au NPs led to an enhanced photonic efficiency due to the generation of Schottky barriers. The obtained nanocomposite was used for the light‐driven, real‐time, and selective PEC glucose sensing. Under visible light irradiation, the enzyme immobilized electrodes yielded significant photocurrent improvement owing to the releasing electron donor H₂O₂. The obtained PEC biosensor demonstrated acceptable reproducibility and stability with a sensitivity of 4.42 μA mM^?1 cm^?2 and a low detection limit of 1.2 μM glucose. Also, the linear measurement range was found to be 0.004–1.75 mM glucose. The results indicated that the proposed production method of mesoporous TiO₂ will pave the way for a green chemistry based porous material production, along with the extension of the implementation of semiconductors in PEC biosensing systems.     

Highly Efficient Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting with an Immobilized Molecular Co4O4 Cubane Catalyst

Molecular Co₄O₄ cubane water oxidation catalysts were combined with BiVO₄ electrodes for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. The results show that tuning the substituent groups on cobalt cubane allows the PEC properties of the final molecular catalyst/BiVO₄ hybrid photoanodes to be tailored. Upon loading a new cubane complex featuring alkoxy carboxylato bridging ligands ( 1 h ) on BiVO₄, an AM 1.5G photocurrent density of 5 mA cm⁻² at 1.23 V vs. RHE for water oxidation was obtained, the highest photocurrent for undoped BiVO₄ photoanodes. A high solar‐energy conversion efficiency of 1.84 % was obtained for the integrated photoanode, a sixfold enhancement over that of unmodified BiVO₄. These results and the high surface charge separation efficiency support the role of surface‐modified molecular catalysts in improving PEC performance and demonstrate the potential of molecule/semiconductor hybrids for efficient artificial photosynthesis.     

Interface Engineering of MoS2/Ni3S2 Heterostructures for Highly Enhanced Electrochemical Overall‐Water‐Splitting Activity

To achieve sustainable production of H₂ fuel through water splitting, low‐cost electrocatalysts for the hydrogen‐evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen‐evolution reaction (OER) are required to replace Pt and IrO₂ catalysts. Herein, for the first time, we present the interface engineering of novel MoS₂/Ni₃S₂ heterostructures, in which abundant interfaces are formed. For OER, such MoS₂/Ni₃S₂ heterostructures show an extremely low overpotential of ca. 218 mV at 10 mA cm^?2, which is superior to that of the state‐of‐the‐art OER electrocatalysts. Using MoS₂/Ni₃S₂ heterostructures as bifunctional electrocatalysts, an alkali electrolyzer delivers a current density of 10 mA cm^?2 at a very low cell voltage of ca. 1.56 V. In combination with DFT calculations, this study demonstrates that the constructed interfaces synergistically favor the chemisorption of hydrogen and oxygen‐containing intermediates, thus accelerating the overall electrochemical water splitting.     

MoS2 Nanoflowers with Expanded Interlayers as High‐Performance Anodes for Sodium‐Ion Batteries

MoS₂ nanoflowers with expanded interlayer spacing of the (002) plane were synthesized and used as high‐performance anode in Na‐ion batteries. By controlling the cut‐off voltage to the range of 0.4–3 V, an intercalation mechanism rather than a conversion reaction is taking place. The MoS₂ nanoflower electrode shows high discharge capacities of 350 mAh g^?1 at 0.05 A g^?1, 300 mAh g^?1 at 1 A g^?1, and 195 mAh g^?1 at 10 A g^?1. An initial capacity increase with cycling is caused by peeling off MoS₂ layers, which produces more active sites for Na⁺ storage. The stripping of MoS₂ layers occurring in charge/discharge cycling contributes to the enhanced kinetics and low energy barrier for the intercalation of Na⁺ ions. The electrochemical reaction is mainly controlled by the capacitive process, which facilitates the high‐rate capability. Therefore, MoS₂ nanoflowers with expanded interlayers hold promise for rechargeable Na‐ion batteries.     

A Facile Strategy for the Preparation of MoS3 and its Application as a Negative Electrode for Supercapacitors

Owing to their graphene‐like structure and available oxidation valence states, transition metal sulfides are promising candidates for supercapacitors. Herein, we report the application of MoS₃ as a new negative electrode for supercapacitors. MoS₃ was fabricated by the facile thermal decomposition of a (NH₄)₂MoS₄ precursor. For comparison, samples of MoS₃&MoS₂ and MoS₂ were also synthesized by using the same method. Moreover, this is the first report of the application of MoS₃ as a negative electrode for supercapacitors. MoS₃ displayed a high specific capacitance of 455.6 F g^?1 at a current density of 0.5 A g^?1. The capacitance retention of the MoS₃ electrode was 92 % after 1500 cycles, and even 71 % after 5000 cycles. In addition, an asymmetric supercapacitor assembly of MoS₃ as the negative electrode demonstrated a high energy density at a high potential of 2.0 V in aqueous electrolyte. These notable results show that MoS₃ has significant potential in energy‐storage devices.     

Defect Engineering of MoS2 and Its Impacts on Electrocatalytic and Photocatalytic Behavior in Hydrogen Evolution Reactions

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) has been regarded as a favorable photocatalytic co‐catalyst and efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalyst alternative to expensive noble‐metals catalysts, owing to earth‐abundance, proper band gap, high surface area, and fast electron transfer ability. In order to achieve a higher catalytic efficiency, defects strategies such as phase engineering and vacancy introduction are considered as promising methods for natural 2H‐MoS₂ to increase its active sites and promote electron transfer rate. In this study, we report a new two‐step defect engineering process to generate vacancies‐rich hybrid‐phase MoS₂ and to introduce Ru particles at the same time, which includes hydrothermal reaction and a subsequent hydrogen reduction. Compositional and structural properties of the synthesized defects‐rich MoS₂ are investigated by XRD, XPS, XAFS and Raman measurements, and the electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction performance, as well as photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance in the ammonia borane dehydrogenation are evaluated. Both catalytic activities are boosted with the increase of defects concentrations in MoS₂, which ascertains that the defects engineering is a promising route to promote catalytic performance of MoS₂.     

Three‐Dimensional MoS2 Hierarchical Nanoarchitectures Anchored into a Carbon Layer as Graphene Analogues with Improved Lithium Ion Storage Performance

Much attention has recently been focused on the synthesis and application of graphene analogues of layered nanomaterials owing to their better electrochemical performance than the bulk counterparts. We synthesized graphene analogue of 3D MoS₂ hierarchical nanoarchitectures through a facile hydrothermal route. The graphene‐like MoS₂ nanosheets are uniformly dispersed in an amorphous carbon matrix produced in situ by hydrothermal carbonization. The interlaminar distance between the MoS₂ nanosheets is about 1.38 nm, which is far larger than that of bulk MoS₂ (0.62 nm). Such a layered architecture is especially beneficial for the intercalation and deintercalation of Li⁺. When tested as a lithium‐storage anode material, the graphene‐like MoS₂ hierarchical nanoarchitectures exhibit high specific capacity, superior rate capability, and enhanced cycling performance. This material shows a high reversible capacity of 813.5 mAh g^?1 at a current density of 1000 mA g^?1 after 100 cycles and a specific capacity as high as 600 mAh g^?1 could be retained even at a current density of 4000 mA g^?1. The results further demonstrate that constructing 3D graphene‐like hierarchical nanoarchitectures can effectively improve the electrochemical performance of electrode materials.     

Single‐Step Synthesis of Mesoporous Carbon Nitride/Molybdenum Sulfide Nanohybrids for High‐Performance Sodium‐Ion Batteries

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) is a promising candidate as a high‐performing anode material for sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) due to its large interlayer spacing. However, it suffers from continued capacity fading. This problem could be overcome by hybridizing MoS₂ with nanostructured carbon‐based materials, but it is quite challenging. Herein, we demonstrate a single‐step strategy for the preparation of MoS₂ coupled with ordered mesoporous carbon nitride using a nanotemplating approach which involves the pyrolysis of phosphomolybdic acid hydrate (PMA), dithiooxamide (DTO) and 5‐amino‐1H‐tetrazole (5‐ATTZ) together in the porous channels of 3D mesoporous silica template. The sulfidation to MoS₂, polymerization to carbon nitride (CN) and their hybridization occur simultaneously within a mesoporous silica template during a calcination process. The CN/MoS₂ hybrid prepared by this unique approach is highly pure and exhibits good crystallinity as well as delivers excellent performance for SIBs with specific capacities of 605 and 431 mAhg^?1 at current densities of 100 and 1000 mAg^?1, respectively, for SIBs.     

Designing 3D‐MoS2 Sponge as Excellent Cocatalysts in Advanced Oxidation Processes for Pollutant Control

3D‐MoS₂ can adsorb organic molecules and provide multidimensional electron transport pathways, implying a potential application for environment remediation. Here, we study the degradation of aromatic organics in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) by a 3D‐MoS₂ sponge loaded with MoS₂ nanospheres and graphene oxide (GO). Exposed Mo⁴⁺ active sites on 3D‐MoS₂ can significantly improve the concentration and stability of Fe²⁺ in AOPs and keep the Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ in a stable dynamic cycle, thus effectively promoting the activation of H₂O₂/peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The degradation rate of organic pollutants in the 3D‐MoS₂ system is about 50 times higher than without cocatalyst. After a 140 L pilot‐scale experiment, it still maintains high efficiency and stable AOPs activity. After 16 days of continuous reaction, the 3D‐MoS₂ achieves a degradation rate of 120 mg L^?1 antibiotic wastewater up to 97.87 %. The operating cost of treating a ton of wastewater is only US$ 0.33, suggesting huge industrial applications.     

Fluoroethylene Carbonate Enabling a Robust LiF‐rich Solid Electrolyte Interphase to Enhance the Stability of the MoS2 Anode for Lithium‐Ion Storage

As a high‐capacity anode for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), MoS₂ suffers from short lifespan that is due in part to its unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). The cycle life of MoS₂ can be greatly extended by manipulating the SEI with a fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) additive. The capacity of MoS₂ in the electrolyte with 10 wt % FEC stabilizes at about 770 mAh g^?1 for 200 cycles at 1 A g^?1, which far surpasses the FEC‐free counterpart (ca. 40 mAh g^?1 after 150 cycles). The presence of FEC enables a robust LiF‐rich SEI that can effectively inhibit the continual electrolyte decomposition. A full cell with a LiNi_0.5Co_0.3Mn_0.2O₂ cathode also gains improved performance in the FEC‐containing electrolyte. These findings reveal the importance of controlling SEI formation on MoS₂ toward promoted lithium storage, opening a new avenue for developing metal sulfides as high‐capacity electrodes for LIBs.     

Construction of Er3+:YAlO3/RGO/TiO2 Hybrid Electrode with Enhanced Photoelectrocatalytic Performance in Methylene Blue Degradation Under Visible Light

Much attention has been paid on doping TiO₂ to narrow its band gap to promote the absorption of visible light and restrain the recombination of electron–hole pairs to improve its efficiency in photoelectrocatalysis (PEC) under visible‐light irradiation. However, the oxidation potential energy of photo‐induced holes for the modified catalysts by visible‐light excitation is lower than that without modification by UV excitation. In this work, we synthesized a co‐coupled TiO₂ electrode (denoted ERT) with the Er³⁺:YAlO₃ and reduced graphene oxide (RGO), achieving the synergetic effect of visible‐light‐to‐UV up‐conversion and response and great electron transfer ability. The effects of external bias voltage, electrolyte concentration and pH on the PEC activity were studied with the methylene blue (MB) as the target pollutant. The results indicated that PEC by the ERT electrode showed the highest MB removal compared with those by the electrodes coupled with RGO or Er³⁺:YAlO₃ alone. In addition, the kinetic rate constant of the PEC process using the ERT electrode was higher than the sum of those of the photocatalytic and electrocatalytic processes. The optimal conditions for PEC by the ERT electrode were an external bias voltage of 1.0 V, 0.1 mol L^?1 Na₂SO₄ and pH = 10.     

Interpretation of the difference of optimal Mo density in MoS<Subscript>2</Subscript>-Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> and MoS<Subscript>2</Subscript>-TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> HDS catalysts

The first part of this paper deals with the morphology of the MoS₂ phase and its oxide precursor, the MoO₃ phase, mainly from a geometrical point of view. After giving a brief review of the literature describing the structure of these compounds, Mo densities in both phases were calculated along various crystallographic planes. Further, using structural models recently proposed by others, Mo densities in MoS₂ were also calculated in the case of an epitactic growth on γ-Al₂O₃ and TiO₂ model surfaces. Then, the calculated Mo densities were compared with experimental results (Mo density when HDS activity is maximal) previously obtained for catalysts constituted of MoS₂ supported on a low SSA TiO₂, a high SSA TiO₂ and a conventional γ-alumina. It was suggested that either on alumina or titania the MoS₂ phase is growing as (100) MoS₂ planes. However, while on the alumina the optimal MoS₂ phase might be constituted of dispersed MoS₂ slabs covering only a part of the alumina surface (2.9–3.9 Mo atoms/nm²), on titania the optimal MoS₂ phase might be constituted of a uniform MoS₂ monolayer (5.2 atoms/nm² for the high SSA titania, which is equal to the Mo density of a perfect MoS₂ (100) plane). This difference may originate in the creation of a 'TiMoS' phase enhancing the S atoms mobility over Mo/TiO₂-sulfided catalysts. Indeed, while in the case of a γ-alumina carrier the active sites (labile S atoms) are located on the edge of MoS₂ slabs making the ratio Mo_edge/Mo_total a crucial parameter for the catalytic performances, in the case of a titania carrier the labile sulfur atoms might be statistically distributed all over the TiMoS active phase. Further, the higher Mo density observed over the high SSA titania (5.2 atoms/nm²) when compared to that over the low SSA titania (4.2 atoms/nm²) was supposedly due to the pH-swing method advantageously used to prepare the former carrier. Indeed, this method allows giving a solid with enhanced mechanical properties providing a good stability to the derived catalysts under experimental conditions. In addition, this TiO₂ carrier exhibits a great homogeneity, with a surface structure substantially uniform, which might be adequate for a long-range growth of (100) MoS₂ slabs.