Hydrogen on hybrid MoS2/graphene nanostructures

Transition metal dichalcogenides are rising candidates for the replacement of Pt catalysts in water splitting. In this theoretical study we focus on the hydrogen evolution reaction part of this process and on how hydrogen (H) interacts with MoS₂ nanostructures, free‐standing or positioned on a graphene substrate. Density functional theory calculations confirm the stability of such nanostructures and our results for H on several configurations, from 2D infinite monolayers to quasi‐1D MoS₂ ribbons and quasi‐0D MoS₂ flakes, are presented. We calculate the adsorption energy of H atoms on various sites of the MoS₂ nanostructures, notably at Mo and S active edges. Comparing free‐standing and MoS₂/graphene hybrid systems we find that the effect of the support on the adsorption of H on MoS₂ nanostructures is quite significant when the substrate induces strain. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The study of electronic and optical properties of ZnO/MoS2 and its vacancy heterostructures by first principles

Based on the first principles calculation, the effects of vacancies on the structural, electronic and optical properties of ZnO/MoS₂ heterostructure are investigated in this work. The results show that vacancies could exist stably in the heterojunctions and cause a significant decrease in bandgap. ZnO/MoS₂ with an O vacancy maintains semiconductor property with a bandgap of 0.119 eV, while heterostructure with a Zn vacancy exhibits metallic characteristic. Furthermore, the absorption capability of defective heterojunctions has been extended to infrared light region with obvious redshift. To sum up, vacancy engineering effectively changes the electronic and optical properties of ZnO/MoS₂ heterostructure, which provides a feasible approach for adjusting the optoelectronic properties of two-dimensional heterostructures and broadening their application in functional nanoelectronic and optoelectronic devices.     

水热法合成MOS2层状材料及其结构表征

以硫脲为还原剂和硫源,利用水热法在160～220℃下反应,合成了具有很好晶相的MoS2．采用XRD,XPS和TEM对其进行了结构表征,比较了反应温度对于成晶的影响,并且讨论了反应机理．研究表明,用此种方法合成MoS2较以往的水热合成所用时间短,温度低,获得的晶相好,同时还有效地避免了使用吡啶等有机溶剂所带来的污染,为合成其他过渡金属硫化物提供了新途径．     

表面活性剂对水热法合成MoS2加氢脱硫催化剂的影响

采用水热法合成了MoS₂加氢脱硫催化剂,用物理吸附、XRD、SEM、TEM等手段对催化剂进行表征,并以噻吩为模型化合物研究不同类型表面活性剂对合成MoS₂催化剂活性的影响。结果表明,加入表面活性剂制备的催化剂颗粒疏松均匀,比表面积、孔容、孔径都较大,并且MoS₂层状堆叠数目增加;所制催化剂在噻吩加氢脱硫反应中均显示出较好的催化活性,在573 K、4.0 MPa条件下,噻吩加氢脱硫的转化率均大于97.0%,加入阳离子表面活性剂的Mo-S-C催化活性最高,噻吩转化率可达到99.9%。MoS₂催化剂的活性顺序为Mo-S-C>Mo-S-S>Mo-S-P>Mo-S-N。     

Current advances in electrochemical genosensors for detecting microRNA cancer markers

The electrochemical microRNA sensors are considered efficient, simple, and inexpensive analytical tools for the early diagnosis of cancer biomarkers. To enhance the sensitivity of the electrochemical genosensors toward detection of microRNAs, several amplification strategies based mainly on nanomaterials, enzymes, and oligonucleotides are investigated and discussed. This review highlights the main current achievements regarding the new promising and sensitive strategies for genosensors’ development, thus allowing for miroRNA analysis at the attomolar level.     

High‐Resolution Electrochemical Mapping of the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction on Transition‐Metal Dichalcogenide Nanosheets

High‐resolution scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM) is used to image and quantitatively analyze the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalytically active sites of 1H‐MoS₂ nanosheets, MoS₂, and WS₂ heteronanosheets. Using a 20 nm radius nanopipette and hopping mode scanning, the resolution of SECCM was beyond the optical microscopy limit and visualized a small triangular MoS₂ nanosheet with a side length of ca. 130 nm. The electrochemical cell provides local cyclic voltammograms with a nanoscale spatial resolution for visualizing HER active sites as electrochemical images. The HER activity difference of edge, terrace, and heterojunction of MoS₂ and WS₂ were revealed. The SECCM imaging directly visualized the relationship of HER activity and number of MoS₂ nanosheet layers and unveiled the heterogeneous aging state of MoS₂ nanosheets. SECCM can be used for improving local HER activities by producing sulfur vacancies using electrochemical reaction at the selected region.     

二维MoS2纳米材料及其复合物在水处理中的应用

纳米材料和纳米技术的快速发展为水处理及资源化技术的开发带来了全新的发展机遇,作为一种典型的类石墨烯结构的二硫化钼以其层状结构和独特的物理化学性能在众多纳米材料中受到重点关注。本文梳理和归纳了二维二硫化钼纳米材料及其复合物在水处理中吸附、膜分离、催化、抗菌和检测等方面的应用,重点介绍了其在吸附和膜分离方面的研究进展,以实现对水中各种离子、染料、抗生素、致病菌等多种环境污染物的高效去除。最后,对二硫化钼及其复合物在水处理中的应用作出了评价,探讨其未来发展方向以及面临的挑战,以期为解决水环境污染和水资源紧缺等问题提供一种新型的材料和技术手段。     

High‐Performance Platinum‐Free Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells with Molybdenum Disulfide Films as Counter Electrodes

By using a radio‐frequency sputtering method, we synthesized large‐area, uniform, and transparent molybdenum disulfide film electrodes (1, 3, 5, and 7 min) on transparent and conducting fluorine‐doped tin oxide (FTO), as ecofriendly, cost‐effective counter electrodes (CE) for dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). These CEs were used in place of the routinely used expensive platinum CEs for the catalytic reduction of a triiodide electrolyte. The structure and morphology of the MoS₂ was analyzed by using Raman spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and X‐ray photoemission spectroscopy measurements and the DSSC characteristics were investigated. An unbroken film of MoS₂ was identified on the FTO crystallites from field‐emission scanning electron microscopy. Cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and Tafel curve measurements reveal the promise of MoS₂ as a CE with a low charge‐transfer resistance, high electrocatalytic activity, and fast reaction kinetics for the reduction of triiodide to iodide. Finally, an optimized transparent MoS₂ CE, obtained after 5 min synthesis time, showed a high power‐conversion efficiency of 6.0 %, which comparable to the performance obtained with a Pt CE (6.6 %) when used in TiO₂‐based DSCCs, thus signifying the importance of sputtering time on DSSC performance.     

基于密度泛函理论分析团簇ConMoS(n=1~5)电子性质、光学性质及磁性

为了从理论层面深入探究团簇 Co_nMoS(n=1~5)的电子性质、光学性质及磁性,弄清其内在关联,依据拓扑学原理和密度泛函理论,在B3LYP/def2-TZVP量子化学水平和多个自旋多重度下对该团簇进行结构优化并分析。结果表明：团簇ConMoS共有21种稳定构型;通过对NPA(自然布居分析,natural population analysis)电荷、静电势、亲电指数、电离势、光学电负性和折射率等分析得出,金属原子有高概率失去电子,非金属原子相对更容易得到电子,团簇Co₅MoS中的构型5a在最稳定构型中有高的得失电子能力、反应活性和折射率,Co和Mo原子易发生亲核反应,S原子易发生亲电反应;对该团簇自旋布居数、原子磁矩、轨道磁矩和态密度分析发现,该团簇磁性主要由Co原子的d轨道提供,且团簇Co₃MoS表现出了比其它尺寸团簇更为稳定和优异的磁性。最终得出团簇Co₃MoS在磁性方面有较好的表现且构型5a在活性和光学领域有一定的潜力。     

Evolution of Stabilized 1T-MoS2 by Atomic-Interface Engineering of 2H-MoS2/Fe−Nx towards Enhanced Sodium Ion Storage

Metallic conductive 1T phase molybdenum sulfide (MoS₂) has been identified as promising anode for sodium ion (Na⁺) batteries, but its metastable feature makes it difficult to obtain and its restacking during the charge/discharge processing result in part capacity reversibility. Herein, a synergetic effect of atomic-interface engineering is employed for constructing 2H-MoS₂ layers assembled on single atomically dispersed Fe−N−C (SA Fe−N−C) anode material that boosts its reversible capacity. The work-function-driven-electron transfer occurs from SA Fe−N−C to 2H-MoS₂ via the Fe−S bonds, which enhances the adsorption of Na⁺ by 2H-MoS₂, and lays the foundation for the sodiation process. A phase transfer from 2H to 1T/2H MoS₂ with the ferromagnetic spin-polarization of SA Fe−N−C occurs during the sodiation/desodiation process, which significantly enhances the Na⁺ storage kinetics, and thus the 1T/2H MoS₂/SA Fe−N−C display a high electronic conductivity and a fast Na⁺ diffusion rate.