Porous carbon coupled with an interlaced MoP–MoS2 heterojunction hybrid for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction

The design and development of electrocatalysts composed of non-noble-metal catalysts with both large surface area and high electrical conductivities are crucial for the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER).Here,a xylose-based porous carbon is coupled with a MoS2-Mo P heterojunction(MoS2-Mo P/FPC)hybrid and used as a promising catalyst for HER.The hybrid is prepared by immobilizing petal-like MoS2 nanosheets on porous carbon(MoS2/FPC),followed by controlling the phosphidation in Ar/H2 to form MoS2-Mo P/FPC.Red phosphorus provides the P species that can induce the construction of the heterojunction under the reducing atmosphere,along with the generation of a Mo P phase and the splitting of the MoS2 phase.The as-prepared MoS2-Mo P/FPC catalyst offers a low overpotential of 144 mV at a current density of 10 m A cm^-2 and a small Tafel slope of 41 m V dec^-1 for the HER in acidic media,as well as remarkable stability.Apart from the active nature of the hybrid,its outstanding activity is attributed to the MoS2-Mo P heterojunction,and the good charge/mass-transfer ability of porous carbon.This strategy provides a new method to develop and design low-cost and high-performance catalysts for the HER.