CoMoSSe Alloy with Heterostructure on Carbon Black for Enhanced Electrocatalytic H2 Evolution

doi:10.15541/jim20240487

Abstract

Abstract:

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) recently attracted widespread attention due to their potential application to the electrocatalysis of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, their HER performance is far inferior to that of platinum (Pt) metal. Preparation of multi-elemental alloy and construction of heterostructure are considered as highly effective methods to enhance hydrogen production activity. Herein, a novel quaternary CoMoSSe alloy with heterostructure was synthesized on the surface of carbon black (CB) particles (CoMoSSe@CB) by a simple Sol-Gel process and thereafter served as HER catalyst. Compared to CoSe@CB and MoS₂@CB electrocatalysts, CoMoSSe@CB exhibits superior HER activity with a low overpotential of 190 mV at -10 mA·cm^-2 and a Tafel slope of 62 mV·dec^-1. This improvement is attributed to the alloying effects among Co, Mo, S and Se, as well as the heterogeneous structure in the composite material, which regulate the electronic structure and intermediate free energy, thereby increasing the number of active sites and enhancing charge-transfer ability. This work can provide new ideas and concepts for designing novel and efficient TMD electrocatalysts.

Key words: transition metal dichalcogenide, alloy, heterostructure, hydrogen evolution reaction

CLC Number:

REN Xianpei, LI Chao, LING Fang, HU Qiwei, YU Junling, XIANG Hui, PENG Yuehong. CoMoSSe Alloy with Heterostructure on Carbon Black for Enhanced Electrocatalytic H₂ Evolution[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2025, 40(11): 1293-1299.

Figures/Tables 13

Scheme 1 Schematic diagram of CoMoSSe@CB synthesis

Fig. 1 (a, d) TEM and (b, c, e, f) HRTEM images of (a-c) CoSe@CB and (d-f) MoS2@CB

Fig. 2 (a) TEM image, (b, c) HRTEM images, and (d) HAADF STEM image and its corresponding EDS mappings of CoMoSSe@CB

Fig. 3 XRD patterns of CoSe@CB, MoS2@CB and CoMoSSe@CB Among them, the diffraction intensity of CoSe@CB has been divided by 6

Fig. 4 High-resolution (a) Mo3d, (b) Co2p, (c) S2p, and (d) Se3d XPS spectra of samples

Fig. 5 HER performances of different catalysts (a) LSV curves and (b) corresponding Tafel plots obtained from CoSe@CB, MoS2@CB, CoMoSSe@CB, and Pt/C catalysts in 0.5 mol·L-1 H2SO4 at a scan rate of 5 mV·s-1; (c) EIS spectra at 0.4 V (vs. RHE) for CoSe@CB, MoS2@CB and CoMoSSe@CB electrodes with inset showing equivalent circuit; (d) Cdl of the electrocatalysts obtained by CV in non-Faradic potential window

Fig. S1 HAADF STEM image and its corresponding EDS mappings of CoSe@CB

Fig. S2 HAADF STEM image and its corresponding EDS mappings of MoS2@CB

Fig. S3 HRTEM image of CoMoSSe@CB

Fig. S4 XPS survey spectra of CoSe@CB, MoS2@CB and CoMoSSe@CB

Fig. S5 CV curves of (a) CoSe@CB, (b) MoS2@CB and (c) CoMoSSe@CB at 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 mV·s-1 within 0.10-0.20 V (vs. RHE)

Fig. S6 Polarization curves of CoMoSSe@CB electrocatalyst before and after 1000 CV cycles in 0.5 mol·L-1 H2SO4

Fig. S7 (a) TEM and (b) HRTEM images of CoMoSSe@CB after HER stability test in 0.5 mol·L-1 H2SO4

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CoMoSSe Alloy with Heterostructure on Carbon Black for Enhanced Electrocatalytic H₂ Evolution

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