A bulky and flexible electrocatalyst for efficient hydrogen evolution based on the growth of MoS2 nanoparticles on carbon nanofiber foam

Abstract

An advanced hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalyst is highly desired for the development of solar water-splitting devices. In this work, we describe the preparation of a flexible, three-dimensional (3D) and durable electrode, which is composed of MoS₂ nanoparticles grown on bacteria-cellulose-derived carbon fiber foam (MoS₂/CNF). The MoS₂/CNF foam was used as a bulky and flexible HER electrocatalyst, exhibiting excellent catalytic activity for a hydrogen evolution reaction in an acidic electrolyte (16 mA cm⁻² at an overpotential of 230 mV). Remarkably, this novel HER electrocatalyst shows a low onset overpotential of 120 mV, a small Tafel slope of 44 mV dec⁻¹, a high exchange current density of 0.09 mA cm⁻², and a Faradaic efficiency of nearly 100%. This work offers an attractive strategy of preparing bulky and flexible electrocatalyst for large-scale water splitting technology.