CoS2xSe2(1−x) nanowire array: an efficient ternary electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction†
Zhongzhou Cheng,Xueying Zhan,Jun He
Nanoscale Pub Date : 01/22/2016 00:00:00 , DOI:10.1039/C5NR07735D
Abstract

Binary transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have emerged as efficient catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Co-based TMDs, such as CoS2 and CoSe2, demonstrate promising HER performance due to their intrinsic metallic nature. Recently, the ternary electrocatalysts were widely acknowledged for their prominent efficiency as compared to their binary counterparts due to increased active sites caused by the incorporation of different atoms. Herein, we successfully grew the ternary CoS2xSe2(1−x) (x = 0.67) nanowires (NWs) on a flexible carbon fiber. As a superior electrocatalyst, ternary CoS2xSe2(1−x) NWs arrays demonstrated excellent catalytic activity for electrochemical hydrogen evolution in acidic media, achieving current densities of 10 mA cm−2 and 100 mA cm−2 at overpotentials of 129.5 mV and 174 mV, respectively. Notably, the high stability of CoS2xSe2(1−x) NWs suggested that the ternary CoS2xSe2(1−x) NWs are a scalable catalyst for electrochemical hydrogen evolution.

Graphical abstract: CoS2xSe2(1−x) nanowire array: an efficient ternary electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction