Se-Doped CoS2@MoS2 Heterostructures on Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes as Efficient Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Alkaline Overall Water Splitting.

Abstract

The use of efficient and affordable non-precious metal catalysts for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions is vital for replacing and widely implementing new energy sources. Nevertheless, improving the catalytic performance of these non-precious-metal bifunctional electrocatalysts continues to be a major challenge. In this article, an optimized Se-incorporated bulk CoS₂@MoS₂ heterostructure grown on the surface of carbon nanotubes is reported. The resulting Se-CoS₂@MoS₂/CNTs exhibit robust bifunctional electrocatalytic performance, with low overpotentials of 85 and 240 mV @ 10 mA·cm^-2 for HER and OER, respectively. The materials exhibit superior long-term stability of over 145 h, surpassing most electrocatalysts of similar type. This enhanced performance is attributed to the synergistic effect at the interface between the MoS₂ and CoS₂ phases, abundant active sites, and high active surface area, which collectively improves the electron-transfer efficiency during the reaction process. Furthermore, the incorporation of the amorphous state of Se into the heterostructure yields a change in the crystallinity of the heterostructure in the electronic structure, which optimizes the adsorption and activation energy barriers of the catalytic intermediate. This study thus presents a promising approach to regulating anion doping in bifunctional electrocatalysts.