Directed morphology engineering of 2D MoS2 nanosheets to 1D nanoscrolls with enhanced hydrogen evolution and specific capacitance

Abstract

1D-molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanoscrolls displayed enhanced electrochemical properties compared to 2D-MoS2 nanosheet counterparts. Rolling of nanosheets is the main fabrication route to nanoscrolls. However, owing to the conflict between chemical stability and multiple bending, the morphology transition from nanosheets to nanoscrolls is quite challenging. Herein we describe a reversible morphology transition from nanosheets to nanoscrolls by utilizing non-covalent interactions between MoS2 nanosheets and phenothiazine based organic dye. Interestingly, nanoscrolls can easily be opened back into nanosheets by destroying the non-covalent interactions with organic solvents. The prepared nanoscrolls exhibited enhanced electrochemical properties than nanosheets. Compared to nanosheets, nanoscrolls exhibited comparatively lower overpotential with a Tafel slope of 141 mV dec-1 and high specific capacitance of 1868 F g−1. Hydrogen evolution by the Volmer-Heyrovsky mechanism being superior for the nanoscrolls is envisaged by the relatively increased availability of Hads sites at MoS2 edges induced by scrolling. Whereas the high specific capacitance value of nanoscrolls is ascribed to the enhanced electrical double-layer capacitance mediated charge storage, which arises due to the synergistic effect of both scrolled structure and the electron-rich phenothiazine-based dye.