Molybdenum Polysulfide Anchored on Porous Zr-Metal Organic Framework To Enhance the Performance of Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Abstract

Replacement of precious platinum with efficient and low-cost catalysts for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at low overpotentials holds tremendous promise for clean energy devices. Herein, molybdenum polysulfide (MoSx) anchored on a porous Zr-metal organic framework (Zr-MOF, UiO-66-NH2) by chemical interactions is fabricated by a facile and one-pot solvothermal method for HER application. The distinctive design of the Zr-MOF stabilized MoSx composite enables remarkable electrochemical HER activity with a Tafel slope of 59 mV·dec–1, a lower onset potential of nearly 125 mV, and a cathode current of 10 mA·cm–2 at an overpotential of 200 mV, which also exhibits excellent durability in an acid medium. The superior HER performance should ascribe to the fast electron transport from the less conducting MoSx nanosheets to the electrode, high effective surface area, and number of active sites, as well as the favorable delivery for local protons in the porous Zr-MOF structure during the electrocat...