MoS2 “inorganic fullerenes” combined with TiO2 in water-methanol suspensions: Highly active hydrogen production photo catalysts operating via transfer of accumulated electrons

Abstract

Water-methanol suspensions of size-tuned hollow MoS2 “inorganic fullerenes” (IF) combined with high surface area anatase TiO2 efficiently promote photo catalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (PHER). Despite low amount of the MoS2 slabs edges in the structure of closed-shell IF-MoS2 particles and relatively poor dispersion of co-catalyst, the best composite catalysts were nearly 50% as active as Pt/TiO2 benchmark and considerably more active than the reference MoS2–TiO2 catalysts containing highly dispersed MoS2 slabs. Straightforward experimental evidence is given that hydrogen can be formed due to transfer of stored (accumulated) electrons from TiO2 to the IF-MoS2 particles in liquid suspension. Electrochemical flat band potential measurements support the possibility of electrons transfer from TiO2 to IF-MoS2.