Ultrahigh-current-density niobium disulfide catalysts for hydrogen evolution

Yang J 1 , Mohmad AR 2 , Wang Y 1 , Fullon R 1 , Song X 1 , Zhao F 3 Show all authors , Bozkurt I 1 , Augustin M 4 , Santos EJG 5 , Shin HS 6 , Zhang W 7 , Voiry D 8 , Jeong HY 9 , Chhowalla M 10

Affiliations 

  • 1 Materials Science and Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
  • 2 Institute of Microengineering and Nanoelectronics, National University of Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia
  • 3 Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
  • 4 School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University, Belfast, UK
  • 5 School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University, Belfast, UK. e.santos@qub.ac.uk
  • 6 Department of Chemistry and Department of Energy Engineering, Low-Dimensional Carbon Materials Center, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Republic of Korea
  • 7 Collaborative Innovation Center for Optoelectronic Science & Technology, International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
  • 8 Institut Européen des Membranes, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
  • 9 UNIST Central Research Facilities and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Republic of Korea. hulex@unist.ac.kr
  • 10 Materials Science and Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA. mc209@cam.ac.uk
Nat Mater, 2019 12;18(12):1309-1314.
PMID: 31451781 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-019-0463-8

Abstract

Metallic transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs)1-8 are good catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The overpotential and Tafel slope values of metallic phases and edges9 of two-dimensional (2D) TMDs approach those of Pt. However, the overall current density of 2D TMD catalysts remains orders of magnitude lower (~10-100 mA cm-2) than industrial Pt and Ir electrolysers (>1,000 mA cm-2)10,11. Here, we report the synthesis of the metallic 2H phase of niobium disulfide with additional niobium (2H Nb1+xS2, where x is ~0.35)12 as a HER catalyst with current densities of >5,000 mA cm-2 at ~420 mV versus a reversible hydrogen electrode. We find the exchange current density at 0 V for 2H Nb1.35S2 to be ~0.8 mA cm-2, corresponding to a turnover frequency of ~0.2 s-1. We demonstrate an electrolyser based on a 2H Nb1+xS2 cathode that can generate current densities of 1,000 mA cm-2. Our theoretical results reveal that 2H Nb1+xS2 with Nb-terminated surface has free energy for hydrogen adsorption that is close to thermoneutral, facilitating HER. Therefore, 2H Nb1+xS2 could be a viable catalyst for practical electrolysers.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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