Hydrothermally grown MoS2 quantum dots for electrocatalytic applications

Abstract

The unique properties of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have been attracting a wide variety of researches in material engineering. Enormous attention has been paid in this area due to their unique properties and potential applications in optoelectronics. In the group of these TMDCs, MoS2 is one of the most important one due to its tuneable properties. Nanostructured MoS2 are promising and desirable candidates as catalysts in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Platinum, the traditionally used catalyst for HER can be replaced by the earth abundant and cost effective MoS2 nanostructures. A simple route is adopted here for the synthesis of MoS2 quantum dots (MoS2 QDs) by using a single precursor in aqueous medium. The characterization studies of the prepared MoS2 QDs show the uniform size of the MoS2 QDs with an average size 3\u2005nm. They exhibit excellent photoluminescence emission spectra with 553.3\u2005nm peak. Polarisation graph with an overpotential of 463\u2005mV at 10\u2005mA Current, Tafel plot with a slope of 58 Mv / Dec and Nyquist plot with a charge transfer resistance of 878 ohms suggests it as an efficient catalyst for HER.