Increasing metal utilization efficiency and active surface atoms are essential to achieve high-performance and cost-effective electrocatalysts for hydrogen production.

Despite possessing ideal properties for a single-atom-layer catalyst, monolayer MoS2 constitutes a very small portion of the active site at the edge regions.

In this regard, converting MoS2 into another active form, 1T-phase, which is independent of the edge region is a promising solution.

However, the preparation and enrichment of the 1T-phase are challenging owing to its instability and generally require harsh post-treatment approaches.

Herein, we discovered that sulfidation of Pd-based nanoclusters (PdxSy) on monolayer MoS2 under mild reaction conditions is a two-birds-with-one-stone strategy for tuning the active 1T-phase and promoting the hydrogen production of a heterogeneous catalyst.

We also successfully evaluated the PdxSy contribution to the overall HER performance to establish the 1T-phase degree-electrochemical performance relationship in single-atom-layer MoS2.

This work provides fundamental insight into 1T-phase tuning and opens a unique pathway for the material design of high-performance and low-cost hydrogen-generation catalysis.

This study appears in ‘Advanced Energy Materials’ in 25th April.

A schematic diagram of the induction of Pd-based nanoclusters to increase 1T-phase in monolayer MoS2 

[Main Author] Ki-Joon Jeon (Inha University), Hien Duy Mai(Inha University)

* Contact : Prof. Ki-Joon Jeon (kjjeon@inha.ac.kr), Dr. Hien Duy Mai(hien.fasdas@gmail.com)