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Supercritical‐Fluid‐Assisted Decoration of MoS 2 @ MWCNTs and Their Superior Performance in the Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Author(s) -
Thangasamy Pitchai,
Ramesh Ammasi,
Sathish Marappan
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
chemistryselect
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.437
H-Index - 34
ISSN - 2365-6549
DOI - 10.1002/slct.201701254
Subject(s) - tafel equation , x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , materials science , raman spectroscopy , supercritical fluid , carbon nanotube , transmission electron microscopy , chemical engineering , nanoparticle , catalysis , scanning electron microscope , electrochemistry , nanotechnology , composite material , chemistry , organic chemistry , electrode , physics , optics , engineering
We demonstrate a simple, effective, one–pot and environmentally benign supercritical fluid (SCF) process for the decoration of MoS 2 nanoparticles over the surafce of the multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs‐MoS 2 ) at a short reaction time of 30 min. The formation of MoS 2 by decomposition of ammonium tetrathiomolybdate was confirmed by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Raman, transmission electron microscopy energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (TEM‐EDX) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) analysis further confirms the formation of MoS 2 nanoparticles on CNTs during SCF processing. The attachment of MoS 2 nanoparticles over CNTs surface were evidently seen in the high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR‐TEM) imaging and elemental mapping analysis. Interestingly, the fabricated MWCNTs‐MoS 2 composite exhibited excellent catalytic activity towards hydrogen evolution reaction with a low Tafel slope of 44 mV/dec and high cathodic current density of 10 mA cm −2 at η=214 mV vs. RHE. The observed enhanced catalytic activity is mainly ascribed to the synergistic effect between MoS 2 nanoparticles and MWCNTs electrical support.