Direct growth of vertically aligned ReSe2 nanosheets on conductive electrode for electro-catalytic hydrogen production

Abstract

Two-dimensional electrocatalysts with high-density active sites together with a good charge transfer to the conductive substrates can improve their hydrogen evolution reaction performances. Typically, a good contact between catalyst and electrode to enhance charge transfer can be achieved by way of direct growth. However, a controllable growth of vertically aligned two-dimensional ReSe₂ directly on conductive substrates as working electrodes is not reported. In this work, for the first time, vertically aligned ReSe₂ nanosheets directly on conductive substrates (carbon cloth and glass carbon) are realized though a controllable chemical vapor deposition method. Compare to the way of transferring two-dimension ReSe₂, the electrode with optimized growth of two-dimensional ReSe₂ exhibits superior hydrogen evolution reaction performances.

Keywords: Chemical vapor deposition; Conductive substrate; Electrocatalyst; Hydrogen evolution reaction; ReSe(2) nanosheets.