In this research, we report a simple hydrothermal synthesis to prepare rhenium (Re)- doped MoS2 flower-like microspheres and the tuning of their structural, electronic, and electrocatalytic properties by modulating the insertion of Re. The obtained compounds were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Structural, morphological, and chemical analyses confirmed the synthesis of poorly crystalline Re-doped MoS2 flower-like microspheres composed of few stacked layers. They exhibit enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance with low overpotential of 210 mV at current density of 10 mA/cm2, with a small Tafel slope of 78 mV/dec. The enhanced catalytic HER performance can be ascribed to activation of MoS2 basal planes and by reduction in charge transfer resistance during HER upon doping.
Keywords: HER; hydrogen evolution reaction; hydrothermal synthesis; molybdenum disulfide; rhenium doping.