MoSe2-Ni3Se4 Hybrid Nanoelectrocatalysts and Their Enhanced Electrocatalytic Activity for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Pengyuan Wu; Gangyong Sun; Yuanzhi Chen; Wanjie Xu; Hongfei Zheng; Jin Xu; Laisen Wang; Dong-Liang Peng

doi:10.1186/s11671-020-03368-z

MoSe₂-Ni₃Se₄ Hybrid Nanoelectrocatalysts and Their Enhanced Electrocatalytic Activity for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Nanoscale Res Lett. 2020 Jun 16;15(1):132. doi: 10.1186/s11671-020-03368-z.

Authors

Pengyuan Wu¹, Gangyong Sun¹, Yuanzhi Chen², Wanjie Xu¹, Hongfei Zheng¹, Jin Xu³, Laisen Wang¹, Dong-Liang Peng¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, College of Materials, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China.
² Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, College of Materials, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China. yuanzhi@xmu.edu.cn.
³ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, College of Materials, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China. xujinmse@xmu.edu.cn.

Abstract

Combining MoSe₂ with other transition metal dichalcogenides to form a hybrid nanostructure is an effective route to enhance the electrocatalytic activities for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this study, MoSe₂-Ni₃Se₄ hybrid nanoelectrocatalysts with a flower-like morphology are synthesized by a seed-induced solution approach. Instead of independently nucleating to form separate nanocrystals, the Ni₃Se₄ component tends to nucleate and grow on the surfaces of ultrathin nanoflakes of MoSe₂ to form a hybrid nanostructure. MoSe₂-Ni₃Se₄ hybrid nanoelectrocatalysts with different Mo:Ni ratios are prepared and their HER catalytic activities are compared. The results show that the HER activities are affected by the Mo:Ni ratios. In comparison with pure MoSe₂, the MoSe₂-Ni₃Se₄ hybrid nanoelectrocatalysts having a Mo:Ni molar ratio of 2:1 exhibit enhanced HER properties with an overpotential of 203 mV at 10 mA/cm² and a Tafel slope of 57 mV per decade. Improved conductivity and increased turnover frequencies (TOFs) are also observed for the MoSe₂-Ni₃Se₄ hybrid samples.

Keywords: Electrocatalysis; Hybrid nanostructure; Hydrogen evolution reaction; MoSe2; Nickel selenides.

Grants and funding

2016YFA0202600/National Key R&D Program