Enhanced non-layer-dependent piezo-response in sailboat-like vertical molybdenum disulfide nanosheets for piezo-catalytic hydrogen evolution and dye degradation: Effect of microstructure and phase composition

Yimeng Wang; Hecheng Ma; Jianjun Liu; Ziang Zhang; Yingchun Yu; Shengli Zuo

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2023.03.159

Enhanced non-layer-dependent piezo-response in sailboat-like vertical molybdenum disulfide nanosheets for piezo-catalytic hydrogen evolution and dye degradation: Effect of microstructure and phase composition

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2023 Jul 15:642:304-320. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.03.159. Epub 2023 Mar 29.

Authors

Yimeng Wang¹, Hecheng Ma², Jianjun Liu³, Ziang Zhang⁴, Yingchun Yu⁵, Shengli Zuo⁶

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: 2384642590@qq.com.
² State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: 957768146@qq.com.
³ State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: liujj@buct.edu.cn.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: 448074347@qq.com.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: yuyc@buct.edu.cn.
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: zuoshengli@buct.edu.cn.

PMID: 37011449
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.03.159

Abstract

The piezo-response of two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide(MoS₂) only exists at the edge of odd-number layers. It's crucial to design reasonable micro/nano-structures and construct tight interfaces to weaken layer-dependence, enhance energy harvesting, charge transfer and active sites exposure to improve piezoelectricity. The novel sailboat-like-vertical-MoS₂-nanosheets(SVMS), in which abundant vertical MoS₂ nanosheets(∼20 nm, 1-5 layers) are uniformly distributed on horizontal substrate of MoS₂, with abundant vertical interfaces and controllable phase composition are prepared by facile method. The larger geometric-asymmetry enhances mechanical energy capture. Experiment and theory revealed the enhanced in-/out-of-plane polarization, higher piezo-response in multi-directions and abundant active edge sites of SVMS, thereby eliminating the layer-dependence and generating higher piezo-potential. Cooperating with the Mo-S bonds at vertical interfaces, free electrons-holes are efficiently separated and migrated. The piezo-degradation of Rhodamine B(RhB) and hydrogen evolution rate under ultrasonic/stirring are 0.16 min^-1 and 1598 μmolg^-1h^-1 for SVMS(2H) with the highest piezo-response (under ultrasonic wave, stirring and water flow), which are over 1.6 and 3.1 times than few-layer MoS₂ nanosheets. 94% RhB(500 mL) is degraded under water-flow(60 min). The mechanism was proposed. Overall, the design of SVMS with enhanced piezoelectricity was studied and modulated by regulating microstructure and phase composition, which has excellent application potential in fields of environment, energy and novel materials.

Keywords: Degradation; Hydrogen evolution; Non-layer-dependent; Piezo-catalyst; Sailboat-like vertical MoS(2); Vertical interfaces.