Graphited carbon black curled nanoribbons simultaneously boosted stability and electrocatalytic activity of 1T-MoS2/MoO3 toward hydrogen evolution

In this study, graphitized carbon black (g-CB) curled nanoribbons (CNs) were adopted as supports for 1 T-MoS2/MoO3 heterostructures to enhance electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). By the dual regulation on the composition of 1 T-MoS2 and the interfacial interactions, the well-organized 1 T-MoS2/MoO3/g-CB composites exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity and enhanced stability for HER. The optimized 1 T-MoS2/MoO3/g-CB27-20% exhibited the lowest over-potential of 183 mV at the current density of 10 mA·cm−2, and the lowest Tafel slope of 64 mV·dec−1. It also displayed high stability during 1000 cycles. The enhanced electrocatalytic performance of 1 T-MoS2/MoO3/g-CB27-20% could be attributed to the synergistic effect of high conductivity and loop structure of g-CB CNs, which not only improved the charge mobility but also prevented the agglomeration of 1 T-MoS2/MoO3 nanosheets during long-term cycling. This study broadens the family of carbon supports for electrocatalysts, which could shed light for the design and fabrication of non-noble metal catalysts with high efficiency and stability.