Modulating the Electronic Properties of MoS2 Nanosheets for Electrochemical Hydrogen Production: A Review

Benefiting from the low cost and excellent stability, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have been widely applied in electrocatalysis for hydrogen evolution. As a member of TMDs, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets exhibited excellence because of their S-edges with near optimal hydrogen adsorption free energy. However, the performance of MoS2 is affected by the inert basal surface and poor electron transfer ability. Various strategies have been reported. In this review, we systematically summarize the recent progress in regulating electronic structures of MoS2 for electrochemical hydrogen production and focus on the relationship between the intrinsic electronic structure and its electrocatalytic activity. We close this review with the challenges and outlook on MoS2 nanosheets as efficient and low-cost electrocatalysts, thereby providing helpful guidance for feasible design of efficient MoS2-based electrocatalysts for hydrogen production.