Porous carbon coupled with an interlaced MoP–MoS2 heterojunction hybrid for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction

The design and development of electrocatalysts composed of non-noble-metal catalysts with both large surface area and high electrical conductivities are crucial for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Here, a xylose-based porous carbon is coupled with a MoS2−MoP heterojunction (MoS2−MoP/FPC) hybrid and used as a promising catalyst for HER. The hybrid is prepared by immobilizing petal-like MoS2 nanosheets on porous carbon (MoS2/FPC), followed by controlling the phosphidation in Ar/H2 to form MoS2−MoP/FPC. Red phosphorus provides the P species that can induce the construction of the heterojunction under the reducing atmosphere, along with the generation of a MoP phase and the splitting of the MoS2 phase. The as-prepared MoS2−MoP/FPC catalyst offers a low overpotential of 144 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and a small Tafel slope of 41 mV dec−1 for the HER in acidic media, as well as remarkable stability. Apart from the active nature of the hybrid, its outstanding activity is attributed to the MoS2−MoP heterojunction, and the good charge/mass-transfer ability of porous carbon. This strategy provides a new method to develop and design low-cost and high-performance catalysts for the HER.