Morphology-controllable formation of MOF-Derived C/ZrO2@1T-2H MoS2 heterostructure for improved electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Abstract Though MoS2 has been regarded a promising alternative to Pt for catalyzing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), a transition from its natural poorly conductive 2H phase to metastable 1T phase is necessary, which often requires harsh experimental conditions. Herein, using a metal-organic framework (MOF) material (UiO-66) as sacrificing template, we proposed a facile solvothermal strategy to synthesize C/ZrO2@MoS2 nanocomposites whose morphology and phase could be effectively engineered simply by controlling reaction time. The optimized double yolk-shell structure allowed a stable hybridization of 1T- and 2H–MoS2, which exhibited improved HER activity (overpotential of 55 mV at 10 mA/cm2 and 58 mV/dec for Tafel slope) and considerable durability. Synergism of ZrO2–MoS2 heterointerface induced active sites and energetic favorable phase mixing of MoS2 is considered responsible for the sufficient electrocatalytic capability of our composite. Our work may offer new scientific insights into a cost-effective method for further enhancing the HER performance of MoS2-based nanohybrids.