CoS2/MoS2 heterojunction for photo-enhanced electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction

Hydrogen, a new energy source that emits no carbon and has a high energy content, has recently attracted significant attention. The CoS₂/MoS₂ catalyst was produced using a one-step hydrothermal synthesis process. With a current density of 10 mA cm⁻², the CoS₂/MoS₂ catalyst shows an overpotential of 116.8 mV for the HER under the 300 W Xe lamp's solar simulation, a 23 % improvement over the dark condition. Both the properly prohibited bandwidths of CoS₂ and MoS₂, which promote the creation of photogenerated carriers and the existence of a p-n junction between them, are responsible for improving the photo-enhanced HER performance. The photoinduced electro-hole pairs' separation is improved by this p-n junction, reducing their likelihood of recombination and thereby enhancing the electrocatalytic ability of the system. This work demonstrates the possibility of photoelectric synergistic enhancement of the electrocatalytic performance of transition metal sulfides.