Tailoring the structure of MoS2/vertical graphene composites via chemical vapor deposition for hydrogen evolution reaction

Controlling the mutual structure between different materials in the heterostructured composites is of key importance in determining their properties and further applications. In this work, joint molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets supported by vertically standing graphene (VSG) were fabricated by full chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, thus leading to precisely tailoring the support-joint coupling structures between VSG support and joint MoS2 nanosheets in the as-fabricated MoS2/VSG or (MoS2-MoO3−x)/VSG hybrid architectures. Which were then directly used as effective, stable and binder-free electrodes for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and revealing that the CVD loading mode of MoS2 (or MoS2-MoO3−x) on VSG support in a vertically or obliquely inserted three-dimensional (3D) architecture has a key influence on improving their HER activities. These results shed light on structural design of multicomponent heterostructures by coupling engineering for various applications.