Dodecylation of molybdenum disulfide and its electrochemical properties for hydrogen evolution reaction

Functionalization of MoS2was achieved by treatment in a strongly reducing sodium naphthalene solution. Dodecyl was grafted onto MoS2nanosheets using alkyl sulphates as electrophiles to obtain dodecylated MoS2without affecting the MoS2crystalline structure. Superior electrocatalytic properties are obtained for dodecylated MoS2. The polarisation curve of this nanomaterial remained constant even after 1000 consecutive cycles. This route provides a new pathway for covalent functionalization of MoS2and might find a variety of applications, such as electrocatalysts.