Polytype 1T/2H MoS2 heterostructures for efficient photoelectrocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has emerged as a prominent nanomaterial in photoelectrocatalytic water splitting due to its appropriate energy band and low production cost. However, its low-density active site and poor-efficiency electron transfer have essentially limited the photoelectrocatalytic properties. In this present study, we have proposed a simple yet novel ammoniated molybdenum disulfide with a unique 1T/2H heterostructure as the photoelectrocatalyst via a facile hydrothermal reaction. The presence of the 1T phase in MoS2 is found to enhance the electronic conductivity as well as boost the density of the active site, resulting in an increase in efficiency for both electron transfer and mass transport. More importantly, the synergistic effect of the 1T/2H heterostructure of MoS2 has been demonstrated to improve the photoelectrocatalytic properties.