Facile Ion-Exchange Method for Zn Intercalated MoS2As an Efficient and Stable Catalyst toward Hydrogen Evaluation Reaction

Progress of non-noble-metal catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with high activity as well as the low cost has remained the main challenge in past decades. Herein, for the first time, zinc intercalated MoS2 (Zn@MoS2) was prepared by a facile Li exchange procedure at a controlled temperature, and the electrocatalytic activity of Zn@MoS2 and graphene synergistic effect on HER were examined in 0.5 M H2SO4. Electrochemical measurements showed an overpotential to be 0.378 V with a Tafel slope of 81 mV decade–1. The results offer a novel methodology for the preparation of effective catalysts to be used in water splitting technology, which could be used in the synthesis of other transition metal-based 2D materials.