WSe<sub>2</sub>-VSe<sub>2</sub> Alloyed Nanosheets to Enhance the Catalytic Performance of Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 35940577.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acsnano.2c04113.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
Tuning the electronic structures of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) is essential for their implementation in next-generation energy technologies. In this study, we synthesized composition-tuned WSe<sub>2</sub>-VSe<sub>2</sub> (W<sub>1-<i>x</i></sub>V<sub><i>x</i></sub>Se<sub>2</sub>, <i>x</i> = 0-1) alloyed nanosheets using a colloidal reaction. Alloying the semiconducting WSe<sub>2</sub> with VSe<sub>2</sub> converts the material into a metallic one, followed by a 2H-to-1T phase transition at <i>x</i> = 0.7. Over a wide composition range, WSe<sub>2</sub> and VSe<sub>2</sub> are atomically immiscible and form separate ordered domains. The miscible alloy at <i>x</i> = 0.1 displayed enhanced electrocatalytic activity toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in an acidic electrolyte. This trend was correlated with the <i>d</i>-band center via a volcano-type relationship. Spin-polarized density functional theory calculations consistently predicted the atomic immiscibility, which became more significant at the 2H-1T phase transition composition. The Gibbs free energy of H adsorption on the basal planes (Se or hole sites) and the activation barriers along the Volmer-Heyrovsky reaction pathway supported the enhanced HER performance of the alloy phase, suggesting that the dispersed V-doped structures were responsible for the best HER catalytic activity. Our study demonstrates how the atomic structure of TMD alloy nanosheets plays a crucial role in enhancing catalytic activity.