Immobilized Single Molecular Molybdenum Disulfide on Carbonized Polyacrylonitrile for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

The designing of MoS2 catalyst having a large number of active sites and high site activity enables to improve catalytic activity toward hydrogen evolution reaction. Herein, we report a synthesis of low cost and catalytically active immobilized single molecular molybdenum disulfide on carbonized polyacrylonitrile (MoS2 cPAN) electrocatalyst. From the Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) spectra analysis, we found the as-prepared material has no metal-metal scattering and it resembles MoS2 with a molecular state. Meanwhile, the size of the molecular MoS2 has been estimated to be about 1.31 nm by High-Angle-Annular-Dark-Field Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (HAADF-STEM). Low coordination number and maximum utilization of single molecular MoS2 surface enable MoS2 cPAN to demonstrate significantly better electrochemical performance than the bulk MoS2 by two-order of exchange current density (jo) and turnover frequency (TOF (s -1)) to the hydrogen evolution.