Phosphorus-Doped MoS₂ Nanosheets Supported on Carbon Cloths as Efficient Hydrogen-Generation Electrocatalysts

Highly efficient and stable non-noble metal electrocatalysts for hydrogen generation are desired for sustainable development of energy conversion and storage. Here, a facile low-temperature phosphidation process is developed for phosphorus doping into molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanosheets directly synthesized on carbon cloths to function as an integrated electrode for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction. The optimal phosphorus-doped (3.3 at%) MoS₂ nanosheets exhibit substantially lower overpotentials of 133 and 189 mV to drive the current densities of 20 and 100 mA cm^-2, respectively, as compared with undoped MoS₂, and an impressively small Tafel slope of 67.0 mV dec⁻¹. The excellent stability in acid media also makes the phosphorus-doped MoS₂ nanosheet catalysts promising candidates for hydrogen generation in practical applications.