Constructing Sulfur Vacancy-Rich NiCo<sub>2</sub>S<sub>4</sub>@MoS<sub>2</sub> Core@shell Heterostructure via Interface Engineering for Enhanced HER Electrocatalysis

The rational design of heterointerfaces with optimized charge dynamics and defect engineering remains pivotal for developing advanced non-noble metal-based electrocatalysts for water splitting. A comparative study of NiCo<sub>2</sub>S<sub>4</sub>–MoS<sub>2</sub> h...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ziteng Song, Yuan Liu, Peng Yin, Jie Dai, Yingying Xu, Rongming Wang, Sibin Duan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Nanomaterials
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/15/14/1061
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The rational design of heterointerfaces with optimized charge dynamics and defect engineering remains pivotal for developing advanced non-noble metal-based electrocatalysts for water splitting. A comparative study of NiCo<sub>2</sub>S<sub>4</sub>–MoS<sub>2</sub> heterostructures was conducted to elucidate the impact of interfacial architecture and defect engineering on hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance. A core@shell NiCo<sub>2</sub>S<sub>4</sub>@MoS<sub>2</sub> heterostructure was synthesized via a facile hydrothermal growth method, inducing lattice distortion and strong interfacial coupling, while supported NiCo<sub>2</sub>S<sub>4</sub>/MoS<sub>2</sub> heterostructures were prepared by ultrasonic-assisted deposition. A detailed structural and spectroscopic characterization and theoretical calculation demonstrated that the core@shell configuration promotes charge redistribution across the NiCo<sub>2</sub>S<sub>4</sub>–MoS<sub>2</sub> interface and generates abundant sulfur vacancies, thereby increasing the density of electroactive sites. Electrochemical measurements reveal that NiCo<sub>2</sub>S<sub>4</sub>@MoS<sub>2</sub> markedly outperforms the supported heterostructure, single-component NiCo<sub>2</sub>S<sub>4</sub>, and MoS<sub>2</sub> when serving as the HER catalyst in acid solution. These findings establish a dual-optimization strategy—combining interfacial design with vacancy modulation—that provides a generalizable paradigm for the deliberate design of high-efficiency non-noble metal-based electrocatalysts for water splitting reactions.
ISSN:2079-4991