One-Step Preparation of Large Area Films of Oriented MoS(2) Nanoparticles on Multilayer Graphene and Its Electrocatalytic Activity for Hydrogen Evolution

MoS(2) is a promising material to replace Pt-based catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), due to its excellent stability and high activity. In this work, MoS(2) nanoparticles supported on graphitic carbon (about 20 nm) with a preferential 002 facet orientation have been prepared by pyrolysis of alginic acid films on quartz containing adsorbed (NH(4))(2)MoS(4) at 900 °C under Ar atmosphere. Although some variation of the electrocatalytic activity has been observed from batch to batch, the MoS(2) sample exhibited activity for HER (a potential onset between 0.2 and 0.3 V vs. SCE), depending on the concentrations of (NH(4))(2)MoS(4) precursor used in the preparation process. The loading and particle size of MoS(2), which correlate with the amount of exposed active sites in the sample, are the main factors influencing the electrocatalytic activity.