Researchers have recently developed a highly efficient MoS 2 -based catalyst for hydrogen production by using a dual-site substitution strategy, overcoming the limitations of conventional MoS 2 catalysts in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).
Proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis is a promising technology for producing green hydrogen from renewable energy. However, its large-scale deployment is hindered by the reliance on precious platinum-based catalysts. As a low-cost alternative, MoS 2 has attracted considerable attention for HER.
Nevertheless, its catalytic performance is limited because active sites are primarily located at the S-edges, while the basal plane is largely inert. Therefore, simultaneously exposing and stabilizing MoS 2 edge sites while improving HER activity at both basal plane and edge sites remains a major challenge.
In a study published in the Angewandte Chemie International Edition , a research team led by Profs. DENG Dehui, CUI Xiaoju, and YU Liang from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) developed a dual-site substitution strategy, in which single Te atoms simultaneously substitute for both Mo and S atoms in the MoS 2 lattice. The resulting Te-MoS 2 catalyst presents outstanding HER performance at large current densities in acidic electrolytes.
The researchers demonstrated that the Te-MoS 2 catalyst requires an overpotential of only 364 mV to achieve an industrial-level current density of 1000 mA·cm -2 , significantly lower than the 662 mV required for commercial 20 wt% Pt/C. The catalyst maintains stable performance for 200 hours without decay.
Comprehensive analyses revealed that the simultaneous substitution of Mo and S with Te atoms not only activates neighboring S atoms but also promotes the formation of smaller, edge-rich MoS 2 nanosheets, generating abundant active S sites on both the basal plane and edge regions while optimizing hydrogen adsorption.
"This work introduces the concept of single-element dual-site substitution, offering a valuable strategy for designing highly efficient MoS 2 -based catalysts for hydrogen evolution," said Prof. DENG.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition
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Dual-Site Substitution With Single Te Atoms in MoS2 Boosting Hydrogen Evolution
4-May-2026