am7b19744_si_001.pdf (1.27 MB)
MoSe2 Dispersed in Stabilizing Surfactant Media: Effect of the Surfactant Type and Concentration on Electron Transfer and Catalytic Properties
journal contribution
posted on 2018-05-16, 11:18 authored by C. Lorena Manzanares
Palenzuela, Jan Luxa, Zdeněk Sofer, Martin PumeraLayered transition metal dichalcogenides
(TMDs) have gained attention from the scientific community because
of their extended range of applications. Molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2) has been proven to be an efficient catalyst for the hydrogen
evolution reaction (HER), having implications in the research of new
catalysts for clean energy production. One way to produce large quantities
of these materials involves the use of surfactants for liquid exfoliation.
Herein, we investigate the effects of cationic, anionic, and nonionic
surfactants within a concentration range on the heterogeneous electron
transfer rates, electrocatalytic efficiency toward the HER of MoSe2, and on the stability of the dispersions. We found that surfactants
can have a detrimental effect on the electrocatalytic properties of
the material when used above a concentration threshold. In some cases,
high surfactant levels also had a negative effect on the stability
of the material. This report serves to gain an understanding on how
the way TMDs are prepared, processed, and stabilized can have dramatic
effects on their efficiency toward HER, one of their most popular
applications, and how choosing the appropriate surfactant type and
concentration is crucial to gain in stability without compromising
the intrinsic properties of the material.