Cobalt-doped MoS2 enhances the evolution of hydrogen by piezo-electric catalysis under 850 nm near-infrared light irradiation

Hydrogen is a clean shuttle of energy storage that can naturally reserve solar and wind energy. However, the lack of a safe and efficient storage of hydrogen in a tank for use in automobiles limits its widespread use. Therefore, developing an on-board storage and controlling the release of hydrogen are important for the practical application of hydrogen fuels. This article reported the cobalt-doped MoS2 catalyst enhances the safe release of hydrogen from aqueous ammonia borane by piezo-photocatalysis. Results indicated that the H2 yield of cobalt-doped MoS2 was 4.84 times as many as that of pristine MoS2 under ultrasonic and 850 nm near-infrared irradiation conditions. The piezo-current of the cobalt-doped MoS2 was observed for the first time by electrochemical technique. A reaction mechanism was raised for hydrogen evolution based on an enhanced built-in field in cobalt-doped MoS2 lattices upon piezo-electric conditions.