Facile controlled synthesis of monodispersed MoO3-MoS2 hybrid nanospheres for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction

Abstract Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) shows great potential in many applications, however, facile controlled synthesis of monodispersed nano-MoS2 still presents great challenges. Herein, three-dimensional, uniform and monodispersed MoO3-MoS2 hybrid nanospheres are fabricated through a facile two-step strategy. It is found that different morphology and structure (nanoplates, uniform nanospheres, rode, and irregular blocks) of the hybrid could be obtained by adjusting parameters. When evaluated as the catalyst for hydrogen evolution, the as-prepared monodispersed MoO3-MoS2 hybrid nanospheres exhibit higher catalytic activity than the hybrid with other structures. Meanwhile, it shows good durability and cycle stability due to the hierarchical structures. This work provides a neoteric and straightforward method for constructing three-dimensional MoS2 with a controlled structure and might drive the advancement of nano-catalyst.