Novel assembly of an MoS2 electrocatalyst onto a silicon nanowire array electrode to construct a photocathode composed of elements abundant on the Earth for hydrogen generation

Capturing and converting solar energy by electrochemical catalysis into energy stored within chemical bond of molecules, such as hydrogen, methanol, methane, and so forth, is being considered as a viable solution to address the global energy supply and the environmental issues associated with burning fossil fuels. Of the various possible fuels generated by this process, hydrogen is attractive because it is a clean energy carrier giving only water when burnt. It can be produced by means of photo-assisted water electrolysis employing an electrolyzer connected to photovoltaic cell. Alternatively, a more direct approach to generate hydrogen is to employ an appropriate photocatalyst composed of an electrocatalyst linked directly to a light harvesting agent (dye or semiconductor). [1] In both cases, an electrocatalyst is required to attain high efficiencies for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Platinum is an extremely good electrocata