Large-scale fabrication of 3D hierarchical MoSe2 hollow sphere arrays with like-Pacific Plate architecture for high-performance hydrogen evolution reaction.

Optimizing of electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity is still a gigantic challenge for improving catalysts in renewable energy field. In this research, large-scale neoteric three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical MoSe2 hollow sphere arrays with like-Pacific Plate architecture were triumphantly prepared via a facile and reliable approach. The like-Pacific Plate architecture consists of many 3D MoSe2 arrays plates with the dimensions of 10–35 μm, which is assembled by plentiful closely connecting hierarchical MoSe2 hollow spheres with the outer diameter, hierarchically secondary unit size and shell thickness of 450 nm, 25 nm and 10 nm, respectively. The products exhibited remarkable HER performance with small Tafel slope (58.5 mV dec−1), low overpotential (169.8 mV) at 10 mA cm−2, high conductivity and durable stability, which are attribute to the mechanisms (1) 3D hollow framework furnishes large specific surface area, (2) hierarchical structure generates more active sites, (3) like-Pacific Plate architecture facilitates the touch of electrolyte and catalyst, and (4) closely packed arrays expedite the migration of electron. The current work indicates that unique 3D hierarchical hollow sphere arrays with like-Pacific Plate architecture will be a potential candidate for effective electrocatalytic water splitting catalyst material with energy source application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]