Engineering MoS₂/SiC interfaces for superior electrocatalytic oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions

Electrochemical water splitting is a green, eco-friendly, and efficient hydrogen synthesis process that consists of two half-reactions: the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the hydrogen evolution reaction. Because of the sluggish reaction kinetics of the OER and HER, electrochemical water splitting frequently requires an elevated voltage than theoretical, resulting in significant energy loss. Herein, we report MoS₂/SiC/GC by the integration of MoS₂ with SiC by a straightforward hydrothermal method. X-rays diffraction (XRD) indicates that MoS₂/SiC has a crystallite structure, which improves catalytic performance for OER and HER with the best electrocatalytic activity by showing overpotentials of 230 mV for OER and 317 mV for HER in 1 M KOH at 10 mAcm⁻² with Tafel slope of 65 mVdec⁻¹ and 91 mVdec⁻¹. Furthermore, with a non-faradic CV region, the MoS₂/SiC/GC composite exhibited high capacitance and high electrochemical active surface area (528 cm²). The chronoamperometric test confirmed the long-term endurance of OER/HER for 35/64 h without compromising current density. Hence, overall, this work provides a notable composite approach using Si and Mo based elements, bringing in a new era of good design and the development of noble material alternatives in the commercial electrolysis sector.