A general method for the synthesis of hybrid nanostructures using MoSe₂ nanosheet-assembled nanospheres as templates

The layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and transition metal phosphides are low-cost, earth-abundant, and robust electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Integrating them into hybrid nanostructures is potentially promising to further boost the catalytic activity toward HER based on their synergistic effects. Herein, we report a general method for the synthesis of a series of MoSe₂-based hybrid nanostructures, including MoSe₂-Ni₂P, MoSe₂-Co₂P, MoSe₂-Ni, MoSe₂-Co, and MoSe2-NiS, by postgrowth of Ni₂P, Co₂P, Ni, Co, and NiS nanostructures on the presynthesized MoSe₂ nanosheet-assembled nanospheres, respectively, via a colloidal synthesis method. As a proof-of-concept application, the as-synthesized hybrid nanostructures are used as electrocatalysts for HER, exhibiting high activity and stability in acidic media. Among them, the MoSe₂-Co₂P composite shows the highest HER activity with an overpotential of 167mV at 10mAcm^-2,.