Sacrificial Catalyst of Carbothermal-Shock-Synthesized 1T-MoS 2 Layers for Ultralong-Lifespan Seawater Battery.

A Pt-nanoparticle-decorated 1T-MoS 2 layer is designed as a sacrificial electrocatalyst by carbothermal shock (CTS) treatment to improve the energy efficiency and lifespan of seawater batteries. The phase transition of MoS 2 crystals from 2H to metallic 1T─induced by the simple but potent CTS treatment─improves the oxygen-reduction-reaction (ORR) activity in seawater catholyte. In particular, the MoS 2 -based sacrificial catalyst effectively decreases the overpotential during charging via edge oxidation of MoS 2 , enhancing the cycling stability of the seawater battery. Furthermore, Pt nanoparticles are deposited onto CTS-MoS 2 via an additional CTS treatment. The resulting specimen exhibits a significantly low charge/discharge potential gap of Δ0.39 V, high power density of 6.56 mW cm -2 , and remarkable cycling stability up to ∼200 cycles (∼800 h). Thus, the novel strategy reported herein for the preparation of Pt-decorated 1T-MoS 2 by CTS treatment could facilitate the development of efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for fabricating seawater batteries with long service life.