Gold Nanoclusters Grown on MoS 2 Nanosheets by Pulsed Laser Deposition: An Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Au nanoparticles were decorated on a 2H MoS 2 surface to form an Au/MoS 2 composite by pulse laser deposition. Improved HER activity of Au/MoS 2 is evidenced by a positively shifted overpotential (-77 mV) at a current density of -10 mA cm -2 compared with pure MoS 2 nanosheets. Experimental evidence shows that the interface between Au and MoS 2 provides more sites to combine protons to form an active H atom. The density functional theory calculations found that new Au active sites on the Au and MoS 2 interface with improved conductivity of the whole system are essential for enhancing HER activity of Au/MoS 2 .