# 6R-TaS2 Anchored on Mo Foil as a Robust Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution

## TL;DR

A new electrocatalyst made of TaS2 anchored on Mo foil shows excellent performance for hydrogen production, rivaling platinum-based catalysts.

## Contribution

The study introduces a scalable method using 6R-TaS2 on Mo foil to create a durable and efficient hydrogen evolution reaction catalyst.

## Key findings

- The hybrid catalyst achieves a current density of −10 mA cm–2 at −150 mV vs RHE.
- It maintains 58% of its initial current after 56 hours of operation.
- The Mo substrate enhances electron transport and proton adsorption compared to glassy carbon.

## Abstract

Affordable and durable
HER catalysts are critical for
sustainable
hydrogen production. We report electrochemically exfoliated multilayer
TaS2 flakes, predominantly in the metallic 6R phase, anchored
on conductive Mo foil. The optimized hybrid (0.8 mg TaS2) initiates HER at −0.06 V vs RHE and reaches −10 mA
cm–2 at only −150 mV vs RHE, approaching
the performance of 20% Pt/C on Mo. Fast kinetics (Tafel slope of 68
mV dec–1), low charge-transfer resistance, and a
high electrochemically active surface area (∼5.5 cm2) contribute to the superior HER activity, while maintaining ∼58%
of the initial current after ∼56 h of continuous operation.
Compared to TaS2 drop-cast on glassy carbon, the Mo substrate
boosts performance by facilitating electron transport and proton adsorption.
This work demonstrates substrate engineering combined with metallic
transition metal dichalcogenide phases as a scalable route to high-performance,
earth-abundant HER catalysts. Beyond performance, this study highlights
the largely unexplored potential of the 6R polymorph, whose intrinsic
metallicity and distinct stacking offer new opportunities for interface
engineering in 2D electrocatalysts.