Synthesis of Cobalt-doped MoS₂ Monolayers for an Efficient Nanocatalyst in Hydrogen Fuel Cells

The current best materials for catalysts in hydrogen fuel cells are noble-metal based which makes them too scarce and cost-prohibitive for widespread commercial use. Transition Metal Dichalcogenide (TMD) nanomaterials in the form of repeatable MX₂ units, like MoS₂, have significant potential to outperform these metals based on extensive density functional theory (DFT) calculations. To achieve the highest surface area for the catalyst, nanomaterials in the form of 2D film are desirable for their superior electron control in the vertical direction. Despite all of these reasons, MoS₂ in any form has yet to reach the current best standard of platinum. However, multiple studies have shown that introducing strain in some form or exposing MoS₂ edge sites can greatly improve its catalytic efficiency. In this experiment, we synthesize a cobalt-doped variant of MoS₂ to benefit from the synergistic properties of metal doping with superior electron control.