Pure and stable metallic phase molybdenum disulfide nanosheets for hydrogen evolution reaction.

Metallic-phase MoS2 (M-MoS2) is metastable and does not exist in nature. Pure and stable M-MoS2 has not been previously prepared by chemical synthesis, to the best of our knowledge. Here we report a hydrothermal process for synthesizing stable two-dimensional M-MoS2 nanosheets in water. The metal-metal Raman stretching mode at 146 cm(-1) in the M-MoS2 structure, as predicted by theoretical calculations, is experimentally observed. The stability of the M-MoS2 is associated with the adsorption of a monolayer of water molecules on both sides of the nanosheets, which reduce restacking and prevent aggregation in water. The obtained M-MoS2 exhibits excellent stability in water and superior activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction, with a current density of 10 mA cm(-2) at a low potential of -175 mV and a Tafel slope of 41 mV per decade.

Junction investigation of graphene/silicon Schottky diodes.

Here we present a facile technique for the large-scale production of few-layer graphene flakes. The as-sonicated, supernatant, and sediment of the graphene product were respectively sprayed onto different types of silicon wafers. It was found that all devices exhibited current rectification properties, and the supernatant graphene devices have the best performance. Schottky junctions formed between graphene flakes and silicon n-type substrates exhibit good photovoltaic conversion efficiency while graphene/p-Si devices have poor light harvesting capability.