The role of electrochemical interfaces
in energy conversion and
storage is unprecedented and more so the interlayers of two-dimensional
(2D) heterostructures, where the physicochemical nature of these interlayers
can be adjusted by cation intercalation. We demonstrate in
situ intercalation of Ni2+ and Co2+ with similar ionic radii of ∼0.07 nm in the interlayer of
1T-WS2 while electrodepositing NiCo layered double hydroxide
(NiCo-LDH) to create a 2D heterostructure. The extent of intercalation
varies with the electrodeposition time. Electrodeposition for 90 s
results in 22.4-nm-thick heterostructures, and charge transfer ensues
from NiCo-LDH to 1T-WS2, which stabilizes the higher oxidation
states of Ni and Co. Density functional theory calculations validate
the intercalation principle where the intercalated Ni and Co d electrons
contribute to the density of states at the Fermi level of 1T-WS2. Water electrolysis is taken as a representative redox process.
The 90 s electrodeposited heterostructure needs the relatively lowest
overpotentials of 134 ± 14 and 343 ± 4 mV for hydrogen and
oxygen evolution reactions, respectively, to achieve a current density
of ±10 mA/cm2 along with exceptional durability for
60 h in 1 M potassium hydroxide. The electrochemical parameters are
found to correlate with enhanced mass diffusion through the cation
and Cl–-intercalated interlayer spacing of 1T-WS2 and the number of active sites. While 1T-WS2 is
mostly celebrated as a HER catalyst in an acidic medium, with the
help of intercalation chemistry, this work explores an unfound territory
of this transition-metal dichalcogenide to catalyze both half-reactions
of water electrolysis.
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