Solar-driven water electrolysis to produce hydrogen is
one of the
clean energy options for the current energy-related challenges. Si
as a photocathode exhibits a large overpotential due to the slow hydrogen
evolution reaction (HER) kinetics and hence needs to be modified with
a cocatalyst layer. MoS2 is a poor HER cocatalyst due to
its inert basal plane. Activation of the MoS2 basal plane
will facilitate HER kinetics. In this study, we have incorporated
SnS2 into MoS2 ultrathin sheets to induce defect
formation and phase transformation. MoS2/SnS2 composite ultrathin sheets with a Sn2+ state create a
large number of S vacancies on the basal sites. The optimized defect-rich
MoS2/SnS2 ultrathin sheets decorated on surface-modified
Si micro pyramids as photocathodes show a current density of −23.8
mA/cm2 at 0 V with an onset potential of 0.23 V under acidic
conditions, which is higher than that of the pristine MoS2. The incorporation of SnS2 into 2H-MoS2 ultrathin
sheets not only induces a phase but also can alter the local atomic
arrangement, which in turn is verified by their magnetic response. The diamagnetic SnS2 phase causes a decrease in symmetry
and an increase in magnetic anisotropy of the Mo3+ ions.