Lee, Youjin Lee, Soo Hyun Han, Sun Kyung Park, Jiheon Lee, Dongwook Preston, Daniel J. Kim, In Soo Hersam, Mark C. Kwon, Yongwoo Shong, Bonggeun Lee, Won-Kyu 2024-01-12T06:32:34Z 2024-01-12T06:32:34Z 2023-11-21 2023-11 2380-8195 https://pubs.kist.re.kr/handle/201004/79755 Electrocatalytic water splitting produces hydrogen fuel, but its dependence on expensive platinum-based electrocatalysts has limited industrial-scale implementation. Here, we report an approach for the activation of electrochemically inert layered MoTe2 that results in a low-cost, scalable, and readily available hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalyst for water splitting. This approach relies on the transfer of mechanically exfoliated MoTe2 flakes to gold thin films on prestrained thermoplastic substrates. By relieving the prestrain, a tunable level of internal tensile strain is developed in the flakes as a result of spontaneously formed surface wrinkles, resulting in a local semiconductor-to-metal phase transition to form phase boundaries. This strain engineering enhances the HER performance of the MoTe2 with reduced charge transfer resistance, and in operando activation of the flakes further amplifies the electrochemical activity, rivaling that of platinum. Density functional theory calculations provide fundamental insight into how strain-induced heterophase boundaries promoted HER activity. English American Chemical Society Strain-Enabled Local Phase Control in Layered MoTe2 for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Article 10.1021/acsenergylett.3c01941 1 ACS Energy Letters, v.8, no.11, pp.4716 - 4725 ACS Energy Letters 8 11 4716 4725 N scie scopus 001103648700001 Chemistry, Physical Electrochemistry Energy & Fuels Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Materials Science, Multidisciplinary Chemistry Electrochemistry Energy & Fuels Science & Technology - Other Topics Materials Science Article ACTIVE EDGE SITES MONOLAYER MOTE2 MOS2 TRANSITION GRAPHENE MULTISCALE CATALYSTS FILMS H-2