Facile Synthesis of MoS₂@CNT as an Effective Catalyst for Hydrogen Production in Microbial Electrolysis Cells

Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) can produce hydrogen gas from organic compounds in an energy-efficient way by taking advantage of the potential generated by microorganisms. However, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in MECs is slow and thus requires catalysts. A challenge for MEC development therefore lies in the development of cost-effective HER catalysts. In this study, a nanocomposite with molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) coated on highly conductive carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was synthesized as an alternative HER catalyst, and examined in an MEC for hydrogen production. Linear sweep voltammogram experiments demonstrated enhanced HER activity with increasing CNT content. The results suggest that conductivity may be the main limiting factor for overall HER catalysis by MoS₂. MEC tests showed that MoS₂/CNT-90 achieved hydrogen production that was comparable to the Pt-based catalyst. The low cost of the MoS₂ composites will make it competitive as an effective HER catalyst for future MEC applications.