title: A study of the effect of sonication time on the catalytic performance of layered WS2from various sources.
abstract: WS2is a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) with many potential applications from catalysis to sensing, and is of interest both in its bulk and monolayer forms. There is discrepancy in the literature on the reported electrocatalytic effect of layered WS2. In this study, we examine two issues: the influence of the WS2source and the effect of a common agitation technique via ultrasonication on the observed electrocatalysis. Bulk WS2from five different chemical providers demonstrated different HER electrocatalytic performances. Changes to the duration of sonication result in different HER electrocatalytic performances across all WS2materials. This may affect the efficiency of subsequent modifications from which these TMD materials serve as precursor materials. On the other hand, while WS2materials from different suppliers showed varying HET performances, changes in sonication time have no significant effect on their HET performances. Both the WS2source and the duration of sonication have different implications for the electrochemical performance of bulk WS2and thus represent important variables to consider in research involving WS2.
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry & Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Science, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371, Singapore. pumera.research@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Shi Xuan
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Leong
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry & Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Science, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371, Singapore. pumera.research@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Carmen C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Mayorga-Martinez
authors.affiliation: Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technicka 5, 166 28, Prague 6, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Zdeněk
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sofer
authors.affiliation: Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technicka 5, 166 28, Prague 6, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luxa
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry & Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Science, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371, Singapore. pumera.research@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Shu Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry & Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Science, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371, Singapore. pumera.research@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5846-2951
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pumera