Synthesis of MoTe2 nanowire as an efficient hydrogen evolution reaction material

Ultrathin MoTe2 nanowire was directly synthesized from a mesoporous silica SBA-15 template via nanocasting strategy. The TEM and SEM observations reveal that the as-synthesized MoTe2 has a nanowire morphology with a diameter of 5–6 nm. UV–Vis absorption spectrum shows that there is a broad absorption in the near ultraviolet and visible light range. The bandgap Eg of the monolayered MoTe2 nanowire has been deduced to 1.60 eV, which demonstrates that it is a potential visible-light active material. The electrochemical test shows that MoTe2 nanowire presents a smaller overpotential of 0.41 V at 10 mA/cm2. The Tafel slope of the material is only 58 mV/dec, which is one of the best values for TMD materials without noble metal doping.