Multifunctional Monolithic TaS 2 /3D‐Ta Gas Diffusion Layers for Electrochemical Interface Engineering

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Abstract
Two‐dimensional metallic transition‐metal dichalcogenides provide conductive and catalytically active surfaces, while three‐dimensional porous metal frameworks offer continuous transport pathways and mechanical robustness. Hybridizing these complementary structures into a monolithic architecture is attractive for electrochemical interface engineering, but it remains challenging to integrate their advantages into a single component that coordinates mass transport, interfacial contact, and surface reactivity. Herein, we develop a multifunctional monolithic TaS 2 /3D‐Ta gas diffusion layer (GDL) by 3D printing a porous Ta scaffold followed by a direct sulfurization process to form vertically‐aligned TaS 2 nanosheet networks. The resulting monolith features ordered, thorough pores (∼285.7 µm mean pore size), low interfacial resistances (∼2 mΩ cm 2 at 150 N cm −2 ), and high electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity (Tafel slope of ∼55.3 mV dec −1 ), thereby functioning as a high‐porosity transport framework, a contact‐optimized interface, and a catalytically active surface. The designed TaS 2 /3D‐Ta is further demonstrated as an efficient cathodic GDL in a proton‐exchange‐membrane water electrolysis cell, affording a lower working voltage (by ∼0.54 V) at 2 A cm −2 than that of commercial carbon paper GDL. This work hereby provides a monolithic hybridization strategy for constructing multifunctional electrochemical interface materials.
Funding Information
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (92477204)
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (T2188101)
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (52021006)
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (51925201)
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (51991340)
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (51991344)
  • National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021YFA1202901)

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