The most widely reported catalyst in microbial electrochemical cells (MEC) cathodes is platinum (Pt). The disadvantages of Pt include its high cost and sensitivity to various molecules. In this research an exfoliated molybdenum di-sulfide (MoS₂-EF) catalyst was synthesized. The size of the obtained particles was 200 ± 50 nm, 50-fold smaller than the pristine MoS₂ catalyst. The MoS₂-EF Raman spectrum displays the E¹_2g and A_1g peaks at 373 cm⁻¹ and 399 cm⁻¹. Electrochemical characterization by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) of a rotating disc electrode RDE showed that the current density of Pt in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ was 3.3 times higher than MoS₂-EF. However, in phosphate buffer (pH-7) electrolyte this ratio diminished to 1.9. The polarization curve of Pt, MoS₂-EF and the pristine MoS₂ electrodes, at −1.3 V in MEC configuration in abiotic conditions exhibit current densities of 17.46, 12.67 and 3.09 mA cm⁻², respectively. Hydrogen evolution rates in the same MEC with a Geobacter sulfurreducens anode and Pt, MoS₂-EF and the pristine MoS₂ cathodes were 0.106, 0.133 and 0.083 m³ d⁻¹ m⁻³, respectively.

The results in this study show that MoS₂-EF led to highly purified hydrogen and that this catalyst can serve as an electrochemical active and cost-effective alternative to Pt.

微生物电化学电池（MEC）阴极中报道最广泛的催化剂是铂（Pt）。Pt的缺点包括其高成本和对各种分子的敏感性。在这项研究中，合成了脱落的二硫化钼（MoS ₂ -EF）催化剂。所得颗粒的尺寸为200±50nm，比原始的MoS ₂催化剂小50倍。MoS ₂ -EF拉曼光谱在373 cm ^-1和399 cm ^-1处显示出E ¹ _2g和A _1g峰。圆盘电极RDE的线性扫描伏安法（LSV）进行的电化学表征表明，Pt的电流密度为0.5 MH ₂SO ₄是MoS ₂ -EF的3.3倍。但是，在磷酸盐缓冲液（pH-7）电解质中，该比例降低至1.9。在非生物条件下，MEC配置下，-1.3 V时，Pt，MoS ₂ -EF和原始MoS ₂电极的极化曲线分别显示出17.46、12.67和3.09 mA cm ^-2的电流密度。在具有降低的土壤杆菌的阳极和Pt，MoS ₂ -EF和原始的MoS ₂阴极的同一MEC中，氢的释放速率分别为0.106、0.133和0.083 m ³  d ^-1  m ^-3。

这项研究的结果表明，MoS ₂ -EF可以产生高度纯化的氢气，并且该催化剂可以用作Pt的电化学活性和低成本的替代品。