Boron-Intercalation\nEngineering toward Defected 1T\nPhase-Rich MoB<sub><i>x</i></sub>S<sub>2–<i>x</i></sub>-Supported IrO<sub><i>x</i></sub> Clusters\nfor Acidic OER

The construction of supported Ir-based catalysts can\neffectively\nreduce the amount of Ir and generate a synergistic effect that enhances\nthe oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity and stability, making\nit one of the effective solutions for optimizing acidic OER catalysts.\nHowever, most reported metal oxide supports suffer from poor acid\nresistance and low electrical conductivity, which are critical for\nthe OER process. Herein, we synthesized a nanosheet-like defected\n1T phase-rich MoB<sub><i>x</i></sub>S<sub>2–<i>x</i></sub> via a molten salt calcination process, during which\nthe 1T phase was formed, and B was intercalated into MoS<sub>2</sub> to protect the 1T phase structure during annealing procedure. After\nthe wet refluxing process, IrO<sub><i>x</i></sub> clusters\nwere uniformly deposited on the surface of MoB<sub><i>x</i></sub>S<sub>2–<i>x</i></sub> to form IrO<sub><i>x</i></sub>@MoB<sub><i>x</i></sub>S<sub>2–<i>x</i></sub>, which exhibited an overpotential of 168 mV at a\ncurrent density of 10 mA cm<sup>–2</sup> with an Ir loading\namount of 25.8 wt %. By comparing the OER performance of IrO<sub><i>x</i></sub>@MoB<sub><i>x</i></sub>S<sub>2–<i>x</i></sub>, IrO<sub><i>x</i></sub>@MoS<sub>2</sub>(Calcinated), and IrO<sub><i>x</i></sub>@MoS<sub>2</sub>, it is demonstrated that calcination and B intercalation of MoS<sub>2</sub> can significantly increase acidic OER performance. This work\ndigs into the application of 1T-MoS<sub>2</sub> as an OER catalyst\nsupport, providing strategies for the phase and morphology control\nof 1T-MoS<sub>2</sub>.