Polyoxometalate and ammonium polyphosphate induced bimetallic tungsten-based phosphides for electrocatalytic hydrogen production

Abstract

Tungsten-based phosphide has gained significant traction in the field of electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution on account of its platinum-like characteristics, cost-effectiveness and exceptional electrical conductivity. In this work, bimetallic phosphide (WP/WCoP2@C) was prepared for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) via high-temperature annealing and in situ phosphating procedure using the green phosphorus source ammonium polyphosphate (APP) without no toxic substances generated. WP/WCoP2@C exhibits satisfactory catalytic hydrogen evolution activity, with the overpotentials in acidic and alkaline environments of 151 and 138 mV, respectively, at current density reaching 10 mV cm−2. Moreover, WP/WCoP2@C shows favorable stability in the acid-base electrolytes for 36 h. This work provides experimental ideas for the green clean synthesis of tungsten-based phosphides for electrochemical small molecules transformation for sustainable energy generation.