Abstract
Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), transition metal carbides (TMCs), and transition metal oxides (TMOs) have been widely investigated for electrocatalytic applications owing to their abundant active sites, high stability, good conductivity, and various other fascinating properties. Therefore, the synthesis of composites of TMDs, TMCs, and TMOs is a new avenue for the preparation of efficient electrocatalysts. Herein, we propose a novel low-cost and facile method to prepare TMD–TMC–TMO nano-hollow spheres (WS2–WC–WO3 NH) as an efficient catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The crystallinity, morphology, chemical bonding, and composition of the composite material were comprehensively investigated using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results confirmed the successful synthesis of the WS2–WC–WO3 NH spheres. Interestingly, the presence of nitrogen significantly enhanced the electrical conductivity of the hybrid material, facilitating electron transfer during the catalytic process. As a result, the WS2–WC–WO3 NH hybrid exhibited better HER performance than the pure WS2 nanoflowers, which can be attributed to the synergistic effect of the W–S, W–C, and W–O bonding in the composite. Remarkably, the Tafel slope of the WS2–WC–WO3 NH spheres was 59 mV dec−1, which is significantly lower than that of the pure WS2 NFs (82 mV dec−1). The results also confirmed the unprecedented stability and superior electrocatalytic performance of the WS2–WC–WO3 NH spheres toward the HER, which opens new avenues for the preparation of low-cost and highly effective materials for energy conversion and storage applications.
Highlights
Over the past few decades, the over-exploitation of natural resources, such as oil, coal, and fossil gas, has been a critical challenge to humankind [1]
4 Conclusions In this study, we developed r a facile and low-cost procedure to prepare a novel composite of W S2 (TMD), WC (TMC), and W O3 (TMO) (WS2–WC–WO3 NH) using the conventional solvothermal technique
The electrochemical measurements of the WS2–WC–WO3NH composite were carried out in an acidic medium to evaluate its electrocatalytic performance for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER)
Summary
Over the past few decades, the over-exploitation of natural resources, such as oil, coal, and fossil gas, has been a critical challenge to humankind [1]. The synergistic effect of WS2 and WO3 on the HER performance of their composite material has been investigated in detail [28, 29]. At the edge of the art, a new approach to improve the electrocatalytic performance of WS2 is to combine it with a transition metal carbide (TMC) material, such as WC or MoC [30, 31]. TMC materials have been widely used in electrochemical applications owing to their high surface area, excellent electronic conductivity, hydrophilicity, and high chemical and mechanical durability [32, 33]. The morphologies, structures, and chemical bonding of both the WS2–WC– WO3 NH spheres and WS2 NFs were investigated various techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. The results showed that the WS2–WC–WO3 NH composite is a promising material for next-generation catalysts, which can be employed in energy conversion and storage applications
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