Ditungsten carbide nanoparticles homogeneously embedded in carbon nanofibers for efficient hydrogen production

As a promising electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), ditungsten carbide (W2C) has aroused extensive attention. Pure-phase W2C nanoparticles embedded in carbon nanofibers (W2C/C NFs) could provide abundant accessible catalytically active sites and facilitate electron transfer for efficient HER. In this work, W2C/C NFs were fabricated by an electrospinning-assisted synthetic strategy. The optimized sample W2C/C NFs-20 exhibits excellent electrocatalytic performances in wide-pH range, especially in alkaline media, showing low overpotential (eta) of 81, 137, and 157 mV to reach 10, 100, and 200 mA cm(-2), respectively. One dimensional nanostructure and the strong coupling of W2C within the carbon matrix synergistically brought faster electron transport and more active sites, and thus a significant enhancement in HER activity. Based on the strategy reported here, other transition metal carbide nanofibers could be prepared to expand opportunities in various catalytic applications.

Automated summary

Ditungsten carbide (W2C) embedded in carbon nanofibers (W2C/C NFs) shows excellent electrocatalytic performance, especially in alkaline media. The one-dimensional nanostructure and strong coupling of W2C within the carbon matrix synergistically enhance electron transport and active sites, leading to significant improvement in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity.