Layer-stacking porous WCx nanoparticles on carbon cloth as self-supported integrated electrode for hydrogen evolution reaction

作者：Wang, Kun; Chen, Haixin; Hua, Yongqi; Tong, Yexiang^*; Wang, Yi^*; Song, Shuqin^*

来源：Materials Today Energy, 2018, 10: 343-351.

DOI：10.1016/j.mtener.2018.09.003

• Layer-stacking
• WCx
• Self-supported integrated electrode
• Hydrogen evolution reaction

Tungsten carbide (WC), possessing Pt-like properties and excellent stability in acidic and basic media, has been significantly considered as the most promising candidate to replace to the commercial Pt/C for electrocatalyzing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, high-temperature carburizing process is an indispensable step for the preparation of the WC-based nanomaterials, leading to the agglomeration of amounts of WC crystal particles, which is not favorable for exposing the high density of active sites. Here, we innovatively in-situ constructed a self-supporting integrated electrode, layer-stacking porous WCx nanoparticles decorated onto carbon cloth (denoted as WCx@CC). Benefiting from the faulting porous structure, it not only enables to accelerate the mass transport from two directions of parallel and vertical to carbon fiber but also simultaneously provide more active sites accessibility. Consequently, this novel integrated electrode exhibits the excellent performance with a small onset potential of 70 mV, and Tafel slope of 79 mV/dec in acidic media. Impressively, the WCx@CC electrode could sustain more than 12 h of hydrogen production at a constant potential of -0.3 V without observable deterioration in acidic media.

• 出版日期2018-12
• 单位中山大学