Nitrogen-doped tungsten carbide nanoarray as an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for water splitting in acid

Nana Han, Ke R. Yang, Zhiyi Lu, Yingjie Li, Wenwen Xu, Tengfei Gao, Zhao Cai, Ying Zhang, Victor S. Batista, Wen Liu () and Xiaoming Sun ()
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Nana Han: Beijing University of Chemical Technology
Ke R. Yang: Yale University
Zhiyi Lu: Beijing University of Chemical Technology
Yingjie Li: Beijing University of Chemical Technology
Wenwen Xu: Beijing University of Chemical Technology
Tengfei Gao: Beijing University of Chemical Technology
Zhao Cai: Beijing University of Chemical Technology
Ying Zhang: Beijing University of Chemical Technology
Victor S. Batista: Yale University
Wen Liu: Beijing University of Chemical Technology
Xiaoming Sun: Beijing University of Chemical Technology

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Tungsten carbide is one of the most promising electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction, although it exhibits sluggish kinetics due to a strong tungsten-hydrogen bond. In addition, tungsten carbide’s catalytic activity toward the oxygen evolution reaction has yet to be reported. Here, we introduce a superaerophobic nitrogen-doped tungsten carbide nanoarray electrode exhibiting high stability and activity toward hydrogen evolution reaction as well as driving oxygen evolution efficiently in acid. Nitrogen-doping and nanoarray structure accelerate hydrogen gas release from the electrode, realizing a current density of −200 mA cm−2 at the potential of −190 mV vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, which manifest one of the best non-noble metal catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction. Under acidic conditions (0.5 M sulfuric acid), water splitting catalyzed by nitrogen-doped tungsten carbide nanoarray starts from about 1.4 V, and outperforms most other water splitting catalysts.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03429-z

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