Ditungsten carbide nanoparticles encapsulated by ultrathin graphitic layers with excellent hydrogen-evolution electrocatalytic properties

Yao Zhou; Ruguang Ma; Pengxi Li; Yongfang Chen; Qian Liu; Guozhong Cao; Jiacheng Wang

doi:10.1039/C6TA01601D

Ditungsten carbide nanoparticles encapsulated by ultrathin graphitic layers with excellent hydrogen-evolution electrocatalytic properties†

Yao Zhou,^a Ruguang Ma,^a Pengxi Li,^a Yongfang Chen,^a Qian Liu,*^a Guozhong Cao*^bc and Jiacheng Wang*^a

* Corresponding authors

^a The State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1295 Dingxi Road, Shanghai, P. R. China
E-mail: qianliu@sunm.shcnc.ac.cn, jiacheng.wang@mail.sic.ac.cn
Fax: +86-21-52413122
Tel: +86-21-52412714

^b Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
E-mail: gzcao@u.washington.edu

^c Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China

Abstract

The development of efficient non-precious-metal electrocatalysts towards the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), with superior activity and stability, remains a great challenge in the area of renewable energy. In this work, we demonstrated a facile, one-step protocol to synthesize ultrathin graphitic layer (GL)-encapsulated ultrafine ditungsten carbide (W₂C) nanoparticles (W₂C@GL) with sizes smaller than 10 nm, exhibiting a superior HER activity in acidic solution. An efficient W₂C phase, along with an improved electron transfer process by GL wrapping, cooperatively leads to a small Tafel slope of 68 mV dec⁻¹ and a large exchange current density of 0.24 mA cm⁻² for W₂C@GL, which exceeds the previous W₂C materials by far. Over 91% of the current density is maintained after over 8 h of operation, which indicates a good stability of this hybrid catalyst. Thus, W₂C@GL with these excellent properties has been among the best non-noble metal HER electrocatalyst reported to date.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C6TA01601D
Article type: Paper
Submitted: 23 Feb 2016
Accepted: 22 Apr 2016
First published: 26 Apr 2016

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J. Mater. Chem. A, 2016,4, 8204-8210

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Ditungsten carbide nanoparticles encapsulated by ultrathin graphitic layers with excellent hydrogen-evolution electrocatalytic properties

Y. Zhou, R. Ma, P. Li, Y. Chen, Q. Liu, G. Cao and J. Wang, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2016, 4, 8204 DOI: 10.1039/C6TA01601D

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Journal of Materials Chemistry A

Ditungsten carbide nanoparticles encapsulated by ultrathin graphitic layers with excellent hydrogen-evolution electrocatalytic properties†

Abstract

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Ditungsten carbide nanoparticles encapsulated by ultrathin graphitic layers with excellent hydrogen-evolution electrocatalytic properties

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