Ultrasmall tungsten phosphide nanoparticles embedded in nitrogen-doped carbon as a highly active and stable hydrogen-evolution electrocatalyst

Zonghua Pu; Xue Ya; Ibrahim Saana Amiinu; Zhengkai Tu; Xiaobo Liu; Wenqiang Li; Shichun Mu

doi:10.1039/C6TA05165K

Ultrasmall tungsten phosphide nanoparticles embedded in nitrogen-doped carbon as a highly active and stable hydrogen-evolution electrocatalyst†

Zonghua Pu,^a Xue Ya,^b Ibrahim Saana Amiinu,^a Zhengkai Tu,*^a Xiaobo Liu,^a Wenqiang Li^a and Shichun Mu*^a

* Corresponding authors

^a State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, P. R. China
E-mail: tzklq@whut.edu.cn, msc@whut.edu.cn

^b Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, P. R. China

Abstract

Rational design and synthesis of highly efficient and stable non-noble metal electrocatalysts are critical for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) associated with some renewable energy conversion systems. Herein, we report a one-step facile synthesis of ultrasmall tungsten phosphide nanoparticles (WP NPs) embedded within a nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) matrix (WP NPs@NC). The optimized catalyst, consisting of WP NPs of less than 5 nm diameter encapsulated by ultrathin carbon shells, shows excellent HER activity in strongly acidic media with a low onset overpotential (40 mV), high current density (j = 10 mA cm⁻² at η = 102 mV), small Tafel slope (58 mV dec⁻¹), and superior durability (4 days). The as-prepared WP NPs@NC catalyst also offers excellent HER activity in both neutral and alkaline conditions, as well as remarkable durability. This synthesis strategy opens up a new avenue for obtaining transition metal phosphide nanoparticles as a new class of non-noble-metal electrocatalysts for water splitting and hydrogen generation.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C6TA05165K
Article type: Paper
Submitted: 20 Jun 2016
Accepted: 17 Aug 2016
First published: 17 Aug 2016

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J. Mater. Chem. A, 2016,4, 15327-15332

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Ultrasmall tungsten phosphide nanoparticles embedded in nitrogen-doped carbon as a highly active and stable hydrogen-evolution electrocatalyst

Z. Pu, X. Ya, I. S. Amiinu, Z. Tu, X. Liu, W. Li and S. Mu, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2016, 4, 15327 DOI: 10.1039/C6TA05165K

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Journal of Materials Chemistry A

Ultrasmall tungsten phosphide nanoparticles embedded in nitrogen-doped carbon as a highly active and stable hydrogen-evolution electrocatalyst†

Abstract

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Ultrasmall tungsten phosphide nanoparticles embedded in nitrogen-doped carbon as a highly active and stable hydrogen-evolution electrocatalyst

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