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

Journal Article · · Nature Communications
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  1. Beijing Univ. of Chemical Technology (China). State Key Lab. of Chemical Resource Engineering
  2. Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (United States). Dept. of Chemistry and Energy Sciences Inst.
  3. Beijing Univ. of Chemical Technology (China). State Key Lab. of Chemical Resource Engineering; Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (United States). Dept. of Chemistry and Energy Sciences Inst.

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.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC); Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Argonne-Northwestern Solar Energy Research Center (ANSER)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0001059
OSTI ID:
1490192
Journal Information:
Nature Communications, Vol. 9, Issue 1; ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 533 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Structural Design and Electronic Modulation of Transition-Metal-Carbide Electrocatalysts toward Efficient Hydrogen Evolution journal August 2018
Water Oxidation Catalysts for Artificial Photosynthesis journal July 2019
Interfacial Engineering of W 2 N/WC Heterostructures Derived from Solid‐State Synthesis: A Highly Efficient Trifunctional Electrocatalyst for ORR, OER, and HER journal November 2019
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Co and Fe Codoped WO 2.72 as Alkaline‐Solution‐Available Oxygen Evolution Reaction Catalyst to Construct Photovoltaic Water Splitting System with Solar‐To‐Hydrogen Efficiency of 16.9% journal June 2019
Construction of Hierarchical Co–Fe Oxyphosphide Microtubes for Electrocatalytic Overall Water Splitting journal July 2019
Rational Design of Holey 2D Nonlayered Transition Metal Carbide/Nitride Heterostructure Nanosheets for Highly Efficient Water Oxidation journal February 2019
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Figures / Tables (7)