Tungsten sulfide enhancing solar-driven hydrogen production from silicon nanowires

Tungsten sulfides, including WS2 (crystalline) and WS3 (amorphous), were introduced to silicon nanowires, and both can promote the photoelectrochemical hydrogen production of silicon nanowires. In addition, more enhancement of energy conversion efficiency can be achieved by the loading of WS3, in comparison with loading of WS2. Polarization curves of WS3 and WS2 suggest that WS3 has higher catalytic activity in the hydrogen evolution reaction than WS2, affording higher energy conversion efficiency in silicon nanowires decorated with WS3. The higher electrocatalytic activity of WS3 correlates with the amorphous structure of WS3 and larger surface area of WS3, which result in more active sites in comparison with crystalline WS2.