Efficient Electrocatalyst for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Derived from Polyoxotungstate/Polypyrrole/Graphene

Efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) from water by electrocatalysis using cost-effective materials is critical to realize the clean hydrogen production. Herein, with controlling the structure and composition of polyoxotungstate/conductive polypyrrole/graphene (PCG) precursor precisely and followed by a temperature-programmed reaction, we developed a highly active and stable catalyst: NC@W_x C/NRGO (NC: nitrogen-doped porous carbon, NRGO: nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide). The composite presents splendid performance towards HER in acidic media, with a small onset overpotential of 24 mV versus RHE (reversible hydrogen electrode), a low Tafel slope of 58.4 mV dec^-1 , a low overpotential of 100 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 , and remarkable long-term cycle stability. This is one of the highest HER catalysts among the tungsten carbide-based materials ever reported.