Electronic modulation of novel W₁₈O₄₉nanoshuttles for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Transition metal oxides face challenges in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) due to poor conductivity and weak hydrogen adsorption.
• Developing efficient and stable electrocatalysts for HER is crucial for hydrogen production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize W18O49 nanoshuttles (NSs) for highly efficient HER.
• To enhance the electrocatalytic activity of W18O49 NSs through electronic modulation using Nb and Pt components.

Main Methods:

• Hydrothermal synthesis of W18O49 nanoshuttles.
• Incorporation of Nb and Pt components for electronic modulation.
• Electrochemical characterization including overpotential and Tafel slope measurements.
• X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Main Results:

• Optimized NbPt/W18O49 NSs exhibited an ultra-low overpotential of 37 mV at 10 mA cm-2.
• Achieved an exceptionally small Tafel slope of 23 mV dec-1, outperforming commercial Pt/C.
• Demonstrated excellent long-term stability for 18 hours with minimal performance degradation.

Conclusions:

• Electronic modulation of W18O49 NSs with Nb and Pt significantly improves HER activity.
• Optimized hydrogen binding energy and activation of inert O sites contribute to enhanced performance.
• This work presents a facile strategy for designing advanced electrocatalysts for HER.