Te-doped-WSe₂/W as a stable monolith catalyst for ampere-level current density hydrogen evolution reaction

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Efficient electrocatalysts are crucial for large-scale hydrogen production via water splitting.
• Current methods often rely on expensive platinum-based catalysts.
• Developing high-performance, non-precious metal alternatives is a key research objective.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate a novel, stable, non-precious metal electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).
• To investigate the performance of tellurium-doped tungsten diselenide (Te-WSe2) supported on a tungsten mesh under high current density conditions.
• To explore the underlying mechanisms contributing to the catalyst's enhanced activity.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a stable monolith catalyst comprising Te-doped WSe2 on a conductive W mesh.
• Electrocatalytic testing in acidic electrolytes to assess HER performance, including overpotential and Tafel slope measurements.
• Density functional theory (DFT) calculations to elucidate the effect of Te doping on hydrogen adsorption.

Main Results:

• The Te-WSe2 catalyst demonstrated superior electrocatalytic activity and stability compared to commercial Pt/C catalysts.
• Achieved low overpotentials of 79 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and 232 mV at 1200 mA cm-2.
• Exhibited a small Tafel slope of 55 mV dec-1, indicating efficient charge transfer and reaction kinetics.
• DFT calculations confirmed that Te doping optimizes hydrogen adsorption on WSe2.

Conclusions:

• Te-doped WSe2 on a W mesh is a highly effective and stable electrocatalyst for the HER, particularly under demanding high current densities.
• The catalyst's performance is attributed to enhanced electron transfer and optimized active sites facilitated by Te doping.
• This work presents a promising, cost-effective strategy for developing advanced HER electrocatalysts for hydrogen production.