Ru doping and interface engineering synergistically boost the electrocatalytic performance of a WP/WP₂ nanosheet...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Catalyst surface electronic structure and morphology are critical for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance.
• Developing efficient and stable electrocatalysts is essential for electrochemical energy conversion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate a novel Ruthenium (Ru)-doped WP/WP2 heterojunction nanosheet array electrode.
• To investigate the effect of Ru doping and heterojunction interfaces on HER performance.
• To understand the underlying mechanism of enhanced HER activity through theoretical calculations.

Main Methods:

• One-step phosphating treatment of a Ru-doped WO3 precursor to synthesize the WP/WP2 heterojunction nanosheet array.
• Electrochemical characterization, including overpotential and Tafel slope measurements, in acidic solution.
• Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to analyze electronic structure and adsorption energies.

Main Results:

• The fabricated Ru-doped WP/WP2 catalyst exhibited a low overpotential of 58.0 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and a Tafel slope of 50.71 mV dec-1.
• The nanosheet array morphology provided a large electrochemical active surface area.
• Theoretical calculations confirmed that Ru doping and heterojunction interfaces synergistically optimize electronic structure, weakening hydrogen adsorption and improving HER kinetics.

Conclusions:

• The Ru-doped WP/WP2 heterojunction nanosheet array is a highly efficient electrocatalyst for HER in acidic media.
• Synergistic effects of doping and heterojunctions are crucial for enhancing catalytic activity.
• This work offers a promising strategy for designing advanced nanoarray electrodes for electrochemical energy applications.