Elevating alkaline hydrogen evolution through neodymium vanadate nanoparticles integrated with tungsten disulfide...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Developing efficient electrocatalysts is crucial for addressing global energy and environmental challenges.
• The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a key process for sustainable hydrogen production.
• Alkaline media offer advantages for HER but require robust electrocatalysts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and evaluate neodymium vanadate nanoparticles encapsulated in tungsten disulfide nanosheets (NdVO4-NPs@WS2-NSs) as an electrocatalyst for HER.
• To investigate the structural and electrochemical properties of the synthesized nanocomposite.
• To demonstrate the potential of NdVO4-NPs@WS2-NSs for efficient hydrogen production.

Main Methods:

• Solvothermal synthesis of NdVO4-NPs@WS2-NSs nanocomposite.
• Characterization using various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques.
• Electrochemical evaluation of HER performance in alkaline conditions, including overpotential, Tafel slope, and stability tests.

Main Results:

• The NdVO4-NPs@WS2-NSs electrocatalyst demonstrated a low overpotential (115 mV at 10 mA cm-2) and Tafel slope (63 mV dec-1).
• The nanocomposite exhibited excellent long-term operational stability (108 hours) in alkaline media.
• Achieved high faradaic efficiency (94%), low charge transfer resistance (6.6 Ω), and a large electrochemically active surface area (155 cm2).

Conclusions:

• The NdVO4-NPs@WS2-NSs nanocomposite is a highly effective electrocatalyst for HER in alkaline conditions.
• The synergistic effects between NdVO4 nanoparticles and WS2 nanosheets contribute to the enhanced catalytic activity.
• This material shows significant promise for efficient and sustainable hydrogen production, surpassing existing electrocatalysts.