Nickel Nanoparticles Supported on P-Doped Tungsten Nitride Nanosheets as Catalysts for Hydrogen Evolution
Shuqin Liang, Peng‐Yuan Wang, Meizan Jing, Huashuai Hu, Shaohong Zhang, Zifan Cang, Yuxin Zhao, Hanzhang Gong, Jian Liu
Abstract
Electrochemical water decomposition is a promising alternative to hydrogen production (HER), but it is significantly limited by the scarcity of precious metals. Here, we propose a highly efficient yet low-cost phosphorus-modified nickel/tungsten nitride (P-Ni/WN) electrocatalyst, which exhibits excellent HER performance with a low overpotential (45 mV at 10 mA cm –2 ) and a high exchange current density (2.02 mA cm –2 ). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experiments reveal that the introduction of P and Ni attracts electrons from W species, making WN more conducive to the HER reaction. Moreover, the P doping contributes to the dispersion of Ni nanoparticles on the WN support, thereby enhancing the HER performance of the P-Ni/WN catalyst. This work provides a facile approach to improve the electrocatalytic activity of nickel-based catalysts in the context of the HER.