Ditungsten carbide nanoparticles homogeneously embedded in carbon nanofibers for efficient hydrogen production

As a promising electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), ditungsten carbide (W2C) has aroused extensive attention. Pure-phase W2C nanoparticles embedded in carbon nanofibers (W2C/C NFs) could provide abundant accessible catalytically active sites and facilitate electron transfer for efficient HER. In this work, W2C/C NFs were fabricated by an electrospinning-assisted synthetic strategy. The optimized sample W2C/C NFs-20 exhibits excellent electrocatalytic performances in wide-pH range, especially in alkaline media, showing low overpotential (η) of 81, 137, and 157 mV to reach 10, 100, and 200 mA cm−2, respectively. One dimensional nanostructure and the strong coupling of W2C within the carbon matrix synergistically brought faster electron transport and more active sites, and thus a significant enhancement in HER activity. Based on the strategy reported here, other transition metal carbide nanofibers could be prepared to expand opportunities in various catalytic applications.