Fast Joule Heating Preparation and Performance Study of Carbon-Loaded Nano Tungsten-Based Electrocatalysts for Highly Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Water electrolysis has attracted the attention of many researchers as a green energy production pathway. However, the oxygen evolution reaction challenges the advancement of green energy from electrolytic water due to slow reaction kinetics and high overpotential. In this study, highly dispersed WCx nanoparticles on carbon cloth (CC) with good self-supporting properties were rapidly synthesized using flash Joule heating for 180 s. At the same time, the nonequilibrium ultrarapid impact process due to Joule heating makes it possible to have more defects in the integrated electrodes. As a result, JH-WCx/CC-900, which has been heat-treated at 900 °C, shows an excellent performance in alkaline media. To further enhance its electrocatalytic performance, the NiFe-LDH cladding layer was prepared on JH-WCx/CC-900 by a one-step electrodeposition technique, taking advantage of the synergistic effect between different components. The Ni5Fe5-LDH/WCx/CC electrode material showcased superior electrocatalytic performance in an alkaline medium, with a low overpotential of 215 mV at 10 mA cm–2 and a Tafel slope of 45.71 mV dec–1. The proposed synthesis and design strategy opens up a fast and simple route for the rapid synthesis of carbide catalysts.