P-doped W2C nanoparticles for hydrogen evolution reaction powered by a wind-driven triboelectric nanogenerator

Green hydrogen serves as a pivotal energy carrier in the pursuit of carbon neutrality; however, its production is constrained by costly catalysts and bulky power supply. Herein, we demonstrated P-doped W2C nanoparticles anchored on graphene (P @ W2C-C) as an efficient electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction, powered by a wind-driven triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). With an overpotential of just 179 mV and a Tafel slope of 87.8 mV dec−1, P @ W2C-C aligned well with the low power output of TENG. The TENG, utilizing rabbit hair and fluoroethylene propylene (FEP) as fraction materials, achieved a power density of 1.58 W m−2 by harnessing the kinetic energy of low-frequency wind. For demonstration, a hydrogen production rate of 64.5 μL min−1 and a self-awake hydrogen leakage alarm system were successfully realized. Moreover, the hydrogen production cost of this system was approximately 1.0 US$ kg−1 H2, where the levelized cost of energy constituted two-thirds of this expense and the remaining one-third was due to the electrolysis process. The synergistic integration of TENG and P @ W2C-C has opened a promising avenue for the high-efficiency and low-cost production of green hydrogen.