(410a) 1T-WS2 on Graphite Foam As a Binder-Free Electrode for Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution

1T-WS₂
on Graphite Foam as a binder-free electrode for Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution

¹Xiaomeng
Guo, ¹Yuanzhi Zhu, ²Junyi Ji*, ¹Xiaobin Fan, ¹Guoliang
Zhang, ¹Fengbao Zhang, ¹Wenchao Peng*

¹School
of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin
University, Tianjin 300072, China,

wenchao.peng@tju.edu.cn

²College of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China,

 junyiji@scu.edu.cn

Hydrogen
is regarded as a clean alternative energy carrier
due to its high energy density and environmental friendliness. Electrochemical
catalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is an efficient method for the production
of hydrogen. Pt-group metals are the most effective HER catalysts due to their
low overpotential and high efficiency. However, these metals are
rare and expensive to apply on an industrial scale. To develop highly
active and low-cost HER catalysts remains a big challenge. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) and tungsten
disulphide (WS₂) are emerging HER catalysts that could be used
as a substitute for noble metals in HER.

   In this study, a three dimensional graphite
foam (GF) was synthesized on the Ni foam using chemical vapor deposition (CVD)
method. After the removal of Ni foam with HCl aqueous solution, exfoliated 1T-WS₂
was dipped on the surface of GF to obtain the GF-WS₂ composite. Due
to the 3D structure and strong mechanical strength of GF, the composite can be
used as a binder-free electrode. The GF-WS₂ electrode was then
tested for the HER performance in 0.5 M H₂SO₄
solution,
and excellent HER activity was observed with a small overpotential
of ∼0.1 V (vs RHE). Compared to the naked WS₂, the overpotential had been
decreased ~0.1 V, and the cathodic current can increase ~10 times at a bias of -0.3V.
This activity improvement should be due to the strong chemical and electronic
coupling between the GF supports and WS₂ nanosheets. The electrical
coupling could afford rapid electron transport from the less-conducting WS₂
nanosheets to the GF with more active sites. The GF-WS₂ is
therefore a promising binder-free electrode with great potentials for hydrogen
production.