Nickel Nanoparticles Supported on P-Doped Tungsten Nitride Nanosheets as Catalysts for Hydrogen Evolution

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.