Comparative study on various morphologies of WS2 for electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction

Abstract

Nowadays, the advancement of cost-effective and efficient electrocatalysts holds significant importance in facilitating the progress of high-performance electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Tungsten disulfides (WS₂) are well recognized as highly promising electrocatalysts for HER due to their exceptional catalytic performance, outstanding stability, and comparatively affordable price. In this study, we used ammonium metatungstate hydrate and thioacetamide as precursors to fabricate WS₂ nanoflowers (NFs) by hydrothermal method, whereas WS₂-flakes were prepared from ammonium tetrathiotungstate through the thermolysis technique. These structures were evaluated for HER electrocatalytic activity in acidic media. The results revealed that WS₂-NFs exhibit higher catalytic activity than WS₂-flakes, with an overpotential of 325 mV to obtain a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² and a Tafel slope of 92.3 mV dec⁻¹. This performance was attributed to the larger electrochemically active surface area of WS₂-NFs compared to WS₂-flakes materials. The results of this study could bring the basis for further studies on the synthesis of WS₂-based catalytic materials for HER.

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