Copper, Palladium, and Reduced Graphene Oxide Co-doped Layered WS2/WO3 Nanostructures for Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Generation

Abstract

Fossil fuels have a vital role in global energy resources. The burning of fossil fuels produces pollutants and harms the environment. These environmental problems can be solved by searching for a substitute for fossil fuels. Hydrogen production by water electrolysis has emerged as a promising substitute. It is a green, clean, and renewable energy source. Low-cost water is abundant on the Earth. The metal and its composite material have been used to develop water electrolysis. Among these composite catalytic materials, WS2/WO3 composite catalyst is well-known for its excellent physical and chemical behavior in water electrolysis to produce hydrogen. Engineered catalysts can further enhance the catalytic performance. Therefore, we investigate and analyze the catalytic performance of copper (Cu), palladium (Pd), and r-GO co-doped WS2/WO3 composite material for water electrolysis to produce green, clean, and renewable hydrogen energy by hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The hydrothermal synthesis method is used to prepare the WS2/WO3 composite material co-doped with Cu, Pd, and r-GO. The co-doping is favorable for fast charge transfer by providing many active catalytic sites for HER and enhancing the HER catalytic performance. Therefore, the co-doped tungsten disulfide/oxide could be a potential composite material for efficient water electrolysis for clean and renewable hydrogen production by electrochemical water electrolysis. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]. © 2023, The Author(s) under exclusive licence to The Korean Institute of Metals and Materials.