Dual modulation of morphology and electronic structures of VN@C electrocatalyst by W doping for boosting hydrogen evolution reaction

Developing high-efficiency and robust durability electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in water electrolysis functions as a crucial role for the construction of green hydrogen economy, herein, ultrafine W-doped vanadium nitride nanoparticles anchored on N-doped graphitic carbon framework (WVN@NGC) are synthesized through a one-step simple pyrolysis protocol. Owing to the enlarged catalytically active sites, enhanced electrical conductivity and optimized electronic structure, the resultant VN/WN@NGC delivered the prominent HER performance with overpotentials of 143 mV and 158 mV at 10 mA/cm2 in acid and alkaline media, respectively, accompanied by the long-term stability for at least 50 h. This work highlights a novel strategy for a metal-triggered modulation of nitride-based HER electrocatalyst for sustainable energy conversion device.