Electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution using amorphous tungsten phosphide nanoparticles

Abstract

Amorphous tungsten phosphide (WP), which has been synthesized as colloidal nanoparticles with an average diameter of 3 nm, has been identified as a new electrocatalyst for the hydrogen-evolution reaction (HER) in acidic aqueous solutions. WP/Ti electrodes produced current densities of -10 mA cm(-2) and -20 mA cm(-2) at overpotentials of only -120 mV and -140 mV, respectively, in 0.50 M H2SO4(aq).