MXene Hybrid Nanosheet\nof WS₂/Ti₃C₂ for Electrocatalytic\nHydrogen Evolution Reaction

Abstract

Designing low-cost hybrid electrocatalysts for hydrogen\nproduction\nis of significant importance. Recently, MXene-based materials are\nbeing increasingly employed in energy storage devices owing to their\nlayered structure and high electrical conductivity. In this study,\nwe propose a facile hydrothermal strategy for producing WS₂/Ti₃C₂ nanosheets that function as electrocatalysts\nin the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). WS₂ provides\na high surface area and active sites for electrocatalytic activity,\nwhereas MXene Ti₃C₂ facilitates charge transfer.\nAs a result, the synthesized WS₂/Ti₃C₂ offers an increased surface area and exhibits an enhanced electrocatalytic\nactivity in acidic media. The WS₂/Ti₃C₂ (10%) catalyst exhibited a low onset potential of −150 mV\nversus RHE for the HER and a low Tafel slope of ∼62 mV dec^–1. Moreover, WS₂/Ti₃C₂ (10%) exhibited a double-layer capacitance of 1.2 mF/cm^–2, which is 3 and 6 times greater than those of bare WS₂ and Ti₃C₂, respectively. This catalyst also\nmaintained a steady catalytic activity for the HER for over 1000 cycles.