MXene Hybrid Nanosheet of WS/TiC for Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Designing low-cost hybrid electrocatalysts for hydrogen production is of significant importance. Recently, MXene-based materials are being increasingly employed in energy storage devices owing to their layered structure and high electrical conductivity. In this study, we propose a facile hydrothermal strategy for producing WS/TiC nanosheets that function as electrocatalysts in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). WS provides a high surface area and active sites for electrocatalytic activity, whereas MXene TiC facilitates charge transfer. As a result, the synthesized WS/TiC offers an increased surface area and exhibits an enhanced electrocatalytic activity in acidic media. The WS/TiC (10%) catalyst exhibited a low onset potential of -150 mV versus RHE for the HER and a low Tafel slope of ∼62 mV dec. Moreover, WS/TiC (10%) exhibited a double-layer capacitance of 1.2 mF/cm, which is 3 and 6 times greater than those of bare WS and TiC, respectively. This catalyst also maintained a steady catalytic activity for the HER for over 1000 cycles.