Atomic-Scale Confined Synthesis of Ultrathin W<sub>2</sub>C Nanowires in Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes for the High-Performance Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40365771.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c01381.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
Phase-pure ultrafine W<sub>2</sub>C nanostructures are promising electrocatalysts but face synthesis challenges due to unclear formation mechanisms and harsh thermodynamics. Here, we reveal the formation mechanism of ultrathin W<sub>2</sub>C nanowires (NWs) confined in the cavity of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) at the atomic scale by combined <i>in situ</i> transmission electron microscopy and density functional theory calculations. It was found that the hollow core of SWCNTs can control the phase, axial orientation, and diameter of W<sub>2</sub>C NWs. Leveraging this mechanism, we synthesized SWCNT-encapsulated W<sub>2</sub>C NWs, WS<sub>2</sub>-W<sub>2</sub>C heterostructures, and WS<sub>2</sub> NWs (1D@1D), which assembled into free-standing hybrid films. The integrated W<sub>2</sub>C NWs@SWCNT membrane was primarily tested, exhibiting a low overpotential of 44 mV to reach a current density of 10 mA cm<sup>-2</sup> and outstanding durability (500 h at a high current density of 250 mA cm<sup>-2</sup> in acidic conditions).