Carbon nanotube-induced phase and stability engineering: a strained cobalt-doped WSe2/MWNT heterostructure for enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction

Abstract

Efficient evolution of hydrogen with inexpensive, highly active and long-term stable catalysts in a wide pH range holds tremendous promise for clean energy. Here, we report the synthesis of a cobalt-doped tungsten selenide/multiwalled carbon nanotube (Co-WSe₂/MWNT) heterostructure for the first time, wherein the MWNTs act as an efficient topological template for the nucleation and growth of curved Co-WSe₂ nanosheets with abundant accessible active sites. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the MWNT induced curvature strain not only promotes the predominant 1T phase of active Co-WSe₂, but also enhances its anti-oxidative stability. Further study indicates that the as-prepared catalyst exhibits efficient electrocatalytic HER in both acidic and alkaline environments with high activity and long-term stability.