Metal‐organic precursor derived nitrogen‐doped carbon coupled with WS 2 hybrid nanocatalyst with boosted catalytic performance for nitrogen fixation

Abstract

As a sustainable and promising approach toward ammonia synthesis, electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) under mild conditions offers an attractive alternative to the energy‐intensive Haber‐Bosch (HB) technology. However, developing highly efficient electrocatalysts for the nitrogen reduction reaction continues to pose a great challenge due to the high overpotential, low selectivity, and poor stability caused by the inert NN triple bond and competitive hydrogen evolution reaction. Tungsten disulphide (WS 2 ) has attracted widespread attention due to its intriguing physicochemical properties and extensive applications in electrochemistry‐related fields, including rechargeable batteries and electrocatalysts. Nevertheless, WS 2 has been hindered by several critical issues in its practical application for electrocatalytic NRR. For instance, severe particle agglomeration results in a decreased surface area and poor electrical conductivity, leading to a sluggish electron transfer. In addition, limited catalytically active sites inevitably lead to an undesirable catalytic activity. This paper demonstrates a facile strategy to fabricate WS 2 /NC composite with a W‐based organic ligand as a precursor. The experimental results reveal that the WS 2 /NC composite is composed of highly dispersed WS 2 nanoparticles hybridized with organic ligand‐converted nitrogen‐doped carbon (NC) plates. The resultant composite is characterized by an enlarged surface area, robust nanostructure, and enhanced electroconductivity. Consequently, the WS 2 /NC composite demonstrates a greatly improved electrocatalytic performance for NRR.