Tungsten carbide/carbon composite synthesized by combustion-carbothermal reduction method as electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction

•WCx/C composite was synthesized by combustion-carbothermal reduction method.•Systematic experiments generated to investigate the synthesis process.•The WCx/C composite exhibits good hydrogen evolution reaction catalytic activity.

Tungsten carbide/carbon (WCx/C) composite was synthesized by combustion-carbothermal reduction method. Systematic experiments that vary the ratio of the carbon atom of glucose to the tungsten atom of ammonium tungstate (C/W ratio), temperature and holding time used generated to investigate the synthesis process. The morphology of the as-prepared powders is flake-like and the WCx nanoparticles are embedded in the carbon matrix. This method is facile and easy to scale up. Electrochemical measurements demonstrate that the WCx/C composite exhibits good hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalytic activity, giving a η10 (the overpotential for driving a current of 10 mA cm−2) of −264 mV and Tafel slope of 85 mV dec−1 in acid solution (0.5 M H2SO4).