Synthesis and development of nano WO3 catalyst incorporated Ni–P coating for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction

•Monoclinic WO3 catalyst has been prepared by thermal tuning of tungstic acid.•Ni–P–WO3 coating was obtained by tuning the composite content in electroless bath.•The electrocatalytic activity of the coating towards HER was studied.•The mechanism of HER was controlled by Volmer–Heyrovsky reactions.

Monoclinic phased nano WO3 incorporated Ni–P coating has been developed and its electrocatalytic activity towards HER has been investigated. The grains obtained in Ni–P matrix have been tuned to obtain a uniform and homogenous coating by incorporating nano WO3 catalyst. The improved electrocatalytic activity was evidenced from the low overpotential, high exchange current density and improved double layer capacitance obtained from the Tafel polarization and EIS analysis of Ni–P–WO3 coating. The retention of catalytically active sites and surface homogeneity was evidenced from the intermittent potential scan and EIS spectra obtained after HER of Ni–P–WO3 coating. The tolerance performance under vigorous conditions provided an insight into the sustained catalytic activity and electrochemical stability of the internal layers of Ni–P–WO3 coating. The incorporation of nano WO3 catalyst into the Ni–P matrix has also improved the metallurgical characteristics of electroless Ni–P coatings.

Graphical abstractMonoclinic phased nano WO3 catalyst has been prepared by the controlled thermal treatment of tungstic acid. The electrocatalytic activity of nano WO3 catalyst towards HER has been investigated by using it as a suitable catalyst support in Ni–P matrix. The incorporation of nano WO3 catalyst into the Ni–P matrix has improved the electrochemically active area of Ni–P coating. This has enhanced the electrocatalytic activity of Ni–P–WO3 coating towards HER as evidenced from polarization and impedance results.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide