Open-ended W18O49-filled tungsten dichalcogenide nanotubes grown on a W substrate to efficiently catalyze hydrogen evolution

Abstract

A scalable infrared-heating CVD method was developed to grow few-walled WSe₂ or WS₂ nanotube arrays in situ filled with highly conductive single-crystal W₁₈O₄₉, and a simple pressure control led to their universally uncapped top-ends. Open-ended WS₂ nanotubes grown on the W substrate performed excellently as an electrocatalyst to facilitate the HER in acid, contributing to high-density active edge sites and good electronic coupling between the substrate and nanotubes.