Tungsten pnictides for water electrolysis: advances and perspectives

Hydrogen fuel is recognized as a promising energy carrier for the sustainable development of global energy system and the green hydrogen production via water electrolysis attracts great interest. The development of cost-effective electrocatalysts for water electrolysis is important for enhancing green hydrogen production efficiency. Recently, tungsten pnictides (phosphides and nitrides) have emerged as promising catalysts for water electrolysis, and efficient tungsten pnictide-based catalysts with different nanostructures, compositions, and surface chemical properties have been developed. In this review, recent progress in the design of tungsten pnictide-based electrocatalysts for water electrolysis is comprehensively analyzed. The synthesis of tungsten pnictide-based electrocatalysts are discussed briefly. Then, current achievements in developing efficient tungsten pnictide electrocatalysts for water electrolysis are detailed, and four key catalyst design strategies (i.e., nanostructure control, heteroatom doping, defect engineering, and heterostructure design) are outlined. The physicochemical properties-catalytic performance relationship of tungsten pnictide-based electrocatalysts is also discussed. At last, perspectives in this field are put forward for guiding further research on the design and application of high-performance tungsten pnictide-based electrocatalysts.