Superhydrophilic/Superaerophobic Catalyst: W-Doped Ni ₃ S ₂ Nanorod Array Decorated with Reduced Graphene Oxide for Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution

Developing cost-effective and highly efficient electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is crucial for sustainable hydrogen production. In this work, we present a novel interface engineering strategy to prepare W-doped Ni3S2 nanorod arrays decorated with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on nickel foam (NF), denoted as W-Ni3S2/rGO@NF, via a simple one-step hydrothermal method. Tungsten doping effectively regulates the morphology and electronic structure of Ni3S2, enriching the electrocatalytically active sites and accelerating the reaction kinetics. The highly conductive and large surface area rGO facilitates rapid electronic transfer and mass transport, while the unique superhydrophilic and superaerophobic properties enable efficient electrolyte–electrode contact and bubble removal. Consequently, the W-Ni3S2/rGO@NF electrocatalyst achieves an excellent HER performance, delivering a current density of 10 mA·cm–2 at a low overpotential of 91 mV and exhibiting a minimal Tafel slope of 87 mV·dec–1. Moreover, it maintains structural and compositional stability for 24 h of continuous hydrogen production at 10 mA·cm–2, demonstrating exceptional durability. This design concept of W doping and rGO decoration to construct superhydrophilic/superaerophobic structures of catalyst provides new ideas for the design and optimization of future electrocatalysts.