Tailored Crafting of CoP/Ni₂P Nanoparticles Coupled with N-Doped Nanoporous Carbon to Enable Efficient Hydrogen and Oxygen Evolution

Abstract

Rationally tailoring a nonprecious metal and highly active bifunctional catalyst with desirable nanoarchitecture and composition for water electrolysis is of key value for sustainable and clean energy production. Herein, we designed nanoporous Ndoped carbon (NC) as a support for dispersion and anchoring of bimetallic phosphide nanoparticles (CoP/Ni 2 P). Thanks to the uniformly anchored nanosized CoP/Ni 2 P nanoparticles offering rich active sites and the coupling effect between these nanoparticles and a nanoporous NC support to ensure promising conductivity and structural stability, the as-prepared hybrid (CoP(Ni 2 P)/NC) exhibits prominent electrocatalytic performances toward hydrogen evolution (or oxygen evolution) in alkaline electrolytes, in terms of a small overpotential of 216 mV (or 338 mV) at 10 mA cm −2 and a low Tafel slope of 84 mV dec −1 (or 60 mV dec −1 ), as well as exceptional long-term stability.