Direct growth of nickel-doped cobalt phosphide nanowire cluster on carbon cloth for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction

Abstract

The design and synthesis of highly efficient and durable non-noble metal electrocatalysts have become a top priority for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Thus, this study describes a straightforward synthesis of nickel-doped cobalt phosphide nanowire clusters on carbon cloth (Ni-CoP/CC) via a simple hydrothermal-phosphating process. Owing to the unique nanowire cluster structure together with the use of current collector, such binder-free three-dimensional electrode of Ni-CoP/CC displays efficient HER activity, achieving the low overpotential of 53 mV at a geometric current density of 10 mA cm−2, with a Tafel slope of 57 mV dec−1 and superior stability (100 h) in 1.0 M KOH.