Hierarchical Cobalt-Nickel Phosphide/Molybdenum Disulfide Hybrid Electrocatalyst Triggering Efficient Hydrogen Generation in a Wider pH Range

Structural engineering of the molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) retains its importance for the application of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in a full pH range. However, the catalytic performance of reported MoS2-based materials, especially in neutral conditions, is unsatisfactory. Herein, an effective synergy between CoP, Ni2P, and MoS2 nanosheets is established via a simple strategy, which constructs a self-supporting (CoP/Ni2P/MoS2-CC) electrode endowed with abundant catalytic active sites, optimal electronic structure, and improved charge transfer capability. The optimized CoP/Ni2P/MoS2-CC sample shows low overpotentials of 335, 119, and 211 mV at 100 mA cm(-2) in neutral, alkaline, and acidic electrolytes with small Tafel slopes of 63, 62, and 82 mV dec(-1), respectively. Remarkably, the catalytic performance in neutral medium is superior to that of most of the reported MoS2-based hybrid electrocatalysts. Our work proves a facile and feasible strategy to promote the pH-universal catalytic activities of MoS2-based heterogeneous structures for hydrogen production.

Automated summary

In this study, a simple strategy was used to establish an effective synergy between CoP, Ni2P, and MoS2 nanosheets, resulting in a self-supporting electrode with abundant catalytic active sites and optimized electronic structure, leading to improved catalytic performance, especially under neutral conditions.