1D Core−Shell MOFs derived CoP Nanoparticles-Embedded N-doped porous carbon nanotubes anchored with MoS2 nanosheets as efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts

Abstract Developing high-performance non-noble electrocatalysts for oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions (OER and HER) is of great importance. Herein, an efficient 1D bifunctional electrocatalyst was constructed via a multistep strategy, which consisted of core–shell ZIF-8@ZIF-67 derived CoP/N-doped porous carbon nanotube anchored with vertically aligned MoS2 nanosheets (NCT@CoP@MoS2). Benefiting from the synergies between the unique 1D porous hollow heterostructure and the components, the tubular NCT@CoP@MoS2 composites showed superior electrocatalytic activity in 1 M KOH with an overpotential of ~ 234 and 195 mV to achieve 10 mA·cm−2 for OER and HER, respectively. More importantly, the NCT@CoP@MoS2//NCT@CoP@MoS2 couple delivered high overall water splitting performance with an ultralow cell voltage of 1.57 and 1.85 V to achieve 10 and 200 mA·cm−2, only 70 and 40 mV higher than that of Pt/C//RuO2, respectively. Specifically, the as-prepared electrode exhibited ultra-stability for overall water splitting, and the current density only decreases by 4% at 1.6 V after 40 h of cycling.