Co-Fe-P nanotubes electrocatalysts derived from metal-organic frameworks for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction under wide pH range

Abstract The development of high-performance and cost-effective electrocatalysts is of great significance for hydrogen production by water splitting but remains challenge. Herein, a metal organic frameworks (MOFs) templating approach is proposed to synthesize Co incorporating FeP nanotubes (Co-Fe-P nanotubes) for efficient for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The MOFs-derived tubular structure with in situ Co substitution lead to abundant catalytic sites, fast mass and charge transport pathways, and desirable electronic configuration. These beneficial effects enable Co-Fe-P nanotubes efficient HER catalytic activity in a wide pH range, achieving small overpotentials of 86, 138, and 66 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm −2 in 1 M KOH, 1 M phosphate buffer solution (PBS), and 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 , respectively. The catalytic activity of Co-Fe-P nanotubes outperforms most of the reported FeP-based electrocatalysts. Density functional theory calculations further reveal that Co substitution results in increased density of states near Fermi level, boosting the intrinsic electrocatalytic activity of Co-Fe-P nanotubes. This work affords a feasible way to the synthesis of cheap and efficient FeP-based electrocatalysts for HER.