Self-supported Mo and Zn co-doped CoP nanosheet array electrode for large-current-density hydrogen evolution

Transition metal phosphides (TMPs) have emerged as promising alternatives to commercial noble-metal-based electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, their electrocatalytic performance is still far from practical application. Herein, a novel self-supported CoP-based electrode (MoZn-CoP/CC) was prepared, in which Mo and Zn co-doped CoP nanosheet arrays are tightly anchored on a carbon cloth (CC) matrix. Remarkably, the as-prepared MoZn-CoP/CC electrode exhibits outstanding HER performance with exceptional pH universality. More importantly, it only requires modest overpotentials to deliver the current densities exceeding 1.0 A cm⁻² in both alkaline and acidic media, outperforming the commercial Pt catalyst. Experimental results combined with theoretical analysis reveal that co-doping of Mo and Zn can modulate the electronic structure of CoP, thereby optimizing the adsorption energy of hydrogen and ultimately improving the HER performance. This work provides an effective strategy to tune the electronic properties of TMPs via heteroatom doping for enhancing their electrocatalytic performance.

Graphical Abstract