Controllable Surface Reorganization Engineering on Cobalt Phosphide Nanowire Arrays for Efficient Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201703322
• Publication Date: 2017-11-24T12:19:01Z
• Authors: Kun Xu; Han Cheng; Haifeng Lv; Jingyu Wang; Linqi Liu; Si Liu; Xiaojun Wu; Wangsheng Chu; Changzheng Wu; Yi Xie
• Keywords: Phosphide; Gallium phosphide

Abstract Developing highly efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts in alkaline media is considered significant and valuable for water splitting. Herein, it demonstrated that surface reorganization engineering by oxygen plasma engraving on electocatalysts successfully realizes a dramatically enhanced HER activity. Taking CoP nanowire arrays grown carbon cloth (denoted as NWs/CC) an example, the can trigger moderate CoO x species formation of NWs/CC, which visually verified X‐ray absorption fine structure, high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive spectrometer (EDS) mapping. Benefiting from formed surface, promote dissociation HER, NWs/CC almost fourfold activity 180 mV decreased overpotential at 100 mA cm −2 , compared with pristine ones. More interestingly, this strategy also be effective to other electrocatalysts such free‐standing CoP, Co 4 N, O‐CoSe 2 C‐CoSe nanowires, verifies universality strategy. This work thus opens up new avenues designing based engraving.