Designing high efficient
and noble metal-free bifunctional electrocatalysts
for both hydrogen and oxygen generation is still critical and challenged.
In this study, hierarchical dodecahedral-structured CoP/CN@MoS2 is prepared through a two-step calcination treatment and
a solvothermal approach. The metal–organic framework of ZIF-67
is chosen to serve as the template and for providing Co sources, in
which ZIF-67 is first transformed to Co nanoparticles embedded in
nitrogen-doped carbon polyhedrons and then transformed to CoP/CN.
MoS2 nanosheets are further grown on the surface of dodecahedral-structured
CoP/CN with a solvothermal method. Benefiting from the synergistic
coupling effect of CoP and MoS2 and the nitrogen-doped
carbon matrix, advanced hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) both in
acid and alkaline solution as well as splendid oxygen evolution reaction
(OER) performance in alkaline aqueous were achieved. Moreover, the
coupling effect of CoP/CN and MoS2 is disclosed theoretically
by density functional theory calculations to validate the increased
HER activity. The as-prepared hybrid CoP/CN@MoS2 not only
exhibits decent HER activity in acidic (η10 = 144
mV) and alkaline solutions (η10 = 149 mV), but also
exhibits splendid OER activity (η10 = 289 mV) in
1.0 M KOH. This work represents a solid step toward boosting the electrocatalytic
kinetics of nonprecious catalysts.