Solvent-controlled NiCoP with diversified morphology generated from a solvent vapour thermal reaction for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution

The High-efficiency hydrogen volution reaction catalysts are of significance for improving energy conversion efficiency of water electrolysis. Herein, a solvent vapour thermal reaction (SVTR), in which the phosphating process is conducted in an atmosphere of solvent vapours, is well designed for the first time to acquire NiCoP with diversified morphology. During this process, evaporative solvents not only react with aluminium phosphide (AlP) to generate phosphine as phosphorus source, but also disperse around the materials to influence phosphating reaction. The hydrogen evolution reaction activity of NiCoP is significantly enhanced by modulating the extent of phosphorization according to different reaction degree between AlP and solvents. Note that EG-NiCoP (ethylene glycol as solvent) manifests the most prominent HER performance in alkaline condition and (111) plane is the most stable and the highest catalytic active crystal face of NiCoP. The novel phosphating approach inspires a new thinking to devise more metal phosphides applied in energy-related applications.