Exploring morphology controlled structural and chemical stabilization of CoP nanoparticles on CoSe2 nanorods on carbon cloth (CoSe2–CoP/CC) for Boosted hydrogen evolution reactions in alkaline and acid electrolytes

Developing a stable, cost-effective, and high-performance electrocatalyst is fundamental for practical alkaline electrolyzer applications; however, it remains a significant issue for researchers. Herein, we reported the fabrication of a heterostructure (CoSe2–CoP/CC) electrode material to work as an efficient electrocatalyst with a remarkable HER activity for alkaline Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER). Experimental results along with DFT calculations reveal that the transfer of an electron between CoSe2 and CoP contributes towards enhanced H2O adsorption as well as dissociation with more optimized energies and a promoted Had diffusion, resulting in an outstanding catalytic performance of HER showing relatively small overpotential value of 51 mV and 37 mV in alkaline (1.0 M KOH), and acidic (0.5 M H2SO4) electrolytes respectively to drive 10 mA/cm2 of the current density.