Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 28, 2026

Experimental Methods for Efficient Solar Hydrogen Production in Microgravity Environment
Published on: December 3, 2019
Surface reconstruction of cobalt phosphide nanosheets by electrochemical activation for enhanced hydrogen evolution
Liang Su1, Xiangzhi Cui2, Ting He1
1Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage (Ministry of Education) , Hubei Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry and Service Failure , Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics , School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) , 1037 Luoyu Road , Wuhan 430074 , PR China .
Abstract:
Transition metal phosphides exhibit promising catalytic performance for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER); however their surface structure evolution during electrochemical operation has rarely been studied. In this work, we investigate the surface reconstruction of CoP nanosheets by an in situ electrochemical activation method. After remodeling, CoP nanosheets experience an irreversible and significant evolution of the morphology and composition, and low-valence Co complexes consisting of Co(OH) species are formed on the surface of CoP nanosheets, and they largely accelerate the dissociation of water. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of CoP and Co(OH) , the working electrode shows a remarkably enhanced HER activity of 100 mV at 10 mA cm-2 with a Tafel slope of 76 mV dec-1, which is better than that of most transition metal phosphide catalysts. This work would provide a deep understanding of surface reconstruction and a novel perspective for rational design of high performance transition metal phosphide electrocatalysts for water related electrolysis.
Related Concept Videos
What is an Electrochemical Gradient?
The chemical gradient relies on differences in the abundance of a substance on the outside versus the inside of a cell and flows from areas of high to low ion concentration. In contrast, the electrical gradient revolves around an...
The Evidence for Evolution
Hydrogen Bonds
Hydrogen Bonds Control the World!
Because hydrogen has very weak electronegativity when it binds with a strongly electronegative atom, such as oxygen or nitrogen, electrons in the bond are unequally shared....
Hydrogen Bonds
Convergent Evolution
Ideal Solutions

