Constructing a Built-In Electric Field To Accelerate Water Dissociation for Efficient Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution

The alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is intricately linked to the water dissociation kinetics. The quest for new strategies to accelerate this step is a pivotal aspect of enhancing the HER performance. Herein, we designed and synthesized a heterogeneous nickel phosphide/cobalt phosphide nanowire array grown on nickel foam (Ni₂P/CoP/NF) to form a p-n junction structure. The built-in electric field (BEF) in the p-n junction optimizes the binding ability of hydrogen and hydroxyl intermediates, efficiently promoting water dissociation for the alkaline HER. Consequently, Ni₂P/CoP/NF exhibits a lower overpotential of 58 and 118 mV at 30 and 100 mA cm^-2, respectively, and high stability over 40 h at 300 mA cm^-2 for the HER in 1 M KOH. Computational calculations combined with experiment results testify that the BEF presence in the p-n junction of Ni₂P/CoP/NF effectively promotes water dissociation, regulates intermediate adsorption/desorption, and boosts electron transport. This study presents a rational design approach for high-performance heterogeneous electrocatalysts.