An in situ phase transformation induced mesoporous heterointerface for the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction

Abstract

The phase structure of a catalyst plays a crucial role in determining the catalytic activity. In this study, a facile phosphorization process is employed to achieve the in situ phase transformation from single-phase Co₃O₄ to CoO/CoP hybrid phases. Characterization techniques, including XRD, BET, SEM, and TEM, confirm the retention of the mesoporous nature during the phase transformation, forming porous CoO/CoP heterointerfaces. Strong charge transfer is observed across the CoO/CoP heterointerface, indicating a robust interaction between the hybrid phases. The CoO/CoP hybrid exhibits significantly enhanced catalytic activity for the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) compared to pristine Co₃O₄. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the elimination of the band gap in the spin-down band of Co in CoO/CoP contributes to the observed high HER activity. The findings highlight the potential of CoO/CoP hybrids as efficient catalysts for HER, and contribute to the advancement of catalyst design for sustainable energy applications.