Electrospinning Construction of a Porous Co/CoP/N-Doped Carbon Fiber Composite as a Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Water Electrolysis

Herein, a bifunctional composite electrocatalyst consisting of cobalt, cobalt phosphide, and nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers (Co/CoP/N-CNFs) was fabricated for alkaline water splitting, enabling efficient hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. The material was prepared via electrospinning of polyacrylonitrile fibers, followed by in situ deposition of the cobalt-based metal-organic framework ZIF-67, and subsequent thermal carbonization and phosphorization treatments. The obtained Co/CoP/N-CNFs possessed a porous one-dimensional architecture, which affords an enlarged electrochemically active surface area, enhanced charge transport, and a high density of nitrogen dopants, collectively contributing to improved electrocatalytic activity. Electrochemical tests demonstrated that Co/CoP/N-CNFs achieved low overpotentials of only 60 and 260 mV for HER and OER, respectively, with the best performance among various catalysts tested. The catalyst showed high stability in a 100 h electrolysis and a high Faradaic efficiency for hydrogen production. Its bifunctional activity and durability make it a promising candidate for overall water splitting. The work highlights the importance of the synergistic interaction between cobalt and cobalt phosphides, the nitrogen-doped carbon matrix, and the one-dimensional structure in achieving high electrocatalytic performance.