Free-Standing Carbon Nanofiber Films with Supported Cobalt Phosphide Nanoparticles as Cathodes for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in a Microbial Electrolysis Cell.

High-performance and cost-efficient electrocatalysts and electrodes are needed to improve the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) for the hydrogen (H) generation in electrolysers, including microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). In this study, free-standing carbon nanofiber (CNF) films with supported cobalt phosphide nanoparticles have been prepared by means of an up-scalable electrospinning process followed by a thermal treatment under controlled conditions. The produced cobalt phosphide-supported CNF films show to be nanoporous (pore volume up to 0.