Well-defined ternary metal phosphide nanowires with stabilized Pt nanoclusters to boost alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction.

Designing low-content and high-activity Pt-based catalysts with the high durability for the electrochemical hydrogen production remains a challenge. In this study, a ternary metal phosphide (NiCoP) with 1D nanowire (NW) and 2D nanosheet (NS) morphologies incorporating Pt clusters (denoted as Pt-NiCoP@NF NWs and Pt-NiCoP@NF NSs, respectively) was prepared using a hydrothermal-phosphorization-electrodeposition method. Based on the "tip effect" of NWs and a high electrochemical surface area, the as-prepared Pt-NiCoP@NF NWs display better hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance, with a low overpotential of 65 mV at a high current density of 100 mA cm and a low Tafel slope of 38.