Binder free cobalt iron phosphate thin films as efficient electrocatalysts for overall water splitting.

Designing nanostructure based robust catalyst for the electrochemical water splitting is the great task in the energy conversion field to accomplish high electrical conductivity, low overpotential and long lasting activity. Herein, the electrochemical overall water splitting is reported by using the hydrothermally synthesized binder free cobalt iron phosphate thin films on low cost stainless steel substrates as a conducting backbone for the first time. The effect of composition ratio variation of cobalt and iron was studied on the structural, compositional, morphological, and surface electronic properties by conducting various characterizations which results in amorphous hydrous cobalt iron phosphate having mesoporosity.