Electronically Modulated CoP by Ce Doping as a Highly Efficient Electrocatalyst for Water Splitting

The design of efficient and low-cost electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is highly desirable for water splitting. Here, Ce-doped CoP was prepared through synthesizing a Ce-ZIF-67 precursor coupled with a phosphorization process. The introduction of Ce into CoP can lead to electronic modulation of Co, thus lowering the energy barrier for both to deliver better activity. The CoP with an optimized Ce-doping level exhibits high HER and OER performance and can be used as a highly efficient catalyst for water splitting. Here, Ce doping can introduce electronic modulation, optimizing the adsorption of H on CoP to promote HER performance as well as reduce the energy barrier of the potential-limiting step by facilitating electron transfer from Ce to Co. This work provides new insights into the development of a high-performance water-splitting electrocatalyst.