Abstract
In this study, cobalt phosphide nanoparticles embedded with N/P doped carbon matrix was fabricated using hydrothermal and post calcination method of cobalt polymeric complex. The fabricated nanocomposite [CoP-NPC] was characterized using several analytical techniques and used as a bi-functional catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The results revealed that the CoP nanoparticles were fabricated successfully and embedded in N/P doped carbon. The BET surface area of the nanocomposite was found to be 812.2 m(2)g(-1) and the pore width was found 9 nm. The overpotential for HER and OER were found to 318 mV and 414 mV at 10 mA cm(-2) respectively in 1.0 M KOH solution. The CoP-NPC shows superb catalytic activity and excellent stability. In addition, this study providing a new low cost route for the fabrication of CoP into N/P doped carbon as efficient catalysts for water splitting. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier B.V.