Construction of Petal-Like Ag NWs@NiCoP with Three-Dimensional Core-Shell Structure for Overall Water Splitting.

High-efficiency, good electrical conductivity and excellent performance electrocatalysts are attracting growing attention in the field of overall water splitting. In order to achieve the desirable qualities, rational construction of the structure and chemical composition of electrocatalysts is of fundamental importance. Herein, petal-like structure NiCoP shells grown on conductive silver nanowires (Ag NWs) cores as bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting were synthesized through a facile hydrothermal method and phosphorization. The resultant three-dimensional core-shell petal-like structure Ag NWs@NiCoP possesses excellent catalytic activities in alkaline conditions with the overpotential of 259 mV for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), 121 mV for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and a full cell voltage of 1.64 V to reach the current density of 10 mA cm. Highly conductive Ag NWs as cores and high surface area petal-like NiCoP as shells can endow outstanding catalytic performance for the bifunctional electrocatalyst. Thus, the synthetic strategy of the three-dimensional core-shell structure Ag NWs@NiCoP considerably advances the practice of Ag NWs toward electrocatalysts.