Facile Synthesis of MoP and Its Composite Structure with Ru as an Efficient Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in Both Acidic and Alkaline Conditions.

Developing low-cost electrocatalysts for efficient hydrogen evolution in both acidic and alkaline conditions is crucial for water-electrolytic hydrogen applications. Herein, MoP was synthesized via a simple, low-cost, and green phosphorization route. More importantly, the Ru/MoP composite prepared using the as-synthesized MoP as a reactant, which exhibited excellent catalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction. It showed lower overpotentials of 108 and 55 mV at 10 mA·cm in acidic and alkaline solutions, respectively, which are superior to those of bare Ru and pristine MoP as well as comparable or even better than those of previously reported excellent Ru- or MoP-based catalysts. In addition, it also demonstrated small Tafel slopes of 52.6 mV dec and 67.9 mV dec in acidic and alkaline solutions, respectively, along with long-term stability. This work provides an effective and feasible route to design high-efficient MoP-based electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction.