Amorphous/crystalline heterostructured a-Cu2Se@Cu3P/CF electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline media

Developing efficient, stable, and cost-effective electrocatalysts is crucial for large-scale industrial water electrolysis hydrogen production. In this study, a-Cu2Se@Cu3P/CF heterostructure electrode was constructed by form amorphous Cu2Se on Cu3P nanowire array, which proved the electrode efficient contact with electrolyte, enhanced electron transfer in the electrode with abundant pathway and active sites. Ultimately, these enhancements significantly improved the HER performance of the a-Cu2Se@Cu3P/CF electrode. In alkaline electrolyte, the a-Cu2Se@Cu3P/CF electrode exhibits overpotential as 99 mV@10 mA cm(-2) and Tafel slope as 79 mV/dec. The a-Cu2Se@Cu3P/CF electrode is capable of maintaining a stable potential (- 1.17 V, - 1.21 V, - 1.30 V, - 1.37 V, - 1.50 V) for a long duration (10 h) at different current densities (10 mA cm(-2), 20 mA cm(-2), 50 mA cm(-2), 100 mA cm(-2), 200 mA cm(-2)). Additionally, at a current density of 100 mA cm(-2) and 200 mA cm(-2), the catalytic performance has been slightly enhanced approximately 1.5 % and 1.8 % at the end of 10 h duration test. This demonstrated the excellent stability of the a-Cu2Se@Cu3P/CF electrocatalyst, showcasing its potential for practical applications in hydrogen production.