Improving Hydrogen Evolution Activity of Earth-Abundant Cobalt-Doped Iron Pyrite Catalysts by Surface Modification with Phosphide

A study is conducted to improve hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) of earth-abundant cobalt-doped iron pyrite catalysts by surface modification with phosphide. To improve the conductivity of earth-abundant materials, electrocatalysts are directly grown on substrates such as reduced graphene oxide sheets, carbon nanotubes, and carbon-fiber papers, resulting in enhanced HER catalytic activities. Doping metal catalysts with additional metal atoms is an alternative approach to improve intrinsic catalytic activities for the HER. Se-doped MoS₂ have showed excellent catalytic activity with a lower overpotential of -140 mV and a smaller Tafel slope of 55 mV per decade compared to those of pristine MoS₂.