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The development of cost-effective, high-performance , and robust bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting remains highly desirable yet quite challenging. Here, by selecting appreciate precursors of dopamine and a Co-containing metal−organic framework of ZIF-67, we subtly couple their reaction processes to develop a facile approach for the synthesis of a hollow CoP nanostructure with N-doped carbon skeleton (H-CoP@NC). Benefiting from the highly porous nanostructure and conductive carbon skeleton, H-CoP@NC is capable of working as highly active and durable bifunctional electrocatalyst for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction. When further used as the electrocatalyst for overall water splitting, H-CoP@NC delivers excellent activity cell voltage of 1.72 V at a current density of 10 mA cm−2), close to that of the noble-metal-based benchmark catalyst couple of Pt/C||RuO2. Our work thus provides new insights into the development of transitional metal phosphides based hollow hybrid nanostructures, particularly those with multiple functionalities in sustainable energy conversion technologies and systems.

Highly porous and defective cobalt (oxy)hydroxide nanosheet arrays rank the best cobalt-based noble-metal-free oxygen evolution electrocatalyst under neutral conditions.

Supporting information for this article can be found under: https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/chem.xxxxxxxxx.Supporting information for this article can be found under: https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/chem.xxxxxxxxx.