Intercalation Synthesis of Prussian Blue Analogue Nanocone and Their Conversion into Fe-Doped Co_<i>x</i>P Nanocone for Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution

Abstract

Compared with the monometallic phosphides, bimetallic phosphides can further improve the catalytic performance for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). As such, the rational design and facile synthesis of bimetallic-based phosphides with well-controlled architectures and compositions is of scientific and technological importance. In this work, Fe–Co Prussian blue analogue (PBA) nanocones (NCs) have been successfully fabricated via an intercalation reaction strategy by utilizing layer structured α-Co(OH)2 NCs as self-sacrificing templates. After calcination and phosphorization process, Fe–Co PBA NCs can be converted to Fe-doped CoxP NCs without obvious shrinkage. Electrochemical tests show that Fe incorporation can effectively promote the electrocatalytic activities of CoxP. This simple and effective method will be of benefit for the development of other functional Co-based bimetallic compounds. Furthermore, this strategy can possibly be extended to fabricate a series of PBA materials with special structure and novel morphology, which can serve as a promising platform for diverse applications, especially in energy storage and conversion.