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Open Access Research Article Just Accepted
A charge-mediated cooperative assembly strategy toward phase-tunable mesoporous nickel phosphides for efficient alkaline hydrogen evolution
Nano Research
Available online: 03 July 2026
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Phase-tunable mesoporous nickel phosphides are promising electrocatalysts for alkaline hydrogen evolution. Their catalytic behavior can be regulated by Ni/P stoichiometry and accessible mesoporous architectures. However, simultaneously controlling phosphide phase evolution while maintaining an open mesoporous framework remains challenging, as high-temperature phosphidation often causes framework shrinkage, pore collapse, and uncontrolled phase transformation. Herein, we report a charge-mediated cooperative assembly strategy for the one-pot synthesis of mesoporous NixPy with tunable crystalline phases. In this system, CTAC-derived CTA+ micelles, phosphate species, and Ni–citrate complexes cooperatively assemble into inorganic–organic composite micelle precursors through electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding. Dynamic light scattering, zeta-potential analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy support an S⁺X⁻I-type cooperative assembly pathway, in which CTA+ micelles, phosphate species, and Ni–citrate complexes act as structure-directing agents, charge-mediating/hydrogen-bonding linkers, and inorganic precursor units, respectively. By regulating the NH4H2PO4 dosage, the effective phosphorus supply can be precisely adjusted, enabling a stepwise phase evolution from Ni3P to Ni12P5 and ultimately to Ni2P while preserving the well-defined mesoporous framework. The optimized mesoporous Ni2P-1.0 catalyst requires an overpotential of 48 mV to reach 10 mA cm−2, exhibits a Tafel slope of 67 mV dec−1, and maintains stable operation for 100 h in 1.0 M KOH. These findings establish a practical route for coupling phase regulation with mesostructure engineering in transition-metal phosphides and offer guidance for designing efficient noble-metal-free electrocatalysts toward alkaline hydrogen evolution.

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