Monodisperse Cu3P nanoplates in situ grown on reduced graphene oxide via hydrophobic interaction for water splitting.

• Monodisperse Cu 3 P nanoplates in situ grown on reduced graphene oxide (rGO). • Cu 3 P/rGO composite possessed a good overpotential for HER. • A low overpotentials of 144 mV at current density of 10 mA cm−2 was obtained. The monodisperse Cu 3 P nanoplate/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite was obtained by in situ growing Cu 3 P on the surface of rGO via the hydrophobic interaction in the colloidal solution. The monodisperse Cu 3 P nanoplates is about 55 nm due to the modification of hexadecylamine. The composite structure not only offered more catalytic active sites by Cu 3 P nanoplates, but also facilitated rapid electron transfer due to rGO for water splitting. The Cu 3 P/rGO showed a high hydrogen evolution reaction efficiency, which yielded low overpotentials of 144 mV at current density of 10 mA cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]