We first report a novel cobalt-phosphide (Co-P) hybrid with flake-like structure by a facile one-step electrodeposition combined with in-situ potentiostatic activation technique. Exotic microstructure transformation of Co-P hybrid from microspheres to nanosheets has been noted during the activation process. The Co-P catalyst exhibits striking kinetic metrics with an overpotential of 85 mV (at 10 mA cm(-2)) and Tafel slope of 37 mV dec(-1), performing among the best of all the HER catalysts in strong alkaline media (at pH 14). This study offers a new in-situ approach to optimize catalytic materials for high-performance electrocatalysts towards energy-related applications. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.