In this study, a dandelion-like Co-Mo-B catalyst was prepared on carbon cloth (CC) by two-step electrodeposition method for the first time. The composition and microscopy are characterized by XRD and SEM technology. The results revealed that the as-synthesized Co-Mo-B catalyst exhibited high hydrogen generation rate (1280.80 mL min(-1) g(-1)) and low activation energy (51.0 kJ mol(-1)) for the hydrolysis of alkaline NaBH4 solution. The results reveal that the reason might be due to high specific surface of the novel dandelion-like nanostructure and the synergistic effect of Co, Mo and B. Moreover, the catalytic activity was closely related to NaOH concentration, and OH- anions were competitive with BH4- anions in alkaline NaBH4 solution to transfer to the catalyst surface. (C) 2017 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.