Advanced materials for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are significant for future sustainable energy. On the basis of transition metal phosphides (TMPs), we developed a method to engineer well-dispersed NiCoP nanoparticles by introducing carbon nanotubes on Ni Foam (CNT/NF) as a high active electrocatalyst for HER. The obtained catalysts were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and the catalytic activity was evaluated by electrochemical technique. The as-prepared NiCoP/CNT/NF electrode exhibits efficient electrocatalytic activity towards HER with an onset overpotential of 69 mV and a small Tafel slope in 1 M KOH. These results suggest the possibility for creating binder-free CNTs supported and element doped electrode in electrochemical water splitting. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.