<p>The world is currently facing the dual challenges of energy scarcity and environmental degradation. As a highly promising carrier of clean and renewable energy, hydrogen has attracted significant attention, with high-efficiency water electrolysis recognized as a key pathway for the large-scale production of green hydrogen. Among various electrocatalysts, transition metal Co-V-based materials demonstrate remarkable potential. In this study, we successfully synthesized a highly stable amorphous Co-V-B catalyst on a nickel foam (NF) substrate by constructing a Co-V bimetallic system followed by boron doping to enhance its performance. Electrochemical evaluations indicated that the catalyst delivers superior Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance, requiring only 47 mV overpotential to attain a current density of − 10&#xa0;mA cm⁻², along with a low charge transfer resistance of 1.14 Ω. Additionally, the catalyst demonstrated remarkable durability, sustaining stable HER activity during 16&#xa0;h of continuous chronopotentiometric (CP) operation. This study systematically explores the preparation of Co-V/NF catalysts and highlights the significant impact of boron incorporation on improving catalytic performance, providing meaningful guidance for developing advanced electrocatalysts for water splitting applications.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>