In this study, Zn, S, and P co-doped nitrogen N-enriched carbon (ZnSP/NC) was successfully fabricated as an efficient electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) process via pyrolysis, sulfurization, and phosphorization. The metal Zn derived from zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) was combined with the S element to form ZnS nanoparticles, and then embedded in N-enriched carbon during the sulfurization process. Following this, the P element was well-dispersed in the catalyst via phosphorization. It was found that ZnSP/NC exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity when used as a catalyst for the HER process. ZnSP/NC, with an overpotential of 171 mV and a Tafel slope of 54.78 mV dec(-1), demonstrates superior electrocatalytic activity as compared to Zn/NC (277 mV, 92.34 mV dec(-1)) and ZnS/NC (241 mV, 76.41 mV dec(-1)). During the HER process, ZnS and P serve as active sites, while the N-enriched carbon provides reliable electronic transmission. The synergistic effects among the ZnS, P, and N-enriched carbon result in an excellent electrocatalytic activity of ZnSP/NC for the HER process. (C) 2020 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.