Developing highly-efficiency, cost-effective, high-throughput and durable bifunctional electrocatalysts for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is of paramount important for water splitting. Herein, we report an economical method for the synthesis of WS2/Co9S8 core-shell nanoparticles arrayed on hollow-porous carbon fiber (WxCoyS@HCF) via simple electro-spinning method and followed by calcination. The WxCoyS@HCF catalysts exhibited pronounced electrocatalytic activity and remarkable stability in electrolyte solution. The excellent electrocatalytic activities can be attributed to the best synergetic effect of appropriate molar ratio of WS2 and Co9S8 as well as the hollow-porous structure can provide more potential implantation sites. (c) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.