In-situ controlled synthesis of NiFe MOF materials with excellent electrocatalytic performances for water splitting

Abstract

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are the electrocatalytic materials with large specific surface area, high porosity, controllable structure and monodisperse active center, which is a promising candidate for the application of electrochemical energy conversion. However, the electrocatalytic performance of pure MOFs is seriously limited its poor conductivity and stability. In this work, high-performance electrocatalyst was fabricated through combining NiFe/MOF on nickel foam (NF) via in-situ growth strategy. Through rational control of the time and ratio in reaction precursors, we realized the effective manipulation of the growth behavior, and further investigated the electrocatalytic performance in water splitting. The catalyst presented excellent electrocatalytic performance for water splitting, with low overpotential of 260 mV in alkaline condition at a current density of 50 mA[Formula: see text], which is benefited from the large specific surface area and active sites. This study demonstrates that the rational design of NiFe MOF/NF plays a significant role in high-performance electrocatalyst.