Ru-engineered bimetallic Co-MOF as bifunctional catalyst for ultra-efficient hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions

Bimetallic metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted broad interest in electrocatalysis due to their synergistic effects in lowering water-splitting overpotentials. Herein, we fabricated CoRu-TDC@NF nanobelts via a facile ion-exchange strategy. The resulting material exhibited a well-defined nanobelt morphology and a bimetallic electronic structure. Combined spectroscopic and DFT analyses revealed that Ru doping induced electron accumulation at Co sites, downshifted the d-band center, and optimized the hydrogen adsorption free energy, thereby accelerating reaction kinetics. Electrochemical tests in 1.0 M KOH showed outstanding bifunctional activity, with overpotentials of 68 mV for HER at 10 mA cm −2 and 234 mV for OER at 50 mA cm −2 . A two-electrode electrolyzer using CoRu-TDC@NF achieved 10 mA cm −2 at only 1.33 V for overall water splitting, highlighting its practical potential. This work offers a scalable route to designing efficient MOF-based electrocatalysts through electronic structure modulation