Rational design of NiNCo3 and NiFe-MOF@NiNCo3 nanosheets as efficient monolithic electrocatalysts for water splitting

The metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) class of electrocatalysts is characterized by adjustable pore structure, design diversity, and homogeneous distribution of active metal sites. Due to the low conductivity of MOF class materials and high diffusion resistance in bulk crystalline MOFs, the transition metal nitride materials have the merits of outstanding conductivity, strong chemical stability, and high electrocatalytic activity, which can be used as a suitable to-site support material to grow the MOFs materials. Therefore, in this thesis, a MOF material for electrocatalysis was grown on transition metal nitride-like materials by optimizing the composition and constructing a reasonable structure. This research introduces an innovative design methodology for the fabrication of non-precious metal-based catalysts. These catalysts are characterized by their cost-effectiveness, high catalytic activity, and robust stability, thereby offering a promising alternative to traditional precious metal catalysts. The overpotential of the optimized NiFe-MOF@NiNCo 3 /NF sample is as low as 260 mV under a current density of 100 mA cm −2 . The NiFe-MOF@NiNCo 3 /NF||NiNCo 3 /NF alkaline electrolytic cell stands out for its low operating voltage of 1.66 V and high durability, maintaining stable performance even at a current density of 100 mA cm −2 over multiple cycles.