Electrocatalytic performance of NiNH2BDC MOF based composites with rGO for methanol oxidation reaction

Lubna Yaqoob,Habib Nasir,Asad Mumtaz,Naseem Iqbal,Tayyaba Noor

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-92660-8

Lubna Yaqoob, Habib Nasir + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92660-8

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Abstract

Present work comprehensively investigated the electrochemical response of Nickel-2 Aminoterephthalic acid Metal–Organic Framework (NiNH2BDC) and its reduced graphitic carbon (rGO) based hybrids for methanol (CH3OH) oxidation reaction (MOR) in an alkaline environment. In a thorough analysis of a solvothermally synthesized Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and its reduced graphitic carbon-based hybrids, functional groups detection was performed by FTIR, the morphological study by SEM, crystal structure analysis via XRD, and elemental analysis through XPS while electrochemical testing was accomplished by Chronoamperometry (CA), Cyclic Voltametric method (CV), Electrochemically Active Surface Area (EASA), Tafel slope (b), Electron Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), Mass Activity, and roughness factor. Among all the fabricated composites, NiNH2BDC MOF/5 wt% rGO hybrid by possessing an auspicious current density (j) of 267.7 mA/cm2 at 0.699 V (vs Hg/HgO), a Tafel slope value of 60.8 mV dec−1, EASA value of 15.7 cm2, and by exhibiting resistance of 13.26 Ω in a 3 M CH3OH/1 M NaOH solution displays grander electrocatalytic activity as compared to state-of-the-art platinum-based electrocatalysts.

Highlights

Present work comprehensively investigated the electrochemical response of Nickel-2 Aminoterephthalic acid Metal–Organic Framework (NiNH2BDC) and its reduced graphitic carbon based hybrids for methanol (CH3OH) oxidation reaction (MOR) in an alkaline environment
The Pt-Ni/C electrocatalyst was prepared by Ortega and colleagues in the same year where the presence of double metals, reduction in particle size of Pt due to Ni inclusion, huge surface area, the formation of metal oxides and hydroxides, and reformed electronic structure due to synergistic effect leads to excellent MOR activity while Pt Nanostructured Carbon (Pt/NC) composite prepared by Ferrer and collaboraters show greater current density than Pt/reduced graphitic carbon (rGO) and Pt/C due to enhanced electron transport at the electrode–electrolyte interface along with hierarchal structure[32,33,34]
The MOR is governed by the diffusion process at low concentrations whereas it is controlled by the electrocatalytic reaction between Ni (III) and methanol at comparatively higher concentrations while in 2014, nanocubes of Co3O4 / 2 wt% rGO composite with a current density of 0.37 mA/cm[2] at 0.8 V versus RHE along with good stability during the MOR were presented by Mehmood et al.[35,36]