Exploring the effect of morphology on electrochemical performance of nickel and cobalt metal-organic frameworks and their derivatives for supercapacitor and hydrogen evolution

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This study explores the novel approach of investigating the use of binder-free nickel and cobalt metal-organic frameworks and their metal oxide derivatives in 1D, 2D, and 3D morphologies on Ni foam for applications in supercapacitors and hydrogen evolution. This research work involves changing parameters like precursor concentration, organic linkers, and reaction time, leading to the formation of stable one-, two-, and three-dimensional NiO and Co3O4 nanostructures. The morphologies of pristine MOFs and their corresponding oxides were comprehensively verified through FESEM analysis. Significantly, the materials with two-dimensional growth exhibited superior electrochemical performance in supercapacitors and good electrocatalytic performance in hydrogen evolution reaction when compared to their one-dimensional and three-dimensional counterparts. Among them, 2D NiO demonstrated exceptional performance as a supercapacitor electrode, with a specific capacity of 688.13 C g−1 (1376.26 F g−1) at 1 A g−1, surpassing 1D and 3D NiO nanostructures. It also demonstrated good stability by retaining 93.1 % of its initial capacity after 5000 cycles at 10 A g−1. The assembled asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) achieved a high energy density of 65.27 Wh kg−1 at 375 W kg−1, maintaining 33.18 Wh kg−1 even at 7500 W kg−1. It also maintained 87.8 % retention of its initial capacity up to 5000 cycles at 10 A g−1. Furthermore, when tested for HER, all oxides exhibited better performances with specifically 2D NiO exhibiting good catalytic performance, reaching 10 mA cm−2 at a low overpotential of 129 mV (vs. RHE) and displaying remarkable stability over 24 h. This study upholds the superiority of two-dimensional sheet-like structures with interconnected network of nanoparticles in electrochemical and electrocatalytic performance compared to one-dimensional rod-like and three-dimensional pyramid-like structures.