The electrocatalytic self-reconstruction of ultrathin 2D MOF nanoarrays supported on alloy foam improves the oxygen evolution reaction

Abstract

Investigating the self-reconstruction process of MOF-supported electrodes is of significant importance for understanding the reaction mechanisms in electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). By using 1,1′-ferrocenedicarboxylic acid (FcDA) as the ligand and NiFe foam (NFF) as the current collector, a self-supported T50NiFc-MOF/NFF electrode was synthesized through the introduction of triethylamine (TEA) to regulate the deprotonation process. The optimized T50NiFc-MOF/NFF exhibited excellent electrocatalytic OER performance, requiring only 217 mV to drive a current density of 10 mA cm−2, surpassing commercial RuO2. Additionally, the T50NiFc-MOF/NFF showed a remarkable electrocatalytic stability of over 70 h. The unique 2D MOF nanoarrays and strong coordination bonds between the metal and ligand in the as-prepared self-supported electrode contribute to the enrichment of electrochemical active sites and catalytic stability. Through a self-construction process, the 2D MOF nanoarrays on the electrode surface were in-situ converted into a more active metal-LDH during alkaline electrocatalysis, which played a crucial role in improving the electronic structure of the electrode, demonstrating its importance in achieving efficient OER processes.