A Ni-loaded, metal–organic framework–graphene composite as a precursor for <i>in situ</i> electrochemical deposition of a highly active and durable water oxidation nanocatalyst

Abstract

A novel approach to construct a highly active and durable Ni(OH)2 nanoparticle/graphene hybrid electrocatalyst for the oxygen-evolution reaction (OER) is reported. This approach utilized the Ni-loaded, graphene-supported, Zr-carboxylate metal-organic framework (UiO-66-NH2-Ni@G) as a sacrificial pre-catalyst to engender the true catalyst in an electrochemical surface restructuring process. This has resulted in an exceptionally active (η10 = 0.38 V vs. RHE) and highly durable OER catalyst, and can potentially be employed as a viable facile alternative to the commonly utilized pyrolysis of MOFs, to access heterogenous catalysts for demanding electrochemically-promoted reactions.