MOF-Derived Electrocatalysts for High-Efficiency Hydrogen Production via Water Electrolysis

Water electrolysis for hydrogen production has garnered significant attention in the context of increasing global energy demands and the “dual-carbon” strategy. However, practical implementation is hindered by challenges such as high overpotentials, high catalysts costs, and insufficient catalytic activity. In this study, three mono and bimetallic metal−organic framework (MOFs)-derived electrocatalysts, Fe-MOFs, Fe/Co-MOFs, and Fe/Mn-MOFs, were synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal method, using nitroterephthalic acid (NO2-BDC) as the ligand and N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA) as the solvent. Electrochemical tests demonstrated that the Fe/Mn-MOFs catalyst exhibited superior performance, achieving an overpotential of 232.8 mV and a Tafel slope of 59.6 mV·dec−1 , alongside the largest electrochemical active surface area (ECSA). In contrast, Fe/Co-MOFs displayed moderate catalytic activity, while Fe-MOFs exhibited the lowest efficiency. Stability tests revealed that Fe/Mn-MOFs retained 92.3% of its initial current density after 50 h of continuous operation, highlighting its excellent durability for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). These findings emphasize the enhanced catalytic performance of bimetallic MOFs compared to monometallic counterparts and provide valuable insights for the development of high-efficiency MOF-based electrocatalysts for sustainable hydrogen production.