Customized structure engineering of MIL-53(Fe)/MoS2/NF for enhanced OER performance: Experiments and practical applications

Developing cost-effective and highly efficient catalysts to replace the expensive noble metal-based counterparts in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) holds paramount importance for the advancement of hydrogen production. Herein, we synthesized a novel hybrid composite of MIL-53(Fe) and MoS2 using a hydrothermal method, subsequently depositing it onto commercially available nickel foam (NF), namely MIL-53(Fe)/MoS2/NF. The MIL-53(Fe)/MoS2/NF composite capitalizes on the synergies among these three components, facilitating efficient water electrolysis while remarkably curbing the OER overpotential (110 = 238 mV, 1 M KOH), thereby enhancing electron transport efficiency. Remarkably, the OER overpotential remains consistently low even in the prepared 1 M KOH solution using seawater (110 = 289 mV) and sewage (110 = 301 mV). Moreover, MIL-53(Fe)/MoS2/NF exhibits enduring stability, maintaining its efficacy even after 50 h at around 50 mA/cm2 in simulated solutions, sewage, and seawater. In an electrolytic cell utilizing MIL-53(Fe)/MoS2/NF as the anode, stable gas production is achieved under 1 M KOH conditions and solar cell voltages of 1.62 V and 1.85 V. This investigation marks a pivotal advancement in forging highly efficient and economically viable OER catalysts, holding substantial implications for advancing energy conversion methodologies, thereby ushering in escalated efficiency and diminished costs.