Rational design of bimetallic metal-organic framework derived three-dimensional flower-like and porous NiCoFe LDH/NF electrocatalyst for electrochemical overall water splitting

Porous structured metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and their derivatives are desired in catalysis and energy storage. Herein, three-dimensional (3D) flower-like NiCoFe LDH/NF are first synthesized though a convenient cathodic electrodeposition strategy subsequent an ion-exchange process. And the morphology and catalytic performance of the CoFe-MOF/NF can be finely by tailoring the electrodeposition voltage, deposition time and the ratio of Co: Fe. The 3D flower-like and porous NiCoFe/NF not only retains structural integrity to promote durability but also greatly alleviates the aggregation of active sites. In addition, the 3D flower-like and porous NiCoFe/NF display remarkable results with low overpotentials of 233 mV at a current density of 50 mA cm−2 for OER and 84 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 for HER in 1 M KOH, respectively. When acting as electrocatalytic electrodes for overall water splitting, NiCoFe/NF displays a low overpotential of 1.52 V to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm−2. The study provides a promising approach to design MOF electrocatalysts for electrocatalytic applications.