Constructing NiCo/Fe3O4 Heteroparticles within MOF-74 for Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reactions

Metal–organic frameworks (MOF) have recently emerged as versatile precursors to fabricate functional MOF derivatives for oxygen evolution reactions (OER). Herein, we developed a controlled partial pyrolysis strategy to construct robust NiCo/Fe3O4 heteroparticles within MOF-74 for efficient OER using trimetallic NiCoFe-MOF-74 as precursor. The partial pyrolysis method preserves the framework structure of MOF for effective substrates diffusion while producing highly active nanoparticles. The as-prepared NiCo/Fe3O4/MOF-74 delivered remarkably stable OER current with an overpotential as low as 238 mV at 10.0 mA cm–2 and an Tafel slop of 29 mV/dec, outperforming those of pristine NiCoFe-MOF-74, totally decomposed MOF derivatives, and most reported non-noble metal based electrocatalysts. The key for the formation of NiCo/Fe3O4/MOF-74 nanostructures is that the metals can be decomposed from NiCoFe-MOF-74 in the order of Ni, Co, and Fe under controlled heat treatment. Density functional theory calculations reveals that the underlying NiCo promotes the OER activity of Fe3O4 through exchange stabilization of active oxygen species.