Nickel–Carbon–Zirconium Material Derived from Nickel-Oxide Clusters Installed in a Metal–Organic Framework Scaffold by Atomic Layer Deposition

Atomic layer deposition is employed to install nickel oxide into NU-1000. Upon heating to 900 °C under nitrogen, a carbon material containing ZrO2 and Ni is formed. In notable contrast to the parent metal–organic framework, the pyrolyzed material is: (a) stable in highly alkaline solutions (typical conditions for water electro-oxidation) and (b) electrically conductive and thus able to deliver oxidizing equivalents (holes) to catalytic sites located far from the underlying conductive-glass electrode. The pyrolysis-derived material was characterized and its electrocatalytic activity for oxygen evolution was investigated.