Unveiling the Role of Molybdenum Doping in Bimetallic Metal–Organic Frameworks for Advanced Oxygen Evolution Reaction Performance

Efficient electrochemical water splitting is hindered by the inherently sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), underscoring the urgent need for robust, durable, and cost-effective electrocatalysts. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are considered potential candidates for this process due to their high surface area and tunable structure. However, their poor stability and low conductivity necessitate state-of-the-art strategies to unlock their full catalytic potential. Incorporating metals is an effective strategy for improving the conductivity and intrinsic activity of the active sites of bimetallic MOFs. Here, we report a Mo-doped FeNi-MOF with a hexagonal rod-shaped morphology as a highly active OER electrocatalyst. This is because the introduction of Mo modifies the electronic structure of the Fe and Ni centers, thereby improving the conductivity, facilitating rapid charge transfer, and enhancing intrinsic catalytic activity. The optimized FeNiMo 1 -MOF exhibits a low overpotential of 218 mV at 25 mA cm –2, along with a small Tafel slope of 48.6 mV dec –1 . Furthermore, the catalyst demonstrates better durability, maintaining stable performance for 50 h at a high current density of 50 mA cm –2 with negligible loss in activity. These results highlight the crucial role of Mo incorporation in tailoring the catalytic properties of FeNi-MOFs and provide valuable insights for the rational design of next-generation, highly active, and durable electrocatalysts for sustainable hydrogen production.