Formation of feathery-shaped dual-function S-doped FeNi-MOFs to achieve advanced electrocatalytic activity for OER and HER

It’s still a challenge to design reasonably efficient catalyst based on non-noble metal for water decomposition. Herein, we prepared a self-supported S-NiFe/NFF catalyst by sulfurated NiFe-based metal–organic framework on the NiFe foam (NFF) through a simple solvothermal method. Benefiting from the direct contact with the conductive NiFe foam matrix, the electronic environment of the active site regulated by heteroatomic oxygen and sulfur, and the positive synergistic effect between nickel and iron, the catalyst S-NiFe/NFF shows outstanding electrocatalytic activity for oxygen evolution (OER) and hydrogen evolution (HER) reactions with a low overpotential of 174 mV and 150 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 in alkaline electrolyte, respectively; and the S-NiFe/NFF‖S-NiFe/NFF cell only needs 1.50 V battery voltage to reach the current density of 10 mA cm−2. This work reports a highly efficient water decomposition catalyst, which indicates that non-noble metal-based electrocatalysts have great potential applications in the water electrolysis field, and provides a basis for rational design and synthesis of MOF-derived catalysts with unique structures.