Ag/Ni–MOF heterostructure with synergistic enrichment and activation properties for electrocatalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol

The synchronous optimization of adsorption and activity dominates the practical performance in electrocatalysis, so Ag/Ni-MOF/Ni foam was synthesized for expediting 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) reduction under mild and green conditions. The synergistic combination of selective adsorption (Ni-MOF) and sites (Ag) contributed to the excellent performance of 4-NP reduction. The 4-NP (25 mM) conversion and Faraday efficiency have been achieved up to 98.4% and 99.8%, respectively. Therefore, this work provides a feasible approach for synergistic enrichment and activation to convert pollutants.