NiCo-PAMBA Bimetallic MOF: A Dual-Function Electrocatalyst Tackling Energy and Environmental Concerns through Water Splitting and Antibiotic Pollutant Detection

A highly efficient bimetallic metal–organic framework (BMOF) was engineered, featuring Ni and Co as metal nodes, intricately interconnected by the ligand p-aminomethyl benzoic acid (PAMBA), with the goal of clean energy and environmental stewardship. The non-noble metals Ni and Co synergistically enhance intrinsic catalytic activity, with nickel’s low overpotential and cobalt’s high hydrogen adsorption capability. The free amino group of the ligand acts as a functionalized active site, boosting the catalytic performance. The material displayed excellent electrocatalytic activity for both the cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER: η = 337 mV at 10 mA cm–2) and anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER: η = 369 mV at 10 mA cm–2) during water splitting, thereby contributing to the pursuit of sustainable and clean energy alternatives. Furthermore, the BMOF acts as an electrocatalyst for the simultaneous electrochemical sensing of two key antibiotic pollutants, nitrofurantoin (NFT) and chloramphenicol (CAM), hence offering a cost-effective and efficient approach for detecting environmental contamination and combating antibiotic resistance. The proposed sensor achieved a simultaneous sensing detection limit of 0.74 μM for NFT and 0.72 μM for CAM, over a linear range of concentrations 1–200 μM, while the individually determined LODs for NFT and CAM were 0.23 and 0.33 μM, respectively.