Recent progress on ZIF-8 based MOF derivatives for electrocatalysis

Electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) are significant reactions for solving the current energy shortage and increasingly serious environmental problems. Construction of new type and efficient materials for catalyzing these electrochemical reactions is an important and urgent subject. Electrocatalysts derived from zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) and ZIF-8 based MOF materials have gained more and more attention, owing to their various active sites, high electrical conductivity, and structural tenability. In this review paper, the design strategies and modification methods for construction carbon-based electrocatalysts derived from ZIF-8 based MOFs were first summarized. Furthermore, the applications of ZIF-8 based MOFs derivatives in electrocatalytic process, especially in HER, OER, ORR, CO2RR and multifunctional electrocatalysis are fully discussed. Some tough challenges and personal perspectives have been summarized for promoting the design and development of ZIF-8 based MOFs derived electrocatalysis in this review as well. Through this review, we hope to present a useful reference for achieving efficient electrocatalysts by the reasonable design of ZIF-8.