Er-MOF composite NiS nanomaterials as a highly efficient electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) electrocatalysts have been extensively applied in electrochemistry, however, their inherent low conductivity has greatly limited their wide application in hydrogen production by water decomposition. Herein, we successfully prepared Er-MOF/NiS electrocatalysts using solvothermal and annealing methods. The results indicate that Er-MOF/NiS has splendid performance, and its overpotential is 115 mV at 10 mA·cm−2. The excellent electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance of Er-MOF/NiS catalyst can be attributed to the synergistic effect of Er-MOF and NiS. The high surface area of Er-MOF provides more active sites, while NiS improves the conductivity of Er-MOF. This article provides a new method for developing stable and efficient rare earth MOFs HER catalysts.