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Self-templated formation of twin-like metal-organic framework nanobricks as pre-catalysts for efficient water oxidation

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Abstract

Fabrication of single-crystalline metal-organic framework (MOF) hollow nanostructures with two-dimensional (2D) morphologies is a challenging task. Herein, twin-like MOF nanobricks, a quasi-hollow 2D architecture, with multi-metal nodes and replaceable organic ligands, are uniformly and firmly grown on conductive Ni foam through a generic one-pot approach. The formation process of twin-like MOF nanobricks mainly includes selective epitaxial growth of Fe-rich MOF layer and simultaneously dissolution of the pre-formed Ni-rich metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), all of which can be ascribed to a special self-templated mechanism. The fantastic structural merits of twin-like MOF nanobrick arrays, featuring highly exposed active sites, remarkable electrical conductivity, and hierarchical porosities, enable this material for efficient electrocatalysis. Using bimetallic NiFe-MOFs grown on Ni foam as an example, the resultant twin-like nanobrick arrays can be directly utilized as three-dimensional (3D) integrated electrode for high-performance water oxidation in 1 M KOH with a low overpotential, fast reaction kinetics (28.5 mV·dec−1), and superb stability. Interestingly, the unstable NiFe-MOFs were served as an oxygen evolution reaction (OER) pre-catalyst and the single-crystalline NiFe-MOF precursor can be in-situ topochemically regulated into porous and low-crystalline NiFeOx nanosheets during the OER process. This work extends the hollowing strategy to fabricate hollow MOFs with 2D architectures and highlights their direct utilization for advanced electrocatalysis.

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Acknowledgements

This work was jointly supported by Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone Shenzhen Park Project (No. HZQB-KCZYB-2020030), the National Key R&D Program of China (Project No. 2017YFA0204403), Innovation and Technology Commission of HKSAR through Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Centre and Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Committee (No. JCYJ20200109113212238).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Advanced Structural Materials, City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Greater Bay Joint Division, Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Shenzhen, 518057, China

    Fei-Xiang Ma, BinBin Zhou, Jian Lu & Yang Yang Li

  2. Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China

    Fei-Xiang Ma, BinBin Zhou, Jian Lu & Yang Yang Li

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Greater Bay Joint Division, Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Hong Kong, 999077, China

    Fucong Lyu, BinBin Zhou, Fengwen Kang & Jian Lu

  4. Department of Material Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China

    Yingxue Diao, Zebiao Li, Xufen Xiao & Yang Yang Li

  5. National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures and Center for the Microstructures of Quantum Materials, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China

    Jianghua Wu & Peng Wang

  6. CityU-Shenzhen Futian Research Institute, No. 3, Binglang Road, Fubao Street, Futian District, Shenzhen, 518045, China

    Jian Lu

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  1. Fei-Xiang Ma
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  10. Jian Lu
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  11. Yang Yang Li
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Correspondence to Jian Lu or Yang Yang Li.

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Ma, FX., Lyu, F., Diao, Y. et al. Self-templated formation of twin-like metal-organic framework nanobricks as pre-catalysts for efficient water oxidation. Nano Res. 15, 2887–2894 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-021-3885-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-021-3885-y

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