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Nano Research 2016, 9(6): 1856-1865 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-016-1078-x
Research Article | Issue | Published: 28 April 2016

In situ decomposition of metal-organic frameworks into ultrathin nanosheets for the oxygen evolution reaction

Show Author's Information Kai He1,  Zhen Cao2,  Ruirui Liu2,  Ya Miao2,  Houyi Ma1,  Yi Ding2( )
Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry of State Education MinistrySchool of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong UniversityJinan250100China
Tianjin Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Porous MaterialsSchool of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of TechnologyTianjin300384China
Keywords:
electrocatalyst, oxygen evolution reaction, ultrathin nanosheets, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), in situ decomposition
Cite this article:
He K, Cao Z, Liu R, et al. In situ decomposition of metal-organic frameworks into ultrathin nanosheets for the oxygen evolution reaction. Nano Research, 2016, 9(6): 1856-1865. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-016-1078-x
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Abstract Full text Electronic supplementary material About this article

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a pivotal process for water-splitting and many other energy technologies involving oxygen electrodes. Herein, a new synthesis strategy is proposed to prepare OER catalysts based on a simple yet flexible in situ decomposition of Co-based acetate hydroxide metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). This process allows straightforward fabrication of various 2D hydroxide ultrathin nanosheets (UNSs) with excellent component controllability. The as-obtained Co-based hydroxide UNSs demonstrate superior catalytic activity for the OER due to the exposure of numerous active sites. In particular, the CoNi hydroxide UNSs exhibit low overpotentials (η) of 324 and 372 mV at current densities of 10 and 100 mA·cm–2, respectively; a large turnover frequency (TOF) of 0.16 s–1 at η = 380 mV; and a small Tafel slope of 33 mV·dec–1 in an alkaline environment. Importantly, these values are superior to those of the state-of-theart IrO2 commercial electrocatalyst. This facile strategy enables the exploration of more efficient and economic OER electrocatalysts with various constituents and opens a promising avenue for large-scale fabrication of functional nanocatalysts for use in clean energy technologies.


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About this article

In situ decomposition of metal-organic frameworks into ultrathin nanosheets for the oxygen evolution reaction

Show Author's information Kai He1, Zhen Cao2, Ruirui Liu2, Ya Miao2, Houyi Ma1, Yi Ding2( )
Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry of State Education MinistrySchool of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong UniversityJinan250100China
Tianjin Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Porous MaterialsSchool of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of TechnologyTianjin300384China

Abstract

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a pivotal process for water-splitting and many other energy technologies involving oxygen electrodes. Herein, a new synthesis strategy is proposed to prepare OER catalysts based on a simple yet flexible in situ decomposition of Co-based acetate hydroxide metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). This process allows straightforward fabrication of various 2D hydroxide ultrathin nanosheets (UNSs) with excellent component controllability. The as-obtained Co-based hydroxide UNSs demonstrate superior catalytic activity for the OER due to the exposure of numerous active sites. In particular, the CoNi hydroxide UNSs exhibit low overpotentials (η) of 324 and 372 mV at current densities of 10 and 100 mA·cm–2, respectively; a large turnover frequency (TOF) of 0.16 s–1 at η = 380 mV; and a small Tafel slope of 33 mV·dec–1 in an alkaline environment. Importantly, these values are superior to those of the state-of-theart IrO2 commercial electrocatalyst. This facile strategy enables the exploration of more efficient and economic OER electrocatalysts with various constituents and opens a promising avenue for large-scale fabrication of functional nanocatalysts for use in clean energy technologies.

Keywords: electrocatalyst, oxygen evolution reaction, ultrathin nanosheets, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), in situ decomposition

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Publication history
Copyright
Acknowledgements

Publication history

Received: 02 February 2016
Revised: 13 March 2016
Accepted: 16 March 2016
Published: 28 April 2016
Issue date: June 2016

Copyright

© Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2016

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2012CB932800), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51171092), and the Ph.D. Programs Foundation of the Chinese Ministry of Education (No. 20120042110031). Y. D. also acknowledges the Fundamental Research Funds of Shandong University and Tianjin Municipal Science and Technology Commission to sponsor our research.

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