MOF-templated Cobalt Nanoparticles Embedded in Nitrogen-doped Porous Carbon: a Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Overall Water Splitting

Overview

Journal Nanoscale Adv

Publisher Royal Society of Chemistry

Specialty Biotechnology

Date 2022 Sep 22

PMID 36131968

Authors

Karabi Nath

Kousik Bhunia

Debabrata Pradhan

Kumar Biradha

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Development of cost-effective and efficient non noble metal electrocatalysts has immense importance towards sustainable energy technologies. Herein, a newly constructed porous Co(ii)-metal organic framework (MOF) has been utilized for the synthesis of cobalt nanoparticles embedded in N-doped porous carbon, (Co@NPC), a facile MOF-annealing strategy, at an optimum temperature of 800 °C under an argon atmosphere. DMF molecules present in the form of solvated guests and cations within the 3D-framework serve as a source for N-doping during the formation of the porous graphitic carbon upon carbonization. The nanocomposite was found to encapsulate homogeneously dispersed cobalt nanoparticles within the N-doped porous carbonaceous matrix. The synergistic effect of cobalt nanoparticles and the heteroatom-doped carbon framework makes Co@NPC electrochemically active towards both the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) under alkaline conditions. Furthermore, Co@NPC exhibits outstanding performance as a bifunctional electrocatalyst towards electrochemical water splitting with remarkable stability and durability. It achieves a current density of 10 mA cm at a low cell voltage of 1.66 V in 1 M NaOH solution which is comparable with that of most of the self-templated ZIF-derived non-noble metal electrocatalysts.

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