Customized structure engineering of MIL-53(Fe)/MoS2/NF for enhanced OER performance: Experiments and practical applications

• Published in: Separation and purification technology 2024-07, Vol.340, p.126641, Article 126641
• Main Authors: Wang, Chen, Li, Kangqiang, Zhao, Minghu, Li, Zong, Zheng, Jianzhong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: MIL-53(Fe)/MoS2/NF; Oxygen evolution reaction; Seawater; Water electrolysis
• ISSN: 1383-5866
• DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2024.126641

•Nickel foam-loaded MIL-53(Fe)/MoS2 was customized by structural engineering.•The synergies among MIL-53(Fe)/MoS2/NF composite boost efficient water electrolysis.•The catalyst presents superior efficacy in simulated solutions, sewage, and seawater.•The catalyst maintains consistent gas production when coupled with solar cells. Developing cost-effective and highly efficient catalysts to replace the expensive noble metal-based counterparts in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) holds paramount importance for the advancement of hydrogen production. Herein, we synthesized a novel hybrid composite of MIL-53(Fe) and MoS2 using a hydrothermal method, subsequently depositing it onto commercially available nickel foam (NF), namely MIL-53(Fe)/MoS2/NF. The MIL-53(Fe)/MoS2/NF composite capitalizes on the synergies among these three components, facilitating efficient water electrolysis while remarkably curbing the OER overpotential (η10 = 238 mV, 1 M KOH), thereby enhancing electron transport efficiency. Remarkably, the OER overpotential remains consistently low even in the prepared 1 M KOH solution using seawater (η10 = 289 mV) and sewage (η10 = 301 mV). Moreover, MIL-53(Fe)/MoS2/NF exhibits enduring stability, maintaining its efficacy even after 50 h at around 50 mA/cm2 in simulated solutions, sewage, and seawater. In an electrolytic cell utilizing MIL-53(Fe)/MoS2/NF as the anode, stable gas production is achieved under 1 M KOH conditions and solar cell voltages of 1.62 V and 1.85 V. This investigation marks a pivotal advancement in forging highly efficient and economically viable OER catalysts, holding substantial implications for advancing energy conversion methodologies, thereby ushering in escalated efficiency and diminished costs.