CoFe-MOF@CNTs/rGO Composite Aerogels for Stable Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Exploiting high-performance and low-cost oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalysts is critical for the development of renewable green energy storage and conversion technologies. Although the MOF-based catalyst shows promising advantages as a potential oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalyst, the slow carrier mobility, poor conductivity, and insufficient stability of the pristine MOF limit its general application. To this end, we propose a 3D CoFe-MOF/CNTs/rGO aerogel catalyst composed of three phases: CoFe-MOF nanoparticles, CNTs, and rGO as an advanced oxygen evolution catalyst. As such, the prepared samples display a porous 3D cross-linked network interwoven by different dimensional components effectively extending the proton transport pathway, and the multidimensional gradient as well as the inhomogeneous interface provide more active sites. Specially, the prepared CoFe-MOF/CNTs/rGO aerogel catalyst delivers an ultralow overpotential of 253 mV at 10 mA cm –2, as well as superior operation stability for 200 h at a large current density of 100 mA cm –2, which is superior to most reported MOF-based catalysts. Results demonstrate that this unique synergistic interaction among the CoFe-MOF/CNTs/rGO aerogel composites plays a key role in improving the activity and stability of the OER. The present work provides an economical and facile synthesis method for the construction of multiphase nonuniform composite catalysts, providing a strategy for the design of high-performance aerogel-based OER catalysts for clean energy-related applications.