Renovated FeCoP-NC nanospheres wrapped by CoP-NC nanopetals: As a tremendously effectual and robust MOF-assisted electrocatalyst for hydrogen energy production.

ABSTRACT

The future of energy technology is significantly influenced by hydrogen (H2) energy. However, hydrogen energy production through water-splitting entirely depends on the catalyst's performance. Modifying the morphological structure and increasing the number of active sites by changing the metal composition are pivotal factors in enhancing the catalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this context, we introduce the impact of metal-organic framework (MOF) strategies for decorating CoP petals onto α-Fe2O3 and FeCoP-NC (NC-nitrogen-doped carbon) nanoflowers. This method results in an excellent electrocatalyst for HER. The study demonstrated the influence of different MOF precursors, the impact of calcination temperatures, and the importance of composition percentages in Fe1-xCoxP-NC. As a result, FeCoP-NC shows excellent electrochemical performance potential (η) of 57 mV, a rapid kinetic Tafel value of 61 mV/dec, and remarkable electrochemical stability of around 2000 cycles and 20 h in stand potential. Additionally, the composite has numerous active surfaces at 4.7 mF/cm2 during the electrochemical reactions. This work concludes that MOF-assisted FeCoP-NC nanoflowers are an ideal electrocatalyst for HER in an alkaline medium.