Combining Multivariate Electrospinning with Surface MOF Functionalization to Construct Tunable Active Sites toward...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science and Engineering
• Electrochemistry
• Renewable Energy Technologies

Background:

• High-performance multifunctional electrocatalysts are crucial for cost-effective renewable energy conversion and storage.
• Current electrocatalysts often require expensive materials and complex fabrication processes.
• Developing integrated electrodes that perform multiple functions in a single electrolyte is a key challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate freestanding integral electrodes with rich, controlled active sites for enhanced electrocatalytic activity.
• To demonstrate the multifunctional capabilities of these electrodes in overall water splitting and zinc-air batteries.
• To elucidate the origins of the observed high performance and multi-functionality.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of freestanding electrodes via multivariate electrospinning combined with surface metal-organic framework functionalization.
• Controlled synthesis of tunable cobalt-phosphide (Co-P) coordination within the electrode structure.
• Comprehensive characterization including electroanalytical, post-mortem, and operando techniques.

Main Results:

• The CoP@CF-900 electrode delivered 200 mA cm⁻² at 1.89 V for overall water splitting, outperforming the Pt/C‖RuO₂ benchmark.
• As an air cathode for zinc-air batteries, it operated over 150 h at 10 mA cm⁻² with ≈60% round-trip efficiency, surpassing Pt/C+RuO₂.
• Extensive characterizations confirmed the synergistic structure-composition engineering leading to robust, multifunctional performance.

Conclusions:

• Freestanding integral electrodes fabricated through synergistic electrospinning and MOF functionalization offer superior multifunctional electrocatalysis.
• The developed CoP@CF-900 electrode demonstrates exceptional performance in both water splitting and zinc-air batteries.
• This approach provides a cost-effective pathway for advanced electrocatalyst development in renewable energy applications.