Morphologically Controlled Metal-Organic Framework-Derived FeNi Oxides for Efficient Water Oxidation

The complex oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is recognized as the most studied and explored electrochemical conversion, which plays a crucial role in energy-related applications. In this work, a series of metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived FeNi oxides from a barrel-shaped Ni-based BMM-10 precursor are conveniently obtained to show an excellent OER performance. Under mild Fe(III) etching, a type of core-shell Fe_0.5-BMM-10 can be well preserved and the coordination bond of the middle frame structure is decomposed. Furthermore, the Fe-BMM-10-T series is successfully synthesized with a well-preserved morphology compared to precursors after direct oxidation. Finally, followed by initial electrochemical activation, the decomposition of FeNi oxides generates active Fe-doped nickel oxyhydroxides for efficient water oxidation. The improved OER performance stems from the high specific surface area and abundant exposed active centers, as well as the significant synergistic effect between iron and nickel, which is further verified by the theoretical calculation. This approach can be extended to precisely adjust the morphology of MOFs and their derivatives that can result in superior electrocatalytic properties in terms of energy conversion and storage applications.