Effective construction of a CuCo MOF@graphene functional electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Sustainable Energy

Background:

• Electrochemical water splitting is a key green technology for hydrogen production.
• Developing highly efficient electrocatalysts is crucial for advancing HER.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate a high-performance electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).
• To investigate the structure-activity relationship of a novel bimetallic metal-organic framework modified rGO catalyst.

Main Methods:

• A one-step *in situ* approach was used to synthesize CuCoOC@rGO.
• The catalyst's morphology and properties were characterized using XRD, SEM, EDS, FT-IR, Raman, XPS, and BET.
• Electrocatalytic performance was evaluated in alkaline media.

Main Results:

• The synthesized CuCoOC@rGO catalyst exhibited a highly ordered, defect-rich porous structure.
• It showed excellent HER activity with a low overpotential (120 mV at 10 mA cm^-2) and a Tafel slope of 124 mV dec^-1.
• The catalyst demonstrated efficient ion and electron transport and abundant active sites.

Conclusions:

• The CuCoOC@rGO catalyst offers superior HER performance due to its unique structure and properties.
• This study provides insights for designing advanced hierarchical electrocatalysts for energy applications.
• The catalyst's self-supported nature and integrated rGO substrate enhance its stability and conductivity.