Leafy ZIF-Derived Bi-Metallic Phosphate-Mxene Nanocomposites for Overall Water Splitting

Electrocatalytic water splitting is a significant method of hydrogen production to overcome energy scarcity and tackle the environmental pollution caused by the extreme consumption of fossil fuels. This work directs the focus on the development of an efficient catalyst toward hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions (HER and OER). Herein, a highly active and robust bi-metallic phosphate nanocomposite supported on Mxene is derived from an in situ technique, using a 2D (leafy) zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF 67) and phosphorus-doped nickel hydroxide [P-Ni(OH)₂] as a primary precursor for the first time. The synergy between the reaction mechanism leads to the formation of highly porous, needle-like morphology with a layer boundary interface. A remarkable performance of the catalyst is obtained with significantly low overpotential and excellent stability toward HER and OER. In conjunction with structural merits and catalytic activity, excellent performance is attributed to the optimized porosity owing to the 2D/3D conducting interface channel. The theoretical and experimental insights on the study affirm the conducive nature of the catalyst for overall water splitting. This finding exposed a new avenue for the chemistry between MOF and phosphate with conducting substrate to develop a highly active electrocatalyst for HER and overall water splitting.