Multi-Metallic Organic Framework-Based Composites as Electrocatalysts

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) demonstrate that they can be effective materials as electrocatalysts due to their high specific surface area and high metal content. However, aggregation and poor electrical conductivity can sometimes still affect MOF electrocatalytic activity. Consequently, electrocatalytic activity was enhanced via various modifications, such as composite preparation, derivation techniques, and utilizing multiple metals in the MOFs. Recently, multi-metallic organic frameworks (MMOFs), and their derivatives have demonstrated premier activity as electrocatalysts. This review explored the role of materials, numerical investigation, and conceivable and reported challenges of engineering MMOFs and their derivations via diverse composites such as MMOF/ metal-based partner, MMOF/ carbon-based partner, and MMOF/ multiple-partner toward applications such as oxygen evolution reaction (OER), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), urea oxidation reaction (UOR), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR), glucose oxidation reaction (GOR), methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), and other potential applications. Studies demonstrate the effectiveness and potential of engineered MMOF composites and their derivatives as electrocatalysts, attributed to multiple synergistic material interactions. Also, Future electrocatalyst candidates and improvements are investigated. Diverse challenges and new engineering tasks highlighted in the results confirm the continued viability of electrocatalysis. Therefore, adjusting the synthesis of MMOFs and inducing commensurate composites can boost their performance to a higher value superior to the solitary MMOF and composite counterparts. In total, MMOF/ metal-based partner composites, due to ample active sites and the effective synergistic effect between metal sites and MMOF/carbon-based partner composites, due to inducing conductivity and stability from carbon-based partner and active sites from MMOF, can be beneficial as electrocatalysts, which is reported most for OER. Also, MMOF/multiple-partner composites, due to their diverse synergy, can be helpful as electrocatalysts, especially in GOR.