FeCo−N−C Nanostructures Derived from Metal−Organic Frameworks as a Bifunctional Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction and Hydrogen Evolution Reactions

Abstract

Developing high-efficiency nanoscale electrocatalysts is essential to advancing energy conversion and storage technologies for sustainable development. Among various alternatives, transition metal nanoparticles supported on N-doped carbon nanomaterials have emerged as attractive substitutes for noble-metal-based catalysts due to their excellent activity in both the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this work, a bifunctional nanocatalyst based on a metal−organic framework (MOF)-derived FeCo−N−C nanocomposite was fabricated via pyrolysis of an iron-cobalt MOF precursor. The FeCo−N−C nanocatalyst delivered an ORR onset potential of 0.987 V and a half-wave potential of 0.91 V (vs. RHE), retaining 83% of its initial current after 30 h and outperforming commercial Pt/C in long-term durability and methanol tolerance. Moreover, it exhibited excellent HER performance, characterized by a low overpotential of 105 mV at −10 mA cm−2 (vs. RHE), a Tafel slope of 87 mV dec−1, and a small charge-transfer resistance of 12.68 Ω. This work offers a nanoscale alloying strategy for designing MOF-derived bimetallic carbon nanocomposites as high-performance bifunctional nanocatalysts for renewable energy applications.