Multivariate Er, Ni, Co metal–organic framework as a high-performance bifunctional electrocatalyst for efficient energy conversion

The rapid depletion of fossil fuel resources, along with intensifying environmental challenges, has driven the development of high-performance, green energy conversion technologies to address future energy demands. Among these, Water electrolysis has gained attention as an efficient and promising technique for clean hydrogen (H₂) production. However, its practical use is hindered by the sluggish kinetics of the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions (HER & OER), which require efficient and stable catalysts. Herein, we report bimetallic NC-MOF, EC-MOF, and trimetallic ENC-MOF-based electrocatalysts via a simple solvothermal route where terephthalic acid serves as the organic linker. Electrochemical analysis of all three electrodes towards HER and OER was investigated in an alkaline medium. The study demonstrated that the trimetallic ENC-MOF shows excellent electrocatalytic performance towards both HER and OER, delivering overpotentials of 169 mV and 360 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² and 100 mA cm⁻², respectively, along with the corresponding Tafel slopes of 62 mV dec ¹ and 47 mV dec⁻¹. Additionally, a very good electrochemical stability for 24 h. These results suggest the great potential of ENC-MOF as a superior yet affordable catalyst for both HER and OER.