Activation rate-dependent reconstruction of Co-MOFs for efficient CoOOH conversion in oxygen evolution reaction

Abstract

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a critical component in the fields of aqueous electrocatalysis, of which the real active species always need to be activated under the electrochemical conditions. However, the activation rate is frequently overlooked, critically associated with the reconstruction efficiency at the initial stage of OER. Herein, three analogous Co-MOFs were observed to exhibit different activation rates, involving with the triggering of reconstruction, the dissociation of organic ligands and the losing of Co nodes. The expedited activation rate can significantly enhance the conversion efficiency from Co-MOFs to CoOOH species, thereby improving the utilization of Co element. These findings focused on the activation rate are expected to help understand the fundamental principles of electrocatalyst reconstruction.