Facile synthesis of Ru-incorporated NiFe-MOF nanosheet heterostructures as an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst

Constructing specific noble metal/metal—organic framework (MOF) nanoheterostructures is an effective strategy for promoting water electrolysis, yet remains highly challenging due to complex synthesis methods, difficulties in structural characterization, and the demanding nature of performance optimization. In this work, a heterojunction electrocatalyst was developed through growing Ru nanoparticles on NiFe-MOF nanosheets (NSs) supported by nickel foam (NF) using an easily accessible solvothermal method followed by an annealing strategy. Owing to the electronic interaction between Ru nanoparticles and NiFe-MOF NSs, the optimized Ru@NiFe-MOF/NF catalyst exhibits excellent bifunctional performance for the hydrogen evolution reaction (with an overpotential of 84 mV at 10 mA·cm⁻²) and the oxygen evolution reaction (with an overpotential of 240 mV at 10 mA·cm⁻²) in a 1.0 mol·L⁻¹ KOH solution, which is superior to that of commercial catalysts. This study highlights a promising strategy for designing and developing efficient electrocatalysts for overall water electrolysis.