Manipulating the structure and oxygen evolution reaction performance in metal organic frameworks via symmetrical control on the functional groups of ligands

Abstract

The crystal structure and electrocatalytic performance of Ni-based MOFs were controlled by the symmetrical engineering of Br functional groups on the terephthalic acid ligand. The asymmetric coordination between metal active sites and the ligand makes Ni-DBC-1Br an excellent OER electrocatalyst with a significantly lower overpotential (247 mV) accompanied by a low Tafel slope of 58.1 mV dec⁻¹ in 1 M KOH (pH = 13.88).