Ni(2)P nanocrystals embedded Ni-MOF nanosheets supported on nickel foam as bifunctional electrocatalyst for urea electrolysis

It’s highly desired but challenging to synthesize self-supporting nanohybrid made of conductive nanoparticles with metal organic framework (MOF) materials for the application in the electrochemical field. In this work, we report the preparation of Ni(2)P embedded Ni-MOF nanosheets supported on nickel foam through partial phosphidation (Ni(2)P@Ni-MOF/NF). The self-supporting Ni(2)P@Ni-MOF/NF was directly tested as electrode for urea electrolysis. When served as anode for urea oxidation reaction (UOR), it only demands 1.41 V (vs RHE) to deliver a current of 100 mA cm(−2). And the overpotential of Ni(2)P@Ni-MOF/NF to reach 10 mA cm(−2) for hydrogen evolution reaction HER was only 66 mV, remarkably lower than Ni(2)P/NF (133 mV). The exceptional electrochemical performance was attributed to the unique structure of Ni(2)P@Ni-MOF and the well exposed surface of Ni(2)P. Furthermore, the Ni(2)P@Ni-MOF/NF demonstrated outstanding longevity for both HER and UOR. The electrolyzer constructed with Ni(2)P@Ni-MOF/NF as bifunctional electrode can attain a current density of 100 mA cm(−2) at a cell voltage as low as 1.65 V. Our work provides new insights for prepare MOF based nanohydrid for electrochemical application.