Electrolytic Conversion of Sacrificial Metal-Organic Framework Thin Films into an Electrocatalytically Active Monolithic Oxide Coating for the Oxygen-Evolution Reaction

The electrolytic conversion of SURMOFs, monolithic surface-anchored metal-organic framework (MOF) thin films, to yield Ni(OH)(2) coatings for utilization as electrocatalysts in the water oxidation reaction is described. The electrocatalytic properties of the hydroxide coating, namely an oxygen-evolving reaction (OER) onset overpotential of 330 mV and overpotential of only 440 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm(-2), are well comparable to some of the most efficient materials used for the OER process. This electrolytic transformation process represents a facile pathway for the fabrication of electrochemically and electrocatalytically active coatings, and is potentially transferrable to several other systems. This approach is an attractive alternative to the commonly utilized, energy intensive pyrolysis, where heating the samples to temperatures above 600 degrees C is common to induce full transformation into electroactive catalysts.