Conformal transformation of [Co(bdc)(DMF)] (Co-MOF-71, bdc = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate, DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide) into porous electrochemically active cobalt hydroxide

Zirconium-based metal-organic frameworks and their roles in electrocatalysis

Due to their exceptional chemical stability in water and high structural tunability, zirconium(IV)-based MOFs (Zr-MOFs) have been considered attractive materials in the broad fields of electrocatalysis. Numerous studies published since 2015 have attempted to utilise Zr-MOFs in electrocatalysis, with the porous framework serving as either the active electrocatalyst or the scaffold or surface coating to further enhance the performance of the actual electrocatalyst. Herein, the roles of Zr-MOFs in electrocatalytic processes are discussed, and some selected examples reporting the applications of Zr-MOFs in various electrocatalytic reactions, including several studies from our group, are overviewed. Challenges, limitations and opportunities in using Zr-MOFs in electrocatalysis in future studies are discussed.

Synthesis and Characterization of MOF-Derived Structures: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives

Due to their facile tunability, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are employed as precursors and templates to construct advanced functional materials with unique and desired chemical, physical, mechanical, and morphological properties. By tuning MOF precursor composition and manipulating conversion processes, various MOF-derived materials commonly known as MOF derivatives can be constructed. The possibility of controlled and predictable properties makes MOF derivatives a preferred choice for numerous advanced technological applications. The innovative synthetic designs besides the plethora of interdisciplinary characterization approaches applicable to MOF derivatives provide the opportunity to perform a myriad of experiments to explore the performance and offer key insight to develop the next generation of advanced materials. Though there are many published works of literature describing various synthesis and characterization techniques of MOF derivatives, it is still not clear how the synthesis mechanism works and what are the best techniques to characterize these materials to probe their properties accurately. In this review, the recent development in synthesis techniques and mechanisms for a variety of MOF derivates such as MOF-derived metal oxides, porous carbon, composites/hybrids, and sulfides is summarized. Furthermore, the details of characterization techniques and fundamental working principles are summarized to probe the structural, mechanical, physiochemical, electrochemical, and electronic properties of MOF and MOF derivatives. The future trends and some remaining challenges in the synthesis and characterization of MOF derivatives are also discussed.

The Utilization of Metal-Organic Frameworks and Their Derivatives Composite in Supercapacitor Electrodes

Up to now, the mainstream adoption of renewable energy has brought about substantial transformations in the electricity and energy sector. This shift has garnered considerable attention within the scientific community. Supercapacitors, known for their exceptional performance metrics like good charge/discharge capability, strong power density, as well as extended cycle longevity, have gained widespread traction across various sectors, including transportation and aviation. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with unique traits including adaptable structure, highly customizable synthetic methods, and high specific surface area, have emerged as strong candidates for electrode materials. For enhancing the performance, MOFs are commonly compounded with other conducting materials to increase capacitance. This paper provides a detailed analysis of various common preparation strategies and characteristics of MOFs. It summarizes the recent application of MOFs and their derivatives as supercapacitor electrodes alongside other carbon materials, metal compounds, and conductive polymers. Additionally, the challenges encountered by MOFs in the realm of supercapacitor applications are thoroughly discussed. Compared to previous reviews, the content of this paper is more comprehensive, offering readers a deeper understanding of the diverse applications of MOFs. Furthermore, it provides valuable suggestions and guidance for future progress and development in the field of MOFs.

Synthesis of novel Cu/Fe based benzene Dicarboxylate (BDC) metal organic frameworks and investigations into their optical and electrochemical properties

In the recent past Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) based thin films have demonstrated superior performance in various technological applications such as optical and optoelectronic devices, electrochemical energy storage, catalysis, and sensing. Herein we report tuning the optical performance of stable complexes using Cu and Fe metal ions with carboxylate benzene dicarboxylic (BDC), leading toward the formation of novel MOF structures. The formation of Cu-BDC and Fe-BDC were confirmed by XRD and SEM studies. The thermal stability of two MOFs was investigated, indicating that, the Cu-BDC is more stable than Fe-BDC. Further, the optical properties were investigated in the wavelength range 325-1100 nm, and the Fe-BDC exhibited greater optical transmission properties than Cu-BDC by 33 %, as investigated by Wemple-DiDomenico and Tauc models. The dispersion parameters related to optical studies for Cu-BDC were better in comparison to Fe-BDC, which could be attributed to the increase in Cu valence electrons due to an increase in the number of cations. The electrochemical behavior in terms of CV measurements shows the presence of pseudo capacitance in both Fe-BDC and Cu-BDC MOFs. The improved CV performance of Cu-BDC MOF suggests that it could be used as a storage material. This work successfully demonstrates the tailoring of optical properties related to MOF thin films through the formation of stable complexes using BDC as a potential material for the fabrication of OLED's and Solar cells. The improved CV performance suggests that these MOF based materials could be used as anodes in fabrication of batteries or supercapacitors.

Fast and In-Depth Reconstruction of Two-Dimension Cobalt-Based Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework in Glucose Oxidation Processes

Currently, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as viable candidates for enduring electrode materials in nonenzyme glucose sensing. However, given the inherent water susceptibility of MOFs and their complete self-reconstruction during the process of electrochemical oxygen evolution in alkaline conditions, we are motivated to explore the truth of MOFs catalyzing glucose oxidation. In this work, we fabricated a two-dimensional cobalt-based zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-L) as the electrode material for catalyzing glucose oxidation in alkaline conditions. Our explorations revealed that while the initial glucose catalytic response varied among ZIF-L samples with differing thicknesses, the ultimate steady-state catalytic performance remained largely consistent. This phenomenon arose from the transformation of ZIF-L with distinct thicknesses into CoOOH with uniform morphological and structural characteristics during the glucose catalysis process. And in situ Raman spectroscopy elucidated the sustained equilibrium within the glucose catalytic system, wherein the dynamic interconversion between CoOOH and Co(OH)2 governs the overall process. This study contributes to an enhanced understanding of the glucose catalytic mechanism aspects of nonenzymatic glucose sensor electrode materials, offering insights that serve as inspiration for the development of advanced glucose electrode materials.

Rapid cold plasma synthesis of cobalt metal-organic framework/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites for use as supercapacitor electrodes

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are recognized as a desirable class of porous materials for energy storage applications, despite their limited conductivity. In the present study, Co-MOF-71 was fabricated as a high-performance supercapacitor electrode at ambient temperature using a fast and straightforward, one-pot cold plasma method. A supercapacitor electrode based on Co-MOF@rGO was also synthesized by adding reduced graphene oxide (rGO) during processing to increase the capacitance retention and stability after 4000 cycles from 80 to 95.4%. The Co-MOF-71 electrode provided a specific capacitance (Cs) of 651.7 Fg-1 at 1 Ag-1, whereas the Co-MOF@rGO electrode produced a Cs value of 967.68 Fg-1 at 1 Ag-1. In addition, we fabricated an asymmetric device (Co-MOF@rGO||AC) using Co-MOF-rGO as a high-rate positive electrode and activated carbon (AC) as a negative electrode. This hybrid device has a remarkable specific energy and power density. The combination of MOFs with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) in a cold plasma environment resulted in the formation of a three-dimensional nanostructure composed of nanosheets. This nanostructure exhibited an increased number of electroactive sites, providing benefits for energy storage applications.

Analytical Determination of Cephalosporin Antibiotics Using Coordination Polymer Based on Cobalt Terephthalate as a Sorbent

In this work, a coordination polymer based on cobalt terephthalate was obtained and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The coordination polymer was tested as a sorbent for the solid-phase extraction of cephalosporin antibiotics, including ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, and cefazolin, from aqueous solutions. The coordination polymer had a high adsorption capacity (520.0 mg/g). Antibiotics adsorption followed pseudo-second order kinetic model and the Freundlich isotherm model. The calculated thermodynamic parameters indicate a spontaneous process. The resulting coordination polymer has good stability and reusability. The possibility of separating the studied cephalosporins on a chromatographic column filled with a coordination polymer was shown. This work opens great prospects for the development and application of a coordination polymer based on cobalt terephthalate for the removal of cephalosporins from ambient water.

Design of ZIF-67 nanoflake derived NiCo-LDH/rGO hybrid nanostructures for aqueous symmetric supercapattery application under alkaline condition

Well-defined polyhedral ZIF-67 metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are usually synthesized using methanol as solvent. In this work, methanol is replaced with deionized water as a solvent to synthesize ZIF-67 MOFs with unique nanoflake morphology. The ZIF-67 nanoflakes are synthesized directly byin situmethod on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to obtain ZIF-67/rGO-xprecursors which are further transformed into NiCo-layered double hydroxide nanocomposites (NiCo-LDH/rGO-x,x = 10, 30, 50 and 90 mg of rGO). The NiCo-LDH/rGO-xnanostructured composites are found to be excellent materials for battery type supercapacitor (supercapattery) applications. Among these samples, the NiCo-LDH/rGO-30 composite gives maximum specific capacity of 829 C g^-1(1658 F g^-1) at a current density of 1 A g^-1and high rate capability. The as fabricated 2-electrode symmetric Swagelok deviceNiCo-LDH/rGO-30NiCo-LDH/rGO-30delivered a high energy density of 49.2 Wh kg^-1and a power density of 4511 W kg^-1, and enabled us to glow red, blue and white LED bulbs using three coin cells. The device can show good capacity retention even after 3000 continuous charge-discharge cycles. The NiCo-LDH/rGO-30 composite,in situderived from ZIF-67 MOF in combination with optimal amount of rGO, is an excellent material to deliver both high energy density and high power density in supercapattery devices.

Efficient Metal-Oriented Electrodeposition of a Co-Based Metal-Organic Framework with Superior Capacitive Performance

An efficient cathodic electrodeposition method is developed for coating Co-based metal-organic frameworks (Co-MOF) on carbon fiber cloth (CFC), a widely used substrate in energy fields. The use of a highly active Co metal surface enables nucleation and growth of Co-MOF in 3D rodlike crystal bundles. When used as a binder-free electrode (Co-MOF/CFC) for supercapacitors, it shows a high areal capacitance of 1784 mF cm^-2 at 1 mA cm^-2 , good cycling stability and excellent rate capability. The assembled asymmetric all-solid-state supercapacitor device (Co-MOF/CFC//AC) delivers a high energy density and power density. This work may open up an effective approach to realize the electrosynthesis of MOF films, promoting use in energy storage and conversion fields.

Recent advances in the tuning of the organic framework materials - The selections of ligands, reaction conditions, and post-synthesis approaches

Organic framework materials, particularly metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), graphene-organic frameworks (GOFs), and covalent organic frameworks (COFs), have led to the revolution across fields including catalysts, sensors, gas capture, and biology mainly owing to their ultra-high surface area-to-volume ratio, on-demand tunable crystal structures, and unique surface properties. While the wet chemistry routes have been the predominant synthesis approach, the crystal phase, morphological parameters, and physicochemical properties of organic framework materials are largely affected by various synthesis parameters and precursors. In this work, we specifically review the influences of synthesis parameters towards crystal structures and chemical compositions of organic framework materials, including selected ligand types and lengths, reaction temperature/solvent/reactant compositions, as well as post-synthesis modification approaches. More importantly, the subsequent impacts on the general electronic, mechanical, surface chemical, and thermal properties as well as the consequent variation in performances towards catalytic, desalination, gas sensing, and gas storage applications are critically discussed. Finally, the current challenges and prospects of organic framework materials are provided.

State of the art developments and prospects of metal-organic frameworks for energy applications

The progress on technologies for the cleaner and ecological transformation and storage of energy to combat effluence or pollution and the impending energy dilemma has recently attracted interest from energy research groups, particularly in the field of coordination chemistry, among inorganic chemists. Carriers for storing energy or facilitating mass and e^- transport are considered significant for energy conversion. Accordingly, considering their properties such as large surface area, low cost, customizable pore diameter, tunable topologies, low densities, and variable frameworks, MOFs (metal-organic frameworks) and their derivatives are well-suited for this purpose. MOFs are an innovative category of porous and crystalline materials, which have gained significant interest in recent years. Thus, herein, we highlight the state of the art progress on MOFs for energy-based applications, as perfect compounds and elements in compound assemblies for converting solar energy, lithium-ion arrays, fuel devices, hydrogen production, photocatalytic CO₂ reduction, proton conduction, etc. In addition, the substantial progress achieved in the production of various composites and derivatives containing MOFs with particular focus on supercapacitors and gas adsorption and storage is summarized, concentrating on the correlation between their coordination structural frameworks and applications in the field of energy. The current improved strategies, challenges, and future prospects are also presented in view of the coordination chemistry governing the structural modification of MOFs for energy applications.

Group 4 Metal-Based Metal—Organic Frameworks for Chemical Sensors

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted great attention for their applications in chemical sensors mainly due to their high porosity resulting in high density of spatially accessible active sites, which can interact with the aimed analyte. Among various MOFs, frameworks constructed from group 4 metal-based (e.g., zirconium, titanium, hafnium, and cerium) MOFs, have become especially of interest for the sensors requiring the operations in aqueous media owing to their remarkable chemical stability in water. Research efforts have been made to utilize these group 4 metal-based MOFs in chemosensors such as luminescent sensors, colorimetric sensors, electrochemical sensors, and resistive sensors for a range of analytes since 2013. Though several studies in this subfield have been published especially over the past 3–5 years, some challenges and concerns are still there and sometimes they might be overlooked. In this review, we aim to highlight the recent progress in the use of group 4 metal-based MOFs in chemical sensors, and focus on the challenges, potential concerns, and opportunities in future studies regarding the developments of such chemically robust MOFs for sensing applications.

p-Co-BDC/AuNPs-based multiple signal amplification for ultra-sensitive electrochemical determination of miRNAs

In this work, we report AuNPs-decorated pyrolyzed Co-BDC nanosheets (p-Co-BDC/AuNPs) as high-performance electrocatalyst for developing an electrochemical platform. p-Co-BDC/AuNPs as a new electrocatalyst showed superior electrocatalytic activity towards the electrochemical oxidation of methylene blue (MB). Besides, magnetic p-Co-BDC/AuNPs can be well immobilized on the magnetic glassy carbon electrode without further assistance. The oxidation of MB can be reduced by ascorbic acid. Inspired by this phenomenon, an electrochemical biosensor was constructed based on multiple signal amplification for the diagnosis of miRNAs. Firstly, p-Co-BDC/AuNPs enhanced the electrochemical oxidation of MB. Then, strand displacement amplification reaction can form lots of double helix structure DNA to embed more MB molecules. Finally, ascorbic acid in the electrolyte was utilized to reduce the oxidation of MB and improve the electrochemical signal of MB electro-oxidation. The linear detection range for the detection of miRNAs is 100 aM to 10 nM, and the limit of detection is 86 aM. Furthermore, the constructed biosensor also displayed satisfactory selectivity, good reproducibility, and excellent recovery in the detection of real samples. We are convinced that our proposed multiple signal amplification strategy will provide more promising methods for the diagnosis of cancer.

From Co-MOF to CoNi-MOF to Ni-MOF: A Facile Synthesis of 1D Micro-/Nanomaterials

Controlling the growth of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) at the micro-/nanoscopic scale will result in new physical properties and novel functions into the materials without changing the chemical identities and the characteristic features of the MOFs themselves. Herein, we report a facile approach to synthesize a series of MOFs [Co-MOF, Co_xNi_y-MOFs (x and y represent the molar ratio of Co²⁺ and Ni²⁺ and x/y = 1:1, 1:5, 1:10, 1:15, and 1:20), and Ni-MOF] with a one-dimensional micro-/nanoscaled rod-like architecture. From Co-MOF to Co_xNi_y-MOFs to Ni-MOF, the diameters of the rods turn to be spindly with the increase of Ni²⁺ content which will facilitate the supercapacitor performances. Interestingly, Co₁Ni₂₀-MOF exhibits a highest specific capacity of 597 F g^-1 at 0.5 A g^-1 and excellent cycle performance (retained 93.59% after 4000 cycles) among these MOF materials owing to its micro-/nanorod structure with a smaller diameter and the synergy effect between the optimum molar ratio of Co²⁺ and Ni²⁺.

Understanding the Evolution of Cobalt-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks in Electrocatalysis for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted increasing attention as a promising electrode material for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Comprehending catalytic mechanisms in the OER process is of key relevance for the design of efficient catalysts. In this study, two types of Co based MOF with different organic ligands (ZIF-67 and CoBDC; BDC=1,4-benzenedicarboxylate) are synthesized as OER electrocatalysts and their electrochemical behavior is studied in alkaline solution. Physical characterization indicates that ZIF-67, with tetrahedral Co sites, transforms into α-Co(OH)₂ on electrochemical activation, which provides continuous active sites in the following oxidation, whereas CoBDC, with octahedral sites, evolves into β-Co(OH)₂ through hydrolysis, which is inert for the OER. Electrochemical characterization reveals that Co sites coordinated by nitrogen from imidazole ligands (Co-N coordination) are more inclined to electrochemical activation than Co-O sites. The successive exposure and accumulation of real active sites is responsible for the gradual increase in activity of ZIF-67 in OER. This work not only indicates that CoMOFs are promising OER electrocatalysts but also provides a reference system to understand how metal coordination in MOFs affects the OER process.

Fe-Based Coordination Polymers as Battery-Type Electrodes in Semi-Solid-State Battery-Supercapacitor Hybrid Devices

One two-dimensional Fe-based metal-organic framework (FeSC1) and one one-dimensional coordination polymer (FeSC2) have been solvothermally prepared through the reaction among FeSO₄·7H₂O, the tripodal ligand 4,4',4″-s-triazine-2,4,6-triyl-tribenzoate (H₃TATB), and flexible secondary building blocks p/m-bis((1H-imidazole-1-yl)methyl)benzene (bib). Given that their abundant interlayer spaces and different coordination modes, two compounds have been employed as battery-type electrodes to understand how void space and different coordination modes affect their performances in three-electrode electrochemical systems. Both materials exhibit outstanding but different electrochemical performances (including distinct capacities and charge-transfer abilities) under three-electrode configurations, where the charge storage for each electrode material is mainly dominated by the diffusion-controlled section (i ∝ v^0.5) through power-law equations. Additionally, the partial phase transformations to more stable FeOOH are also detected in the long-term cycling loops. After coupling with the capacitive carbon-based electrode to assemble into the semi-solid-state battery-supercapacitor-hybrid (sss-BSH) devices, the sss-FeSC1//AC BSH device delivers excellent capacitance, superior energy and power density, and longstanding endurance as well as the potential practical property.

Synthesis of 3D flower-like hierarchical NiCo-LDH microspheres with boosted electrochemical performance for hybrid supercapacitors

3D flower-like NiCo-LDH microspheres synthesized via conformal alkaline hydrolysis strategy possess superior specific capacitance and stability, and the assembled HSC exhibits prominent power/energy density and durability.

Improved ionic diffusion and interfacial charge/mass transfer of ZIF-67-derived Ni–Co-LDH electrodes with bare ZIF-residual for enhanced supercapacitor performance

The crystallization of Ni–Co-LDH and the morphology of the hierarchical structure can be simply optimized to achieve improved ionic diffusion and reduce reaction resistance of charge/mass transfer between the electrode/electrolyte interfaces.

2D Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) for High-Performance BatCap Hybrid Devices

Two identical layered metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) (CoFRS and NiFRS) are constructed by using flexible 1,10-bis(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)decane as pillars and 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid as rigid linkers. The single-crystal structure analysis indicates that the as-synthesized MOFs possess fluctuant 2D networks with large interlayer lattices. Serving as active electrode elements in supercapacitors, both MOFs deliver excellent rate capabilities, high capacities, and longstanding endurances. Moreover, the new intermediates in two electrodes before and after long-lifespan cycling are also examined, which cannot be identified as metal hydroxides in the peer reports. After assembled into battery-supercapacitor (BatCap) hybrid devices, the NiFRS//activated carbon (AC) device displays better electrochemical results in terms of gravimetric capacitance and cycling performance than CoFRS//AC devices, and a higher energy-density value of 28.7 Wh kg^-1 compared to other peer references with MOFs-based electrodes. Furthermore, the possible factors to support the distinct performances are discussed and analyzed.

Bimetallic MOF Nanosheets Decorated on Electrospun Nanofibers for High-Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitors

The rational design of metal-organic framework (MOF)-based materials with a huge specific surface area, high redox activity, and favorable conductivity is currently a hot subject for their potential usage in supercapacitor electrodes. Herein, novel bimetallic MOFs with a flowerlike nanosheet structure grown on the electrospun nanofibers (PPNF@M-Ni MOF, M = Co, Zn, Cu, Fe) have been prepared by controlling the incorporation of various types of metal ions, which display superior electrochemical performance. For example, PPNF@Co-Ni MOF possesses a large specific capacitance of 1096.2 F g^-1 (specific capacity of 548.1 C g^-1) at 1 A g^-1 and excellent rate performance. In addition, an asymmetric solid-state device composed of PPNF@Co-Ni MOF (positive materials) and KOH-activated carbon nanofibers embedded with reduced graphene oxide (negative materials) reaches a maximum energy density of 93.6 Wh kg^-1 at the power density of 1600.0 W kg^-1 and long cycling life. This work may greatly advance the research toward the design of supported MOF-based electrode materials for a promising prospect in energy conversion and storage.

Metal–organic frameworks with different spatial dimensions for supercapacitors

Recent progress in MOF materials for SCs with different spatial dimensions, such as 2D MOFs, including conductive MOFs and nanosheets, and 3D MOFs, categorized as single metallic and multiple metallic MOFs, are reviewed.

Two-fold interpenetrated Mn-based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as battery-type electrode materials for charge storage

Two novel interpenetrated 2-fold Mn-MOFs were successfully prepared and applied for the first time in a charge-storage field. As a result, the bulk electrodes behave as alkaline batteries and deliver high capacities of 1004 and 619 C g⁻¹ at 1 A g⁻¹.

Nanoporous bimetallic metal-organic framework (FeCo-BDC) as a novel catalyst for efficient removal of organic contaminants

In this work, we report on the synthesis and characterization of nanoporous bimetallic metal-organic frameworks (FeCo-BDC). Effects of synthesis time and temperature on the structures, morphology, and catalytic performance of FeCo-BDC were investigated. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) were used to reveal the morphological and textural characteristics. The crystal structure and chemical composition of FeCo-BDC were determined by means of X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) measurements. Interestingly, FeCo-BDC grew into the same crystal structure with different morphology in the temperature of 110-150 °C with 12-48 h. The heterogeneous catalytic activity of FeCo-BDC was tested to activate peroxydisulfate (PDS) and peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for removal of methylene blue (MB). The results found that FeCo-BDC synthesized at 150 °C with 24 h exhibited the best catalytic performance for PMS and obtained 100% of MB removal within 15 min. The abundant unsaturated metal active sites of Fe(II) and Co(II) in the skeleton of FeCo-BDC made a great contribution to the generation of sulfate () and hydroxyl radicals (OH), which resulted in the excellent performance for MB degradation.

Formation of Nanodimensional NiCoO2 Encapsulated in Porous Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Submicrospheres from a Bimetallic (Ni, Co) Organic Framework toward Efficient Lithium Storage

Recently, rock-salt NiCoO₂ (NCO) with desirable electronic conductivity has drawn enormous interest worldwide for energy-related applications. However, the intrinsically sluggish kinetics and electrode aggregation/volumetric change/pulverization during Li-insertion/-extraction processes hugely limit its applications in Li-ion batteries (LIBs). In the contribution, we first devise a bottom-up method for scalable fabrication of the nanodimensional NCO particles encapsulated in porous nitrogen-doped carbon submicrospheres (NCS), which are derived from a bimetal (Ni, Co) metal-organic framework. The porous NCS, as a flexible conductive skeleton, can buffer distinct volume expansion as an efficient buffering phase, restrain agglomeration of nanoscaled NCO, and enhance electronic conductivity and wettability of the electrode. Benefiting from the synergistic functions between the nanodimensional NCO and porous NCS, the obtained NCO@NCS anode (∼74.5 wt % NCO) is endowed with remarkable high-rate reversible capacity (∼403.0 mAh g^-1 at 1.0 A g^-1) and cycling behaviors (∼371.4 mAh g^-1 after being cycled for 1000 times at 1.0 A g^-1) along with a high lithium diffusion coefficient and remarkable pseudocapacitive contribution. Furthermore, the NCO@NCS-based full LIBs exhibit competitive lithium-storage properties in terms of energy density (∼217.0 Wh kg^-1) and cyclic stability. Furthermore, we believe that the methodology is highly promising in versatile design and construction of binary metal oxide/carbon hybrid anodes for advanced LIBs.

Controlled Hydrolysis of Metal-Organic Frameworks: Hierarchical Ni/Co-Layered Double Hydroxide Microspheres for High-Performance Supercapacitors

Pseudomorphic conversion of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) enables the fabrication of nanomaterials with well-defined porosities and morphologies for enhanced performances. However, the commonly reported calcination strategy usually requires high temperature to pyrolyze MOF particles and often results in uncontrolled growth of nanomaterials. Herein, we report the controlled alkaline hydrolysis of MOFs to produce layered double hydroxide (LDH) while maintaining the porosity and morphology of MOF particles. The preformed trinuclear M₃(μ₃-OH) (M = Ni²⁺ and Co²⁺) clusters in MOFs were demonstrated to be critical for the pseudomorphic transformation process. An isotopic tracing experiment revealed that the ¹⁸O-labeled M₃(μ₃-¹⁸OH) participated in the structural assembly of LDH, which avoided the leaching of metal cations and the subsequent uncontrolled growth of hydroxides. The resulting LDHs maintain the spherical morphology of MOF templates and possess a hierarchical porous structure with high surface area (BET surface area up to 201 m²·g^-1), which is suitable for supercapacitor applications. As supercapacitor electrodes, the optimized LDH with the Ni:Co molar ratio of 7:3 shows a high specific capacitance (1652 F·g^-1 at 1 A·g^-1) and decent cycling performance, retaining almost 100% after 2000 cycles. Furthermore, the hydrolysis method allows the recycling of organic ligands and large-scale synthesis of LDH materials.

Metal–Organic Frameworks Toward Electrocatalytic Applications

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of porous materials constructed from metal-rich inorganic nodes and organic linkers. Because of their regular porosity in microporous or mesoporous scale and periodic intra-framework functionality, three-dimensional array of high-density and well-separated active sites can be built in various MOFs; such characteristics render MOFs attractive porous supports for a range of catalytic applications. Furthermore, the electrochemically addressable thin films of such MOF materials are reasonably considered as attractive candidates for electrocatalysis and relevant applications. Although it still constitutes an emerging subfield, the use of MOFs and relevant materials for electrocatalytic applications has attracted much attention in recent years. In this review, we aim to focus on the limitations and commonly seen issues for utilizing MOFs in electrocatalysis and the strategies to overcome these challenges. The research efforts on utilizing MOFs in a range of electrocatalytic applications are also highlighted.

Ambient Fast Synthesis and Active Sites Deciphering of Hierarchical Foam-Like Trimetal-Organic Framework Nanostructures as a Platform for Highly Efficient Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysis

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted tremendous interest due to their promising applications including electrocatalysis originating from their unique structural features. However, it remains a challenge to directly use MOFs for oxygen electrocatalysis because it is quite difficult to manipulate their dimension, composition, and morphology of the MOFs with abundant active sites. Here, a facile ambient temperature synthesis of unique NiCoFe-based trimetallic MOF nanostructures with foam-like architecture is reported, which exhibit extraordinary oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity as directly used catalyst in alkaline condition. Specifically, the (Ni₂ Co₁ )_0.925 Fe_0.075 -MOF-NF delivers a minimum overpotential of 257 mV to reach the current density of 10 mA cm^-2 with a small Tafel slope of 41.3 mV dec^-1 and exhibits high durability after long-term testing. More importantly, the deciphering of the possible origination of the high activity is performed through the characterization of the intermediates during the OER process, where the electrochemically transformed metal hydroxides and oxyhydroxides are confirmed as the active species.

Temperature controlled diffusion of hydroxide ions in 1D channels of Ni-MOF-74 for its complete conformal hydrolysis to hierarchical Ni(OH)2 supercapacitor electrodes

Conformal hydrolysis of MOF precursors is a promising strategy to prepare hierarchical metal hydroxide electrode materials on a large scale with low cost and high efficiency. However, a complete transformation is challenging due to the normal "outside-in" conversion process. After studying the hydrolysis of Ni-MOF-74, which has regular 1D channels, we suggest that the transformation to Ni(OH)2 can occur simultaneously outside and within the precursor depending on the treatment temperature. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that a higher temperature weakens the steric effects of OH- ions and facilitates the diffusion in the regular channels, and therefore, a complete transformation from Ni-MOF-74 to Ni(OH)2 is achieved. It is for the first time demonstrated that the 1D channels of MOFs are utilized for the complete conformal hydrolysis of Ni-MOF-74 to Ni(OH)2 electrode materials. Meanwhile, we also perform pioneering work illustrating that the complete conformal hydrolysis is the key to the improved supercapacitor performances of the MOF-derived Ni(OH)2 electrodes. The prepared Ni(OH)2 electrode under the optimized conditions has a specific capacity of 713.2 C g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1, which is at least 28% larger than those of the Ni(OH)2 prepared at other temperatures. The detailed analyses based on CV and EIS of the obtained Ni(OH)2 electrodes indicate that the residual MOFs within electrodes due to incomplete hydrolysis significantly influence the diffusion length and diffusion efficiency of OH-, drastically lowering the supercapacitor performances.

Flexible all-solid-state supercapacitors of polyaniline nanowire arrays deposited on electrospun carbon nanofibers decorated with MOFs

Porous carbons derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising materials for a number of energy- and environment-related applications. To integrate the powder MOFs-derived carbon into feasible engineered materials, a facile strategy to fabricate integrated flexible film is developed by growing MOFs nanoparticles on polyimide electrospun nanofibers, followed by calcination, to fabricate freestanding carbon nanofiber membranes decorated with porous carbon. Then vertically polyaniline nanowire arrays are uniformly deposited on the hierarchical porous carbon substrates by in situ polymerization. Thanks to the good distribution of MOFs-derived porous carbon on carbon nanofibers and the compact configuration interwoven by conducting polymers, the designed hybrid electrode could be used directly as a freestanding electrode for supercapacitors, which displayed a high specific capacitance of 1268 F g^-1. The assembled flexible solid-state supercapacitor based on the integrated electrodes demonstrated a high volumetric capacitance of 1973 mF cm^-3 and a good capacitance retention of 84.9% after 10 000 cycles, which could power a commercial light emitting diode. This strategy may shed light on the design of MOFs-based flexible materials for practical applications of supercapacitors and other electrochemical devices.

Fabrication of homogeneous and highly dispersed CoMn catalysts for outstanding low temperature catalytic oxidation performance

A series of homogeneous and highly dispersed CoMnO_x bimetallic oxides with different ratios were prepared through pyrolysis of CoMn-MOF-71, which was applied to the catalytic oxidation of toluene.

Graphene nanoflakes functionalized with cobalt/cobalt oxides formation during cobalt organic framework carbonization

In this contribution, we present the synthesis and carbonization mechanism of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) based on cobalt and terephthalic acid, with detailed attention to the carbonization mechanism of cobalt-based organic frameworks. The evolution of the unique morphology of carbonized cobalt organic frameworks induced by temperature allows the synthesis of a hybrid of multi-layered carbon structures with metal and metal oxide nanoparticles placed between them. The formation of various phases and diameter distributions of cobalt nanoparticles resulted in the partial degradation of carbon structure and exfoliation. Presented data describe the connection between cobalt particle oxidation and carboreduction with the phenomenon of metal particle agglomeration. The presented study allows us to select carbonization conditions in order to obtain the desired cobalt crystalline structure on the graphene flakes from cobalt-based MOFs.

Optimizing crystallinity and porosity of hierarchical Ni(OH)2 through conformal transformation of metal–organic framework template for supercapacitor applications

Conformal hydrolysis of MOFs (metal–organic frameworks) yields high-performance supercapacitor electrodes.

Metal (M = Co, Ni) phosphate based materials for high-performance supercapacitors

With the ever increasing demand for clean, sustainable energy, electrochemical supercapacitors with the advantages of high power density, high efficiency and long life expectancy have become one of the major devices for energy storage and power supply, and have found wide application in hybrid power sources, backup power sources, starting power for fuel cells and burst-power generation in electronic devices.

Metal–organic frameworks based on halogen-bridged dinuclear-Cu-nodes as promising materials for high performance supercapacitor electrodes

Two halogen-bridged di-nuclear Cu-based 3D porous frameworks present high specific capacitance and good cycling stability.