Templated fabrication of perfectly aligned metal-organic framework-supported iron-doped copper-cobalt selenide nanostructure on hollow carbon nanofibers for an efficient trifunctional electrode material

Considering the importance of sustainable energy conversion technologies, the robust development of highperformance tribunitial catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is of great significance. Herein, a multistep methodology to follow the synthesis of templated supported metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) based on iron-doped copper-cobalt selenide on hollow carbon nanofiber mats (Fe-doped MOF CuCoSe@HCNFs) is utilized as a trifunctional electrocatalyst. As a synthesis of nanoporous electrocatalysts, oxyhydroxide metals are commonly used as a sacrificial template for the development of a porous carbon network. The as-synthesized materials are completely characterized, showing that the templated MOFs exhibit a significant impact on the porous carbon network, surface area, surface defects, and interfacial charge transfer. The superior trifunctional electrocatalyst of the Fe-doped MOF CuCoSe@HCNF nanostructure possesses excellent electrochemical activity toward the OER with an overpotential of 260 mV @ 20 mA cm-2, HER with an overpotential of 181 mV @ 10 mA cm-2, and ORR E1/2 with a potential of 0.756 V vs RHE. The outstanding activities of the Fe-doped MOF CuCoSe@HCNF nanostructure are mainly due to their distinctive structural features, leading to favorable electron transfer between the electrode and electrolyte interface to achieve successful trifunctional water splitting electrocatalysis.