Metal–Organic Framework as Electrocatalyst in Electrochemical Water Splitting

Electrochemical water splitting to produce green hydrogen is the promising solution to the current crisis of increasing energy demand, depletion of fossil fuels, environmental degradation, and target to achieve zero emission, etc. It is the most promising method for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER) and Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) and it requires an active electrocatalyst that has high catalytic activity, stability, and durability. Metal–Organic Frameworks is new emerging electrocatalyst material with emerging properties such as large surface area (1000–6000 m2 /gm), ultrahigh porosity (up to 50% of total volume), low density, tunable chemical composition, flexibility, and capability to tune catalytic activity, etc. This chapter summarizes the current scenario of pristine MOF, composites, and their derivatives for electrochemical water-splitting applications. Recent development in designing of pristine MOF with new strategies such as multimetal node, multiligand, missing ligand, functionalized ligand, control dimension, morphology, engineering of doping, etc. for enhancing its performance is also elaborated comprehensively. It is also summarized the effect of doping material on catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and Oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The overview of MOF-derived carbon-based electrocatalysts such as transition metal compounds, doping of heterometallic elements, transition metal-doped carbon, and alloy-doped carbon are highlighted for electrochemical water splitting. Existing challenges and opportunities regarding MOF as an electrocatalyst are also mentioned. The correlations between the strategy, structure, and property of MOF materials are discussed in detail to offer scientific support for the development of highly efficient electrocatalysts for a new hydrogen energy future.