Synergetic effect of heterostructure graphene oxide and Ce based metal organic framework nanocomposite as electrocatalyst for HER and OER

Water splitting has garnered considerable interest as a pivotal avenue for advancing renewable energy systems. There is an exigent demand to design electro-catalysts with extraordinary efficiency to reduce over potentials and expedite practical deployment of these processes. In this work, we present synthesis of novel Ce-MOF-2 and its composite with GO as GO@Ce-MOF-2, building conductive substrates with mesoporous properties using solvothermal synthesis. Furthermore, both Ce-MOF-2 and its heterostructure GO@Ce-MOF-2 composite subjected to calcination to generate CeO2 nanoparticles. Resulting electro-catalysts specifically CeO2, Ce-MOF-2 and GO@Ce-MOF-2 showed remarkably reduced resistance to electron transfer. Through electrochemical investigations, it was elucidated that these catalysts functioned as efficient OER performers, at current densities of 10 mAcm−2 achieving over potential of 201 mV. Electro-catalyst also revealed a low Tafel slope of 91 mVdec−1 and retained a stable electron transference pathway over an extended period, sustaining 1500 consecutive cycles and 50 hrs of chronoamperometry. In context of HER, resulting nano-composite exhibits over potential of 294.mV and Tafel slope of 20.mV.dec−1 to achieve current density of.10 mA cm−2. Emergence of auspicious, innovative and catalytically dynamic electro-catalysts holds potential to supplant noble metal catalysts with GO composite derived from Cerium based MOF. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.