Synthesis and characterization of lead-based metal–organic framework nano-needles for effective water splitting application

Abstract

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of porous materials characterized by robust linkages between organic ligands and metal ions. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibit significant characteristics such as high porosity, extensive surface area, and exceptional chemical stability, provided the constituent components are meticulously selected. A metal–organic framework (MOF) containing lead and ligands derived from 4-aminobenzoic acid and 2-carboxybenzaldehyde has been synthesized using the sonochemical methodology. The crystals produced were subjected to various analytical techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), and thermal analysis. The BET analysis yielded results indicating a surface area was found to be 1304.27 m2 g−1. The total pore volume was estimated as 2.13 cm3 g−1 with an average pore size of 4.61 nm., rendering them highly advantageous for a diverse range of practical applications. The activity of the modified Pb-MOF electrode was employed toward water-splitting applications. The electrode reached the current density of 50 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of − 0.6 V (vs. RHE) for hydrogen evolution, and 50 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of 1.7 V (vs. RHE) for oxygen evolution.