The usage of iron leads to the generation of large quantities
of
scrap iron, which is hazardous to health and causes environmental
pollution. Recycling techniques are expensive and involve high energy
consumption. Instead of recycling, scrap iron can be used as an alternative
potential source for fuel cell applications. Here, we report the synthesis
of a single-crystalline nickel-based MOF (Ni-MOF), via a single-pot
solvothermal technique, as an electrocatalyst to produce hydrogen
from scrap iron. Detailed characterization reveals the nanosheet morphology
of the Ni-MOF obtained by FESEM; at the same time Ni-MOF formation
is confirmed through the XRD spectrum. The as-synthesized Ni-MOF is
deposited on nickel foam (NF) and used as an electrocatalyst (Ni-MOF/NF)
which exhibits a peak current density of 8.8 A/g (scrap) and response
toward hydrogen production at an onset potential of 0.5 V (vs Hg/HgO).
The improved performance of the Ni-MOF/NF electrode is ascribed to
the high catalytic activity of Ni-MOF owing to the multiple oxidation
states of Ni (i.e., Ni2+/3+); the reversible transformation
between +2 and +3 oxidation states results in the redox peaks of the
catalytic reaction; and the organic ligands in the MOF structure help
in improving the conductivity and pore size of the material. The Ni-MOF/NF
electrode exhibits outstanding stability with ∼88.1 and ∼72.9%
capacity retention after 100,000 and 50,000 s for scrap and iron metal
powder, respectively. This proves that the theickel metal–organic
framework coated on nickel foam (Ni-MOF/NF) electrocatalyst is an
outstanding material for iron source-based fuel cell applications.