Assembly of Copolymer and Metal-Organic Framework HKUST-1 to Form Cu2-xS/CNFs Intertwining Network for Efficient Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

The construction of complex intertwined networks that provide fast transport pathways for ions/electrons is very important for electrochemical systems such as water splitting, but a challenge. Herein, a three dimensional (3-D) intertwined network of Cu2-xS/CNFs (x = 0 or 0.04) has been synthesized through the morphology-preserved thermal transformation of the intertwined PEG-b-P4VP/ HKUST-1 hybrid networks. The strong interaction between PEG chains and Cu2+ is the key to the successful assembly of PEG-b-P4VP nanofibers and HKUST-1, which inhibits the HKUST-1 to form individual crystalline particles. The obtained Cu2-xS/CNFs composites possess several merits, such as highly exposed active sites, high-speed electronic transmission pathways, open pore structure, etc. Therefore, the 3-D intertwined hierarchical network of Cu2-xS/CNFs displays an excellent electrocatalytic activity for HER, with a low overpotential (eta) of 276 mV to reach current densities of 10 mA cm(-2), and a smaller Tafel slope of 59 mV dec(-1) in alkaline solution.

Automated summary

Constructing a three-dimensional intertwined nano-network is crucial for enhancing the efficiency of electrochemical systems, and the synthesized Cu2-xS/CNFs composites exhibit excellent catalytic performance. The strong interaction between nanofibers and the open pore structure contribute to the ideal electrocatalytic effects achieved.