An exceptionally stable octacobalt-cluster-based metal–organic framework for enhanced water oxidation catalysis

Abstract

Extensive efforts have been devoted to developing efficient and durable catalysts for water oxidation. Herein, we report a highly stable metal–organic framework that shows high catalytic activity and durability for electrically driven (an overpotential of 430 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² in neutral aqueous solution) and photodriven (a turnover frequency of 16 s⁻¹ and 12 000 cycles) water oxidation, representing the best catalyst for water oxidation reported to date. Computational simulation and isotope tracing experiments showed that the μ₄-OH group of the {Co₈(μ₄-OH)₆} unit participates in the water oxidation reaction to offer an oxygen vacancy site with near-optimal OH⁻ adsorption energy.