Hydrogen energy, with its high energy density and zero-emission characteristics, is a cornerstone for mitigating the global energy crisis. While alkaline water electrolysis is the most mature technology for green hydrogen production, its efficiency is severely constrained by the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). FeNi-based catalysts are promising candidates due to their activity, but they suffer from “iron leaching”—where iron sites dissolve under high oxidative potentials, causing the catalyst to fail.
A research team led by Professor Xiangdong Yao from Sun Yat-Sen University has introduced a novel strategy to “lock” these active sites in place. By leveraging the ligand effect of BPDC derived from a FeNi-based metal-organic framework (FeNi-MOF), the team created a catalyst that resists dissolution even under extreme industrial conditions.
The team published their findings in Nano Research in March 2026.
“In this study, we highlight the critical role of the BPDC ligand in stabilizing the metal microenvironment,” said Professor Xiangdong Yao. “Under alkaline OER conditions, the MOF transforms into a BPDC-functionalized oxyhydroxide (FeNiOOH-BPDC), where the organic ligand remains stable and continues to protect the metal centers from leaching.”
The importance of this study lies in its solution to the “Fe dissolution” bottleneck. Analysis via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) confirmed that the BPDC ligand enriches electron density around Fe atoms. This reduces the Fe oxidation state and strengthens the Fe-O bonds, effectively increasing the oxidation resistance of the catalyst.
“We found that the ligand effect of BPDC raises the energy barrier for the rate-determining step of iron dissolution from 1.44 V to 2.37 V ,” explained Professor Yao. “This means the catalyst is not just active; it is fundamentally engineered to last in a real-world industrial setting.”
The results are record-breaking. The integrated FeNi-MOF/NF||Pt/C@NF electrolyzer sustained over 3,000 hours of operation at a high current density of 500 mA cm⁻² with an ultralow voltage decay rate of only 0.0737 mV·h⁻¹ . This performance exceeds nearly all recently reported OER catalysts, making it a prime candidate for commercial water splitting.
“These findings open new avenues for developing robust catalytic systems for clean energy technologies," said Professor Yao added. "By precisely designing the coordination environment, we can bridge the gap between laboratory research and industrial hydrogen production.”
The research team includes Nan Song, Qilong Wu, and Yun Han (co-first authors), along with Liyun Wu, Dongdong Zhang, Rongrong Zhang, Yiqing Fang, Haodong Liu, Jun Chen, Aijun Du, Keke Huang, Pei Yuan, and Xiangdong Yao.
This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of China through the Key Project of Research and Development (No. 2021YFF0500500), Guangdong Province Introduced Innovative and Entrepreneurial Team Program (No. 2023ZT10L061), Natural Science: Foundation of China (No.U24A20564) and the Discovery Project of the Australian Research Council (No. DP220101290).
About the Authors
Professor Xiangdong Yao is a National Distinguished Professor in the School of Advanced Energy, Sun Yat-sen University, China. His research interests focus on hydrogen energy materials and nanotechnology, particularly the pioneering field of defect electrocatalysis. In 2015, he proposed the groundbreaking defect catalysis mechanism and has since established its theoretical framework, serving as a global pioneer and leader in this direction. To date, he has published more than 260 papers in major international journals—with over 27,000 citations and an H-index of 86—and has presided over numerous major national research projects. Professor Yao is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and consistently ranks among the Clarivate Global Highly Cited Researchers and the World’s Top 2% Scientists. For more information, please visit his research homepage at https://ae.sysu.edu.cn/teacher/YaoXiangdong .
About Nano Research
Nano Research is a peer-reviewed, open access, international and interdisciplinary research journal, sponsored by Tsinghua University and the Chinese Chemical Society, published by Tsinghua University Press on the platform SciOpen. It publishes original high-quality research and significant review articles on all aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology, ranging from basic aspects of the science of nanoscale materials to practical applications of such materials. After 18 years of development, it has become one of the most influential academic journals in the nano field. Nano Research has published more than 1,000 papers every year from 2022, with its cumulative count surpassing 7,000 articles. In 2024 InCites Journal Citation Reports, its 2024 IF is 9.0 (8.7, 5 years), and it continues to be the Q1 area among the four subject classifications. Nano Research Award, established by Nano Research together with TUP and Springer Nature in 2013, and Nano Research Young Innovators (NR45) Awards, established by Nano Research in 2018, have become international academic awards with global influence.
Nano Research
The strong coordination effect on FeNi-MOF derived catalyst for durable oxygen evolution reaction over 3000 h at operando condition
9-Mar-2026