The electrocatalytic urea oxidation reaction(UOR)has emerged as an energy-efficient alternative to the traditional oxygen evolution reaction for hydrogen production,with mechanistic understanding being critical for th...The electrocatalytic urea oxidation reaction(UOR)has emerged as an energy-efficient alternative to the traditional oxygen evolution reaction for hydrogen production,with mechanistic understanding being critical for the rational design of catalysts.This review systematically summarizes recent advances in in situ characterization techniques for elucidating the dynamic reaction mechanisms of UOR.Studies reveal that phase transitions,valence state migration,and electronic structure evolution of catalysts under operational conditions are key factors governing activity and stability.Techniques such as in situ X-ray diffraction,X-ray absorption spectroscopy,Raman spectroscopy,and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy enable real-time monitoring of catalyst reconstruction,intermediate evolution,and interfacial adsorption behavior,overcoming the environmental deviations inherent in conventional ex situ characterization.When combined with theoretical calculations,these methods provide direct evidence for identifying active-site configurations,reaction pathways,and rate-determining steps.In addition,special emphasis is placed on multimodal in situ strategies for deciphering synergistic effects in nickel-based catalysts,while current challenges,including non-alkaline systems,real wastewater environments,and multi-metal cooperation mechanisms,are critically discussed.Future research should focus on developing novel in situ approaches for complex systems and establishing a mutually reinforcing framework integrating theoretical prediction and experimental validation,thereby advancing UOR catalyst design from empirical exploration to mechanism-guided optimization.展开更多
Storing hydrogen in green methanol is a well-known and cost-effective way for long-term energy storage.However,using green methanol in fuel cell technologies requires electrocatalysts with superior resistance to poiso...Storing hydrogen in green methanol is a well-known and cost-effective way for long-term energy storage.However,using green methanol in fuel cell technologies requires electrocatalysts with superior resistance to poisoning induced by intermediate species.This study introduces a new class of palladium-based rare earth(RE)alloys with exceptional resistance to methanol for the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)and outstanding resistance to carbon monoxide poisoning for the hydrogen oxidation reaction(HOR).The PdEr catalyst achieved unparalleled ORR activity amongst the Pd-based rare earth alloys and demonstrated remarkable resistance to methanol poisoning,which is two orders of magnitude higher than commercial Pt/C catalysts.Furthermore,the PdEr catalyst shows high hydrogen oxidation activity under 100 ppm CO.Comprehensive analysis demonstrates that the RE element-enriched sublayer tuning of the Pd-skin's surface strain is responsible for the enhanced ORR and HOR capabilities.This modification allows for precise control over the adsorption strength of critical intermediates while concurrently diminishing the adsorption energy of methanol and CO on the PdEr surface.展开更多
The development of efficient and robust non-precious metal electrocatalyst to drive the sluggish hydrogen oxidation reaction(HOR)is the key to the practical application of anion exchange membrane fuel cells(AEMFC),whi...The development of efficient and robust non-precious metal electrocatalyst to drive the sluggish hydrogen oxidation reaction(HOR)is the key to the practical application of anion exchange membrane fuel cells(AEMFC),which relies on the rational regulation of intermediates’binding strength.Herein,we reported a simple strategy to manipulate the adsorption energy of OH^(∗)on electrocatalyst surface via engineering Ni/NbO_(x) heterostructures with manageable oxygen vacancy(Ov).Theoretical calculations confirm that the electronic effect between Ni and NbO_(x) could weaken the hydrogen adsorption on Ni,and the interfacial oxygen vacancy tailor hydroxide binding energy(OHBE).The optimized HBE and OHBE contribute to reduce formation energy of water during the alkaline HOR process.Furthermore,in situ Raman spectroscopy monitor the dynamic process that OH^(∗)adsorbed on oxygen vacancy and react with adjacent H^(∗)adsorbed Ni,confirming the vital role of OH^(∗)for alkaline HOR process.As a result,the optimal Ni/NbO_(x) exhibits a remarkable intrinsic activity with a specific activity of 0.036mA/cm^(2),which is 4-fold than that of pristine Ni counterpart and surpasses most non-precious electrocatalysts ever reported.展开更多
The employment of single atom catalysts(SACs)remarkably increases atomic utilization and catalytic efficiency in various electrochemical processes,especially when coupled with metal clusters/nanoparticles.However,the ...The employment of single atom catalysts(SACs)remarkably increases atomic utilization and catalytic efficiency in various electrochemical processes,especially when coupled with metal clusters/nanoparticles.However,the synergistic effects mainly focus on the energetics of key intermediates during the electrocatalysis,while the properties of electrode surface and electric-double-layer(EDL)structure are largely overlooked.Herein,we report the synthesis of Ru nanoparticles integrated with neighboring Ru single atoms on nitrogen doped carbon(Ru1,n/NC)as efficient catalysts toward hydrogen oxidation reaction(HOR)under alkaline electrolytes.Electrochemical data,in situ attenuated total reflectance surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy,and density functional theory calculations reveal that the positively charged Ru single atoms could lead to the dynamically regulated proportion of strongly hydrogen-bonded interfacial water structure with O-down conformation and optimized connectivity of the hydrogen-bond network in the EDL region,which contribute to the accelerated diffusion of hydroxide ions to the electrified interfaces.Consequently,the obtained Ru1,n/NC catalyst displays remarkable HOR performance with the mass activity of 1.15 mAμgPGM^(-1) under alkaline electrolyte.This work demonstrates the promise of single atoms for interfacial water environment adjustment and mass transfer process modulation,providing new insights into rational design of highly-effective SAC-based electrocatalysts.展开更多
Platinum-ruthenium alloys(PtRu)represent state-of-the-art alkaline hydrogen oxidation reaction(HOR)catalysts,yet the atomic-scale origin of their superiority over pure Pt remains incompletely understood.Here,we employ...Platinum-ruthenium alloys(PtRu)represent state-of-the-art alkaline hydrogen oxidation reaction(HOR)catalysts,yet the atomic-scale origin of their superiority over pure Pt remains incompletely understood.Here,we employ density functional theory calculations,ab initio molecular dynamics simulations,and microkinetic modeling on Pt(111)and PtRu(111)surfaces to systematically investigate the key factors,including active sites distribution,species adsorption,and solvent reorganization,that affect the HOR activity and decouple their contributions.The results reveal that while the moderate hydrogen binding energy and improved hydroxyl(OH)species adsorption both contribute to the enhanced activity,the dominant factor is the substantial reduction in solvent reorganization energy on the PtRu(111).This is facilitated by the spatial separation of active sites:Pt atoms preferentially stabilize adsorbed hydrogen,while Ru atoms strongly bind OH and interfacial water molecules.This configuration increases the probability of hydrogen interacting with OH/water and enhances the fraction of"H-up"water molecules,forming a well-organized hydrogen bond network within the electric double layer.The dynamically compatible interfacial water structure and HOR coordination promote H desorption and proton transfer in the Volmer step,thereby accelerating the HOR kinetics.展开更多
Uronic acids are prevalent components of crucial glycoconjugates,pivotal in various biological processes.In nature,NDP-uronic acids,the nucleosides-activated uronic acids,serve as glycosylation donors catalyzed by uro...Uronic acids are prevalent components of crucial glycoconjugates,pivotal in various biological processes.In nature,NDP-uronic acids,the nucleosides-activated uronic acids,serve as glycosylation donors catalyzed by uronosyltransferases(UATs)to construct glycans containing uronic acids.Despite their biological importance,the synthesis of naturally occurring NDP-uronic acids on a large scale remains challenging.Here,we developed an oxidation reaction insertion strategy for the efficient synthesis of NDP-uronic acids,and 11 NDP-uronic acids were successfully prepared in good yield and on a large scale.The prepared NDP-uronic acids can be used to explore new uronosyltransferases and synthesize uronic acids containing carbohydrates for fundamental research.展开更多
The sluggish reaction kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and methanol oxidation reaction(MOR)remain obstacles to the commercial promotion of water splitting and direct methanol fuel cells.Considering the vi...The sluggish reaction kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and methanol oxidation reaction(MOR)remain obstacles to the commercial promotion of water splitting and direct methanol fuel cells.Considering the vital role of noble metals in electrocatalytic activity,this work focuses on the rational synthesis of Ni-noble metal composite nanocatalysts for overcoming the drawbacks of high cost and susceptible oxidized surfaces of noble metals.The inherent catalytic activity is improved by the altered electronic structure and effective active sites of the catalyst induced by the size effect of noble metal clusters.In particular,a series of Ni-noble metal nanocomposites are successfully synthesized by partially introducing noble metal into Ni with porous interfacial defects derived from Ni-Al layered double hydroxide(LDH).The Ni_(10)Pd_(1)nanocomposite exhibits high OER catalytic activity with an overpotential of 0.279 V at 10 m A/cm^(2),surpassing Ni_(10)Ag_(1)and Ni_(10)Au_(1)counterparts.Furthermore,the average diameter of Pd clusters gradually increases from 5.57 nm to 44.44 nm with the increased proportion of doped Pd,leading to the passivation of catalytic activity due to the exacerbated surface oxidation of Pd in the form of Pd^(2+).After optimization,Ni_(10)Pd_(1)delivers significantly enhanced OER and MOR electroactivities and long-term stability compared to that of Ni_(2)Pd_(1),Ni_(1)Pd_(1)and Ni_(1)Pd_(2),which is conducive to the effective utilization of Pd and alleviation of surface oxidation.展开更多
The structural modulation of metal-based heterostructure plays a vital role in achieving enhanced performances for highly efficient electrocatalysis.Here we design submonolayered Ru-modified Pd mesoporous nanosheets(P...The structural modulation of metal-based heterostructure plays a vital role in achieving enhanced performances for highly efficient electrocatalysis.Here we design submonolayered Ru-modified Pd mesoporous nanosheets(Pd-Ru MNSs)with the exposure of both Pd and Ru active sites as well as the high atomic utilization of two-dimensional structure.The obtained Pd-Ru MNSs can act as a highly efficient multifunctional catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and alcohol oxidation reactions including ethylene glycol oxidation(EGOR)and ethanol oxidation(EOR),offering new opportunities towards the alcohol oxidation assisted hydrogen production.Specifically,Pd-Ru MNSs demonstrate excellent HER performance in alkaline electrolyte,requiring an overpotential of only 16mV to reach 10mAcm^(−2),significantly outperforming Pd mesoporous nanosheets and commercial catalysts.Density functional theory calculations reveal that the Ru sites in Pd-Ru MNSs could facilitate the water adsorption,accelerate the water dissociation,and optimize the hydrogen desorption,leading to the superior HER activity.Pd-Ru MNSs also exhibit high mass activities of 11.19 A mg^(−1)Pd for EGOR and 8.84 A mg^(−1)Pd for EOR,which is 7.8 and 9.6 times than that of commercial Pd/C,respectively.The EGOR reaction pathway over Pd-Ru MNSs was further investigated by using in situ Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy.展开更多
Hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2))electrosynthesis via two-electron oxygen reduction reaction(2e-ORR)is a promising alternative for the energy-intensive anthraquinone process.However,the instability of the catalytic metal ...Hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2))electrosynthesis via two-electron oxygen reduction reaction(2e-ORR)is a promising alternative for the energy-intensive anthraquinone process.However,the instability of the catalytic metal sites in the state-of-the-art metal single-atom catalysts(M-SACs)hinders their further industrial applications,and the high potential and valueless oxygen product of the conventional anodic oxygen evolution reaction(OER)further limit the economic efficiency of this technology.To address this,a dynamically local structure reconstruction strategy is proposed to in situ transfer the active sites from unstable metal sites to the stable surrounding carbon sites for efficient and durable 2e^(-)ORR electrocatalysis.For the as-designed Mn-N_(3)O-C catalyst,by reconstructing Mn sites into Mn(^(*)OH),the Mn sites were passivated and carbon sites adjacent to the O atom were verified to be the actual active sites by in situ characterization and theoretical calculation.Consequently,Mn-N_(3)O-C exhibited>80%Faradaic efficiency and superior long-term durability over 100 h for H_(2)O_(2)electrosynthesis at~120 mA cm^(-2).In addition,coupling anodic ethylene glycol oxidation reaction(EGOR)further improves the efficiency and economic viability of the H_(2)O_(2)electrosynthesis system.This two-pronged strategy thus opens up a new opportunity for the development of stable H_(2)O_(2)electrosynthesis with low energy consumption and superior economic performance.展开更多
Formic acid holds great potential as a fuel for low-temperature proton-exchange membrane fuel cells and portable power devices because of its excellent safety profile and high energy density.However,formic acid oxidat...Formic acid holds great potential as a fuel for low-temperature proton-exchange membrane fuel cells and portable power devices because of its excellent safety profile and high energy density.However,formic acid oxidation reactions(FAOR)face challenges such as low catalytic activity,poor stability,and catalyst poisoning.Atomically dispersed catalysts(ADCs)address these issues by providing a direct oxidation pathway,inhibiting catalyst poisoning,and offering well-defined catalytic sites with ultimate atomic efficiency.This review provides a comprehensive summary of recent breakthroughs in ADCs for FAOR.First,we discuss the structural design and mechanism validation methods of ADCs using enhanced sensitivity,in situ/operando,and high-resolution techniques.Next,we summarize bottom-up optimization strategies for ADCs,guided by the structure-activity relationship and reaction mechanisms at the atomic and electronic levels.Finally,we offer insights into device design and scale-up efforts for FAOR applications and provide an overlook from fundamental catalyst design to practical applications.展开更多
It is crucial to understand the mechanism of low temperature CO oxidation reaction catalyzed by gold nanoparticles so as to find out the origin of the high catalytic reactivity and extend the indus‐trialization appli...It is crucial to understand the mechanism of low temperature CO oxidation reaction catalyzed by gold nanoparticles so as to find out the origin of the high catalytic reactivity and extend the indus‐trialization applications of nano gold catalysts. In this work, some theoretical works on CO adsorp‐tion, O2 adsorption, atomic oxygen adsorption, formation of surface gold oxide films, reaction mechanisms of CO oxidation involving O2 reaction with CO and O2 dissociation before reacting with CO on gold surfaces and Au/metal oxide were summarized, and the influences of coordination number, charge transfer and relativity of gold on CO oxidation reaction were briefly reviewed. It was found that CO reaction mechanism depended on the systems with or without oxide and the strong relativistic effects might play an important role in CO oxidation reaction on gold catalysts. In particular, the relativistic effects are related to the unique behaviors of CO adsorption, O adsorption, O2 activation on gold surfaces, effects of coordination number and the wide gap between the chem‐ical inertness of bulk gold and high catalytic activity of nano gold. The present work helps us to understand the CO oxidation reaction mechanism on gold catalysts and the influence of relativistic effects on gold catalysis.展开更多
Electrocatalytic oxidation of glycerol for value-added chemicals is a superior strategy to utilize the excess glycerol produced in the biodiesel industry.Pd is one of the few active catalysts for alkaline glycerol oxi...Electrocatalytic oxidation of glycerol for value-added chemicals is a superior strategy to utilize the excess glycerol produced in the biodiesel industry.Pd is one of the few active catalysts for alkaline glycerol oxidation reaction(GOR);however,glycerol inevitably dissociates and converts to carbon dioxide on the Pd surface,which results in its low total Faradaic efficiency(FE)for high-value-added products.Herein,a series of Pd/C and Pd10Bix/C catalysts were synthesized to investigate the GOR pathway.The Pd10Bi3/C catalyst with optimal Bi content achieved an excellent GOR mass activity of 7.5±0.2 A mgPd−1 and an outstanding total FE of 90%±3%,which are much higher than those values on Pd/C(1.2±0.2 A mgPd−1 for mass activity and 63%±4%for total FE).Combined results of in-situ attenuated total reflection surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations show that Bi suppresses the dissociation of glycerol through the“shielding effect”of Bi to the adjacent Pd sites,which weakens the adsorption strength of GOR intermediates on those sites.This work provides a new insight into the GOR mechanism and puts forward a valid strategy for the rational design of catalysts to enable the transformation of glycerol into high-value-added products.展开更多
The electrocatalytic oxidation of ethylene glycol(EG)into high-value chemicals like glycolic acid(GA)is a crucial step for upcycling waste plastics.However,catalyst deactivation and low selectivity pose significant ch...The electrocatalytic oxidation of ethylene glycol(EG)into high-value chemicals like glycolic acid(GA)is a crucial step for upcycling waste plastics.However,catalyst deactivation and low selectivity pose significant challenges.This work presents the low-coordination PtBi nanosheets(LC-PtBi NSs),featuring a unique amorphous-crystalline heterostructure with a low coordination number of 2.3-2.5.They can exhibit exceptional mass activity(8.3 A mg_(Pt)^(-1))and stability(maintaining 88.7%of initial activity after running for 3600 s)of the EG oxidation reaction(EGOR).They also achieve over 90%apparent selectivity for EG-to-GA conversion at low potentials(<0.7 V vs.RHE)and even more than 100-h continuous electrolysis.Density fu nctional theory(DFT)calculations reveal that the low-coordination PtBi heterogeneous interface is responsible for the high coverage of OH_(ad) species and weakened adsorption of carbonaceous intermediates on LC-PtBi NSs,thereby promoting the direct oxidation of C_(2) intermediates to GA.This work demonstrates a strategy of doping-mediated catalytic interface regulation and electron density rearrangement,offering insights for designing efficient Pt-based electrocatalysts toward selective oxidation of small molecules.展开更多
The methanol oxidation reaction(MOR)to formic acid offers a promising alternative to the anodic oxygen evolution reaction(OER)in water electrolysis.However,the development of efficient and cost-effective catalysts rem...The methanol oxidation reaction(MOR)to formic acid offers a promising alternative to the anodic oxygen evolution reaction(OER)in water electrolysis.However,the development of efficient and cost-effective catalysts remains a primary challenge.In this study,an enhancement in catalytic MOR performance is achieved through the incorporation of Mn atoms with unsaturated t_(2g)orbitals into Ni_(3)Se_(4).Comprehensive experimental analyses and theoretical calculations reveal that substituting Ni with Mn induces strong electron-withdrawing effects,effectively modulating the local coordination environment of the metal centers.The presence of Mn also elongates Ni–Se(O)bonds,which reduces eg orbital occupancy and modifies the spin state of the material.Electrochemical measurements demonstrate that electrodes based on this optimized material exhibit a high spin state and deliver excellent catalytic activity,achieving a MOR current density up to∼190 mA cm^(−2)at 1.6 V.This performance enhancement is attributed to the favorable electronic configuration and reduced reaction energy barriers associated with the high-spin state.展开更多
Aqueous hydrogen(H_(2))gas batteries with unmatched lifespan are ideal for grid-scale energy storage,yet their deployment remains limited by the lack of low-cost,efficient,and durable hydrogen electrodes.Here,we repor...Aqueous hydrogen(H_(2))gas batteries with unmatched lifespan are ideal for grid-scale energy storage,yet their deployment remains limited by the lack of low-cost,efficient,and durable hydrogen electrodes.Here,we report a high-throughput and durable gas diffusion electrode(GDE)based on a simply preparable carbon-coated nickel(Ni@C)catalyst and the design of H_(2) diffusion channels.By optimizing the carbon layer structure,a balance between the intrinsic activity and stability of the catalyst can be achieved.This Ni@C catalyst exhibits a hydrogen oxidation reaction(HOR)activity of 44 A g^(-1) as well as remarkable hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)performance.Experimental results and theoretical calculations confirm the electronic interaction between the carbon shell and Ni.In combination with a hydrophobic design,a robust and durable Ni@C-GDE has been fabricated.This electrode achieves a low HOR polarization of only 91 mV at 30 mA cm^(-2),outperforming Pt/C-GDE(154 mV),and operates stably over 4500cycles(3200 h)for HOR/HER reversing.Enabled by this electrode,a 10 Ah Ni-H_(2) battery with an energy density of 156.3 Wh kg^(-1) and cost of 62.2$kWh^(-1) is demonstrated.This work offers a viable strategy for practical and scalable hydrogen gas batteries.展开更多
Investigating structural and hydroxyl group effects in electrooxidation of alcohols to value-added products by solid-acid electrocatalysts is essential for upgrading biomass alcohols.Herein,we report efficient electro...Investigating structural and hydroxyl group effects in electrooxidation of alcohols to value-added products by solid-acid electrocatalysts is essential for upgrading biomass alcohols.Herein,we report efficient electrocatalytic oxidations of saturated alcohols(C_(1)-C_(6))to selectively form formate using Ni Co hydroxide(Ni Co-OH)derived Ni Co_(2)O_(4)solid-acid electrocatalysts with balanced Lewis acid(LASs)and Brønsted acid sites(BASs).Thermal treatment transforms BASs-rich(89.6%)Ni Co-OH into Ni Co_(2)O_(4)with nearly equal distribution of LASs(53.1%)and BASs(46.9%)which synergistically promote adsorption and activation of OH-and alcohol molecules for enhanced oxidation activity.In contrast,BASs-enriched Ni Co-OH facilitates formation of higher valence metal sites,beneficial for water oxidation.The combined experimental studies and theoretical calculation imply the oxidation ability of C1-C6alcohols increases as increased number of hydroxyl groups and decreased HOMO-LUMO gaps:methanol(C_(1))<ethylene glycol(C_(2))<glycerol(C3)<meso-erythritol(C4)<xylitol(C5)<sorbitol(C6),while the formate selectivity shows the opposite trend from 100 to 80%.This study unveils synergistic roles of LASs and BASs,as well as hydroxyl group effect in electro-upgrading of alcohols using solid-acid electrocatalysts.展开更多
Electrocatalytic nitric oxide(NO)reduction reaction(NORR)is a promising and sustainable process that can simultaneously realize green ammonia(NH3)synthesis and hazardous NO removal.However,current NORR performances ar...Electrocatalytic nitric oxide(NO)reduction reaction(NORR)is a promising and sustainable process that can simultaneously realize green ammonia(NH3)synthesis and hazardous NO removal.However,current NORR performances are far from practical needs due to the lack of efficient electrocatalysts.Engineering the lattice of metal-based nanomaterials via phase control has emerged as an effective strategy to modulate their intrinsic electrocatalytic properties.Herein,we realize boron(B)-insertion-induced phase regulation of rhodium(Rh)nanocrystals to obtain amorphous Rh_(4)B nanoparticles(NPs)and hexagonal close-packed(hcp)RhB NPs through a facile wet-chemical method.A high Faradaic efficiency(92.1±1.2%)and NH_(3) yield rate(629.5±11.0μmol h^(−1) cm^(−2))are achieved over hcp RhB NPs,far superior to those of most reported NORR nanocatalysts.In situ spectro-electrochemical analysis and density functional theory simulations reveal that the excellent electrocatalytic performances of hcp RhB NPs are attributed to the upshift of d-band center,enhanced NO adsorption/activation profile,and greatly reduced energy barrier of the rate-determining step.A demonstrative Zn-NO battery is assembled using hcp RhB NPs as the cathode and delivers a peak power density of 4.33 mW cm−2,realizing simultaneous NO removal,NH3 synthesis,and electricity output.展开更多
An experiment for the oxidation process of single magnetite pellet and theoretical analysis based on modi lied unreacted core shrinking （MUCS） model were carried out, and the controlling mechanisms of the initial an...An experiment for the oxidation process of single magnetite pellet and theoretical analysis based on modi lied unreacted core shrinking （MUCS） model were carried out, and the controlling mechanisms of the initial and de veloping reactions were examined, respectively. From the study of the initial reaction, it was found that the chemical reaction of surface is the controlling step of the overall reaction when the temperature is up to about 750 K, while the mass transfer through the gaseous boundary layer dominates the reaction rate when the temperature is above 750 K. As the reaction developing within the pellet, the mass transfer through the produced layer becomes the controlling step. In addition, the effects of reaction conditions （such as oxygen concentration, temperature） on the fractional oxidation of magnetite pellet were determined.展开更多
Urea oxidation reaction (UOR),which has favorable thermodynamic energy barriers compared with oxygen evolution reaction (OER),can provide more cost-effective electrons for the renewable energy systems,but is trapped b...Urea oxidation reaction (UOR),which has favorable thermodynamic energy barriers compared with oxygen evolution reaction (OER),can provide more cost-effective electrons for the renewable energy systems,but is trapped by its sluggish UOR kinetics and intricate reaction intermediates formation/desorption process.Herein,we report a novel and effective electrocatalyst consisting of carbon cloth supported nitrogen vacancies-enriched Ce-doped Ni_(3)N hierarchical nanosheets (Ce-Ni_(3)N @CC) to optimize the flat-footed UOR kinetics,especially the stiff rate-determine CO_(2)desorption step of UOR.Upon the introduction of valance state variable Ce,the resultant nitrogen vacancies enriched Ce-Ni_(3)N @CC exhibits an enhanced UOR performance where the operation voltage requires only 1.31 V to deliver the current density of 10 mA cm^(-2),which is superior to that of Ni_(3)N @CC catalyst (1.36 V) and other counterparts.Density functional theory (DFT) results demonstrate that the incorporation of Ce in Ni_(3)N lowers the formation energy of nitrogen vacancies,resulting in rich nitrogen vacancies in Ce-Ni_(3)N @CC.Moreover,the nitrogen vacancies together with Ce doping optimize the local charge distribution around Ni sites,and balance the adsorption energy of CO_(2)in the rate-determining step (RDS),as well as affect the initial adsorption structure of urea,leading to the superior UOR catalytic performance of Ce-Ni_(3)N @CC.When integrating the Ce-Ni_(3)N catalyst in UOR//HER and UOR//CO_(2)R flow electrolyzer,both of them perform well with low operation voltage and robust long-term stability,proofing that the thermodynamically favorable UOR can act as a suitable substitute anodic reaction compared with that of OER.Our findings here not only provide a novel UOR catalyst but also offer a promising design strategy for the future development of energy-related devices.展开更多
Pt based materials are the most efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)and methanol oxidation reaction(MOR)in fuel cells.Maximizing the utilization of Pt based materials by modulating their m...Pt based materials are the most efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)and methanol oxidation reaction(MOR)in fuel cells.Maximizing the utilization of Pt based materials by modulating their morphologies to expose more active sites is a fundamental objective for the practical application of fuel cells.Herein,we report a new class of hierarchically skeletal Pt-Ni nanocrystals(HSNs)with a multi-layered structure,prepared by an inorganic acid-induced solvothermal method.The addition of H_(2)SO_(4)to the synthetic protocol provides a critical trigger for the successful growth of Pt-Ni nanocrystals with the desired structure.The Pt-Ni HSNs synthesized by this method exhibit enhanced mass activity of 1.25 A mgpt−1 at 0.9 V(versus the reversible hydrogen electrode)towards ORR in 0.1-M HClO_(4),which is superior to that of Pt-Ni multi-branched nanocrystals obtained by the same method in the absence of inorganic acid;it is additionally 8.9-fold higher than that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst.Meanwhile,it displays enhanced stability,with only 21.6%mass activity loss after 10,000 cycles(0.6–1.0 V)for ORR.Furthermore,the Pt-Ni HSNs show enhanced activity and anti-toxic ability in CO for MOR.The superb activity of the Pt-Ni HSNs for ORR and MOR is fully attributed to an extensively exposed electrochemical surface area and high intrinsic activity,induced by strain effects,provided by the unique hierarchically skeletal alloy structure.The novel open and hierarchical structure of Pt-Ni alloy provides a promising approach for significant improvements of the activity of Pt based alloy electrocatalysts.展开更多
文摘The electrocatalytic urea oxidation reaction(UOR)has emerged as an energy-efficient alternative to the traditional oxygen evolution reaction for hydrogen production,with mechanistic understanding being critical for the rational design of catalysts.This review systematically summarizes recent advances in in situ characterization techniques for elucidating the dynamic reaction mechanisms of UOR.Studies reveal that phase transitions,valence state migration,and electronic structure evolution of catalysts under operational conditions are key factors governing activity and stability.Techniques such as in situ X-ray diffraction,X-ray absorption spectroscopy,Raman spectroscopy,and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy enable real-time monitoring of catalyst reconstruction,intermediate evolution,and interfacial adsorption behavior,overcoming the environmental deviations inherent in conventional ex situ characterization.When combined with theoretical calculations,these methods provide direct evidence for identifying active-site configurations,reaction pathways,and rate-determining steps.In addition,special emphasis is placed on multimodal in situ strategies for deciphering synergistic effects in nickel-based catalysts,while current challenges,including non-alkaline systems,real wastewater environments,and multi-metal cooperation mechanisms,are critically discussed.Future research should focus on developing novel in situ approaches for complex systems and establishing a mutually reinforcing framework integrating theoretical prediction and experimental validation,thereby advancing UOR catalyst design from empirical exploration to mechanism-guided optimization.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China,China(2023YFB4006202)the National Natural Science Foundation of China,China(22272206)the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province,China(2023JJ10061).
文摘Storing hydrogen in green methanol is a well-known and cost-effective way for long-term energy storage.However,using green methanol in fuel cell technologies requires electrocatalysts with superior resistance to poisoning induced by intermediate species.This study introduces a new class of palladium-based rare earth(RE)alloys with exceptional resistance to methanol for the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)and outstanding resistance to carbon monoxide poisoning for the hydrogen oxidation reaction(HOR).The PdEr catalyst achieved unparalleled ORR activity amongst the Pd-based rare earth alloys and demonstrated remarkable resistance to methanol poisoning,which is two orders of magnitude higher than commercial Pt/C catalysts.Furthermore,the PdEr catalyst shows high hydrogen oxidation activity under 100 ppm CO.Comprehensive analysis demonstrates that the RE element-enriched sublayer tuning of the Pd-skin's surface strain is responsible for the enhanced ORR and HOR capabilities.This modification allows for precise control over the adsorption strength of critical intermediates while concurrently diminishing the adsorption energy of methanol and CO on the PdEr surface.
基金supported by Jilin Province Science and Technology Development Program(Nos.20200201001JC,20210502002ZP,20230101367JC,20220301011GX)Jilin Province Science and Technology Major Project(No.222648GX0105103875).
文摘The development of efficient and robust non-precious metal electrocatalyst to drive the sluggish hydrogen oxidation reaction(HOR)is the key to the practical application of anion exchange membrane fuel cells(AEMFC),which relies on the rational regulation of intermediates’binding strength.Herein,we reported a simple strategy to manipulate the adsorption energy of OH^(∗)on electrocatalyst surface via engineering Ni/NbO_(x) heterostructures with manageable oxygen vacancy(Ov).Theoretical calculations confirm that the electronic effect between Ni and NbO_(x) could weaken the hydrogen adsorption on Ni,and the interfacial oxygen vacancy tailor hydroxide binding energy(OHBE).The optimized HBE and OHBE contribute to reduce formation energy of water during the alkaline HOR process.Furthermore,in situ Raman spectroscopy monitor the dynamic process that OH^(∗)adsorbed on oxygen vacancy and react with adjacent H^(∗)adsorbed Ni,confirming the vital role of OH^(∗)for alkaline HOR process.As a result,the optimal Ni/NbO_(x) exhibits a remarkable intrinsic activity with a specific activity of 0.036mA/cm^(2),which is 4-fold than that of pristine Ni counterpart and surpasses most non-precious electrocatalysts ever reported.
文摘The employment of single atom catalysts(SACs)remarkably increases atomic utilization and catalytic efficiency in various electrochemical processes,especially when coupled with metal clusters/nanoparticles.However,the synergistic effects mainly focus on the energetics of key intermediates during the electrocatalysis,while the properties of electrode surface and electric-double-layer(EDL)structure are largely overlooked.Herein,we report the synthesis of Ru nanoparticles integrated with neighboring Ru single atoms on nitrogen doped carbon(Ru1,n/NC)as efficient catalysts toward hydrogen oxidation reaction(HOR)under alkaline electrolytes.Electrochemical data,in situ attenuated total reflectance surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy,and density functional theory calculations reveal that the positively charged Ru single atoms could lead to the dynamically regulated proportion of strongly hydrogen-bonded interfacial water structure with O-down conformation and optimized connectivity of the hydrogen-bond network in the EDL region,which contribute to the accelerated diffusion of hydroxide ions to the electrified interfaces.Consequently,the obtained Ru1,n/NC catalyst displays remarkable HOR performance with the mass activity of 1.15 mAμgPGM^(-1) under alkaline electrolyte.This work demonstrates the promise of single atoms for interfacial water environment adjustment and mass transfer process modulation,providing new insights into rational design of highly-effective SAC-based electrocatalysts.
文摘Platinum-ruthenium alloys(PtRu)represent state-of-the-art alkaline hydrogen oxidation reaction(HOR)catalysts,yet the atomic-scale origin of their superiority over pure Pt remains incompletely understood.Here,we employ density functional theory calculations,ab initio molecular dynamics simulations,and microkinetic modeling on Pt(111)and PtRu(111)surfaces to systematically investigate the key factors,including active sites distribution,species adsorption,and solvent reorganization,that affect the HOR activity and decouple their contributions.The results reveal that while the moderate hydrogen binding energy and improved hydroxyl(OH)species adsorption both contribute to the enhanced activity,the dominant factor is the substantial reduction in solvent reorganization energy on the PtRu(111).This is facilitated by the spatial separation of active sites:Pt atoms preferentially stabilize adsorbed hydrogen,while Ru atoms strongly bind OH and interfacial water molecules.This configuration increases the probability of hydrogen interacting with OH/water and enhances the fraction of"H-up"water molecules,forming a well-organized hydrogen bond network within the electric double layer.The dynamically compatible interfacial water structure and HOR coordination promote H desorption and proton transfer in the Volmer step,thereby accelerating the HOR kinetics.
基金financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.22207113 to J.Zhang)Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(No.2021A1515110588to J.Zhang)Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai Municipality(No.22ZR1474000 to L.Wen)。
文摘Uronic acids are prevalent components of crucial glycoconjugates,pivotal in various biological processes.In nature,NDP-uronic acids,the nucleosides-activated uronic acids,serve as glycosylation donors catalyzed by uronosyltransferases(UATs)to construct glycans containing uronic acids.Despite their biological importance,the synthesis of naturally occurring NDP-uronic acids on a large scale remains challenging.Here,we developed an oxidation reaction insertion strategy for the efficient synthesis of NDP-uronic acids,and 11 NDP-uronic acids were successfully prepared in good yield and on a large scale.The prepared NDP-uronic acids can be used to explore new uronosyltransferases and synthesize uronic acids containing carbohydrates for fundamental research.
基金support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.U20A20123,51874357,22379166)Natural Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars of Hunan Province(No.2022JJ10089)。
文摘The sluggish reaction kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and methanol oxidation reaction(MOR)remain obstacles to the commercial promotion of water splitting and direct methanol fuel cells.Considering the vital role of noble metals in electrocatalytic activity,this work focuses on the rational synthesis of Ni-noble metal composite nanocatalysts for overcoming the drawbacks of high cost and susceptible oxidized surfaces of noble metals.The inherent catalytic activity is improved by the altered electronic structure and effective active sites of the catalyst induced by the size effect of noble metal clusters.In particular,a series of Ni-noble metal nanocomposites are successfully synthesized by partially introducing noble metal into Ni with porous interfacial defects derived from Ni-Al layered double hydroxide(LDH).The Ni_(10)Pd_(1)nanocomposite exhibits high OER catalytic activity with an overpotential of 0.279 V at 10 m A/cm^(2),surpassing Ni_(10)Ag_(1)and Ni_(10)Au_(1)counterparts.Furthermore,the average diameter of Pd clusters gradually increases from 5.57 nm to 44.44 nm with the increased proportion of doped Pd,leading to the passivation of catalytic activity due to the exacerbated surface oxidation of Pd in the form of Pd^(2+).After optimization,Ni_(10)Pd_(1)delivers significantly enhanced OER and MOR electroactivities and long-term stability compared to that of Ni_(2)Pd_(1),Ni_(1)Pd_(1)and Ni_(1)Pd_(2),which is conducive to the effective utilization of Pd and alleviation of surface oxidation.
基金financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52471219)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.00007838)+5 种基金financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52471220 and U2441264)the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(No.2022A1515140051)financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.92163209)Beijing Natural Science Foundation(No.JQ22004)financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52476146)Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(2023A1515140059,2025A1515011255).
文摘The structural modulation of metal-based heterostructure plays a vital role in achieving enhanced performances for highly efficient electrocatalysis.Here we design submonolayered Ru-modified Pd mesoporous nanosheets(Pd-Ru MNSs)with the exposure of both Pd and Ru active sites as well as the high atomic utilization of two-dimensional structure.The obtained Pd-Ru MNSs can act as a highly efficient multifunctional catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and alcohol oxidation reactions including ethylene glycol oxidation(EGOR)and ethanol oxidation(EOR),offering new opportunities towards the alcohol oxidation assisted hydrogen production.Specifically,Pd-Ru MNSs demonstrate excellent HER performance in alkaline electrolyte,requiring an overpotential of only 16mV to reach 10mAcm^(−2),significantly outperforming Pd mesoporous nanosheets and commercial catalysts.Density functional theory calculations reveal that the Ru sites in Pd-Ru MNSs could facilitate the water adsorption,accelerate the water dissociation,and optimize the hydrogen desorption,leading to the superior HER activity.Pd-Ru MNSs also exhibit high mass activities of 11.19 A mg^(−1)Pd for EGOR and 8.84 A mg^(−1)Pd for EOR,which is 7.8 and 9.6 times than that of commercial Pd/C,respectively.The EGOR reaction pathway over Pd-Ru MNSs was further investigated by using in situ Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22379111 and 22179093)。
文摘Hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2))electrosynthesis via two-electron oxygen reduction reaction(2e-ORR)is a promising alternative for the energy-intensive anthraquinone process.However,the instability of the catalytic metal sites in the state-of-the-art metal single-atom catalysts(M-SACs)hinders their further industrial applications,and the high potential and valueless oxygen product of the conventional anodic oxygen evolution reaction(OER)further limit the economic efficiency of this technology.To address this,a dynamically local structure reconstruction strategy is proposed to in situ transfer the active sites from unstable metal sites to the stable surrounding carbon sites for efficient and durable 2e^(-)ORR electrocatalysis.For the as-designed Mn-N_(3)O-C catalyst,by reconstructing Mn sites into Mn(^(*)OH),the Mn sites were passivated and carbon sites adjacent to the O atom were verified to be the actual active sites by in situ characterization and theoretical calculation.Consequently,Mn-N_(3)O-C exhibited>80%Faradaic efficiency and superior long-term durability over 100 h for H_(2)O_(2)electrosynthesis at~120 mA cm^(-2).In addition,coupling anodic ethylene glycol oxidation reaction(EGOR)further improves the efficiency and economic viability of the H_(2)O_(2)electrosynthesis system.This two-pronged strategy thus opens up a new opportunity for the development of stable H_(2)O_(2)electrosynthesis with low energy consumption and superior economic performance.
基金supported by The National Key R&D Program of China(2022YFA1505700)National Natural Science Foundation of China(22475214 and 22205232)+3 种基金Talent Plan of Shanghai Branch,Chinese Academy of Sciences(CASSHB-QNPD-2023-020)Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province(2023J06044)the SelfDeployment Project Research Program of Haixi Institutes,Chinese Academy of Sciences(CXZX-2022-JQ06 and CXZX-2022-GH03)the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program of the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(CPSF,GZC20241727)。
文摘Formic acid holds great potential as a fuel for low-temperature proton-exchange membrane fuel cells and portable power devices because of its excellent safety profile and high energy density.However,formic acid oxidation reactions(FAOR)face challenges such as low catalytic activity,poor stability,and catalyst poisoning.Atomically dispersed catalysts(ADCs)address these issues by providing a direct oxidation pathway,inhibiting catalyst poisoning,and offering well-defined catalytic sites with ultimate atomic efficiency.This review provides a comprehensive summary of recent breakthroughs in ADCs for FAOR.First,we discuss the structural design and mechanism validation methods of ADCs using enhanced sensitivity,in situ/operando,and high-resolution techniques.Next,we summarize bottom-up optimization strategies for ADCs,guided by the structure-activity relationship and reaction mechanisms at the atomic and electronic levels.Finally,we offer insights into device design and scale-up efforts for FAOR applications and provide an overlook from fundamental catalyst design to practical applications.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21103165)
文摘It is crucial to understand the mechanism of low temperature CO oxidation reaction catalyzed by gold nanoparticles so as to find out the origin of the high catalytic reactivity and extend the indus‐trialization applications of nano gold catalysts. In this work, some theoretical works on CO adsorp‐tion, O2 adsorption, atomic oxygen adsorption, formation of surface gold oxide films, reaction mechanisms of CO oxidation involving O2 reaction with CO and O2 dissociation before reacting with CO on gold surfaces and Au/metal oxide were summarized, and the influences of coordination number, charge transfer and relativity of gold on CO oxidation reaction were briefly reviewed. It was found that CO reaction mechanism depended on the systems with or without oxide and the strong relativistic effects might play an important role in CO oxidation reaction on gold catalysts. In particular, the relativistic effects are related to the unique behaviors of CO adsorption, O adsorption, O2 activation on gold surfaces, effects of coordination number and the wide gap between the chem‐ical inertness of bulk gold and high catalytic activity of nano gold. The present work helps us to understand the CO oxidation reaction mechanism on gold catalysts and the influence of relativistic effects on gold catalysis.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant number 22172112)and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.
文摘Electrocatalytic oxidation of glycerol for value-added chemicals is a superior strategy to utilize the excess glycerol produced in the biodiesel industry.Pd is one of the few active catalysts for alkaline glycerol oxidation reaction(GOR);however,glycerol inevitably dissociates and converts to carbon dioxide on the Pd surface,which results in its low total Faradaic efficiency(FE)for high-value-added products.Herein,a series of Pd/C and Pd10Bix/C catalysts were synthesized to investigate the GOR pathway.The Pd10Bi3/C catalyst with optimal Bi content achieved an excellent GOR mass activity of 7.5±0.2 A mgPd−1 and an outstanding total FE of 90%±3%,which are much higher than those values on Pd/C(1.2±0.2 A mgPd−1 for mass activity and 63%±4%for total FE).Combined results of in-situ attenuated total reflection surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations show that Bi suppresses the dissociation of glycerol through the“shielding effect”of Bi to the adjacent Pd sites,which weakens the adsorption strength of GOR intermediates on those sites.This work provides a new insight into the GOR mechanism and puts forward a valid strategy for the rational design of catalysts to enable the transformation of glycerol into high-value-added products.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC,No.22172121)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.ZYN2025267)Southwest Minzu University。
文摘The electrocatalytic oxidation of ethylene glycol(EG)into high-value chemicals like glycolic acid(GA)is a crucial step for upcycling waste plastics.However,catalyst deactivation and low selectivity pose significant challenges.This work presents the low-coordination PtBi nanosheets(LC-PtBi NSs),featuring a unique amorphous-crystalline heterostructure with a low coordination number of 2.3-2.5.They can exhibit exceptional mass activity(8.3 A mg_(Pt)^(-1))and stability(maintaining 88.7%of initial activity after running for 3600 s)of the EG oxidation reaction(EGOR).They also achieve over 90%apparent selectivity for EG-to-GA conversion at low potentials(<0.7 V vs.RHE)and even more than 100-h continuous electrolysis.Density fu nctional theory(DFT)calculations reveal that the low-coordination PtBi heterogeneous interface is responsible for the high coverage of OH_(ad) species and weakened adsorption of carbonaceous intermediates on LC-PtBi NSs,thereby promoting the direct oxidation of C_(2) intermediates to GA.This work demonstrates a strategy of doping-mediated catalytic interface regulation and electron density rearrangement,offering insights for designing efficient Pt-based electrocatalysts toward selective oxidation of small molecules.
基金financially supported by the Sichuan Science and Technology Program (Grant No. 2025NSFSC0139)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No.2023MD734228)+10 种基金funding from Generalitat de Catalunya 2021SGR00457supported by MCIN with funding from European Union NextGenerationEU(PRTR-C17.I1)by Generalitat de Catalunya (In-CAEM Project)the support from the project AMaDE(PID2023-149158OB-C43)funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/by “ERDF A way of making Europe”by the “European Union”supported by the Severo Ochoa program from Spanish MCIN/AEI (Grant No.:CEX2021-001214-S)funded by the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunyaperformed in the framework of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Materials Science PhD programfunding from the CSC-UAB PhD scholarship program. ICN2 is founding member of e-DREAM[87]
文摘The methanol oxidation reaction(MOR)to formic acid offers a promising alternative to the anodic oxygen evolution reaction(OER)in water electrolysis.However,the development of efficient and cost-effective catalysts remains a primary challenge.In this study,an enhancement in catalytic MOR performance is achieved through the incorporation of Mn atoms with unsaturated t_(2g)orbitals into Ni_(3)Se_(4).Comprehensive experimental analyses and theoretical calculations reveal that substituting Ni with Mn induces strong electron-withdrawing effects,effectively modulating the local coordination environment of the metal centers.The presence of Mn also elongates Ni–Se(O)bonds,which reduces eg orbital occupancy and modifies the spin state of the material.Electrochemical measurements demonstrate that electrodes based on this optimized material exhibit a high spin state and deliver excellent catalytic activity,achieving a MOR current density up to∼190 mA cm^(−2)at 1.6 V.This performance enhancement is attributed to the favorable electronic configuration and reduced reaction energy barriers associated with the high-spin state.
基金financially supported by the“National Natural Science Foundation of China”(No.22279082)the“Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan”(2025YFHZ0056)。
文摘Aqueous hydrogen(H_(2))gas batteries with unmatched lifespan are ideal for grid-scale energy storage,yet their deployment remains limited by the lack of low-cost,efficient,and durable hydrogen electrodes.Here,we report a high-throughput and durable gas diffusion electrode(GDE)based on a simply preparable carbon-coated nickel(Ni@C)catalyst and the design of H_(2) diffusion channels.By optimizing the carbon layer structure,a balance between the intrinsic activity and stability of the catalyst can be achieved.This Ni@C catalyst exhibits a hydrogen oxidation reaction(HOR)activity of 44 A g^(-1) as well as remarkable hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)performance.Experimental results and theoretical calculations confirm the electronic interaction between the carbon shell and Ni.In combination with a hydrophobic design,a robust and durable Ni@C-GDE has been fabricated.This electrode achieves a low HOR polarization of only 91 mV at 30 mA cm^(-2),outperforming Pt/C-GDE(154 mV),and operates stably over 4500cycles(3200 h)for HOR/HER reversing.Enabled by this electrode,a 10 Ah Ni-H_(2) battery with an energy density of 156.3 Wh kg^(-1) and cost of 62.2$kWh^(-1) is demonstrated.This work offers a viable strategy for practical and scalable hydrogen gas batteries.
基金the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52172110,52472231,52311530113)Shanghai"Science and Technology Innovation Action Plan"intergovernmental international science and technology cooperation project(23520710600)+1 种基金Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality(22DZ1205600)the Central Guidance on Science and Technology Development Fund of Zhejiang Province(2024ZY01011)。
文摘Investigating structural and hydroxyl group effects in electrooxidation of alcohols to value-added products by solid-acid electrocatalysts is essential for upgrading biomass alcohols.Herein,we report efficient electrocatalytic oxidations of saturated alcohols(C_(1)-C_(6))to selectively form formate using Ni Co hydroxide(Ni Co-OH)derived Ni Co_(2)O_(4)solid-acid electrocatalysts with balanced Lewis acid(LASs)and Brønsted acid sites(BASs).Thermal treatment transforms BASs-rich(89.6%)Ni Co-OH into Ni Co_(2)O_(4)with nearly equal distribution of LASs(53.1%)and BASs(46.9%)which synergistically promote adsorption and activation of OH-and alcohol molecules for enhanced oxidation activity.In contrast,BASs-enriched Ni Co-OH facilitates formation of higher valence metal sites,beneficial for water oxidation.The combined experimental studies and theoretical calculation imply the oxidation ability of C1-C6alcohols increases as increased number of hydroxyl groups and decreased HOMO-LUMO gaps:methanol(C_(1))<ethylene glycol(C_(2))<glycerol(C3)<meso-erythritol(C4)<xylitol(C5)<sorbitol(C6),while the formate selectivity shows the opposite trend from 100 to 80%.This study unveils synergistic roles of LASs and BASs,as well as hydroxyl group effect in electro-upgrading of alcohols using solid-acid electrocatalysts.
基金funding support from General Research Fund[Project No.14300525]from the Research Grants Council(RGC)of Hong Kong SAR,Chinafunding support from Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)Young Scientists Fund(Project No.22305203)+2 种基金NSFC Projects Nos.22309123,22422303,22303011,22033002,92261112 and U21A20328support from the Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center(NPMM)at City University of Hong Kongsupport from Young Collaborative Research Grant[Project No.C1003-23Y]support from RGC of Hong Kong SAR,China.
文摘Electrocatalytic nitric oxide(NO)reduction reaction(NORR)is a promising and sustainable process that can simultaneously realize green ammonia(NH3)synthesis and hazardous NO removal.However,current NORR performances are far from practical needs due to the lack of efficient electrocatalysts.Engineering the lattice of metal-based nanomaterials via phase control has emerged as an effective strategy to modulate their intrinsic electrocatalytic properties.Herein,we realize boron(B)-insertion-induced phase regulation of rhodium(Rh)nanocrystals to obtain amorphous Rh_(4)B nanoparticles(NPs)and hexagonal close-packed(hcp)RhB NPs through a facile wet-chemical method.A high Faradaic efficiency(92.1±1.2%)and NH_(3) yield rate(629.5±11.0μmol h^(−1) cm^(−2))are achieved over hcp RhB NPs,far superior to those of most reported NORR nanocatalysts.In situ spectro-electrochemical analysis and density functional theory simulations reveal that the excellent electrocatalytic performances of hcp RhB NPs are attributed to the upshift of d-band center,enhanced NO adsorption/activation profile,and greatly reduced energy barrier of the rate-determining step.A demonstrative Zn-NO battery is assembled using hcp RhB NPs as the cathode and delivers a peak power density of 4.33 mW cm−2,realizing simultaneous NO removal,NH3 synthesis,and electricity output.
基金Sponsored by National Natural Science Foundation of China(59374166,11072057)
文摘An experiment for the oxidation process of single magnetite pellet and theoretical analysis based on modi lied unreacted core shrinking （MUCS） model were carried out, and the controlling mechanisms of the initial and de veloping reactions were examined, respectively. From the study of the initial reaction, it was found that the chemical reaction of surface is the controlling step of the overall reaction when the temperature is up to about 750 K, while the mass transfer through the gaseous boundary layer dominates the reaction rate when the temperature is above 750 K. As the reaction developing within the pellet, the mass transfer through the produced layer becomes the controlling step. In addition, the effects of reaction conditions （such as oxygen concentration, temperature） on the fractional oxidation of magnetite pellet were determined.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22109073, 22072067 and 21875112)the supports from National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biomedical Functional Materialsa project sponsored by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions。
文摘Urea oxidation reaction (UOR),which has favorable thermodynamic energy barriers compared with oxygen evolution reaction (OER),can provide more cost-effective electrons for the renewable energy systems,but is trapped by its sluggish UOR kinetics and intricate reaction intermediates formation/desorption process.Herein,we report a novel and effective electrocatalyst consisting of carbon cloth supported nitrogen vacancies-enriched Ce-doped Ni_(3)N hierarchical nanosheets (Ce-Ni_(3)N @CC) to optimize the flat-footed UOR kinetics,especially the stiff rate-determine CO_(2)desorption step of UOR.Upon the introduction of valance state variable Ce,the resultant nitrogen vacancies enriched Ce-Ni_(3)N @CC exhibits an enhanced UOR performance where the operation voltage requires only 1.31 V to deliver the current density of 10 mA cm^(-2),which is superior to that of Ni_(3)N @CC catalyst (1.36 V) and other counterparts.Density functional theory (DFT) results demonstrate that the incorporation of Ce in Ni_(3)N lowers the formation energy of nitrogen vacancies,resulting in rich nitrogen vacancies in Ce-Ni_(3)N @CC.Moreover,the nitrogen vacancies together with Ce doping optimize the local charge distribution around Ni sites,and balance the adsorption energy of CO_(2)in the rate-determining step (RDS),as well as affect the initial adsorption structure of urea,leading to the superior UOR catalytic performance of Ce-Ni_(3)N @CC.When integrating the Ce-Ni_(3)N catalyst in UOR//HER and UOR//CO_(2)R flow electrolyzer,both of them perform well with low operation voltage and robust long-term stability,proofing that the thermodynamically favorable UOR can act as a suitable substitute anodic reaction compared with that of OER.Our findings here not only provide a novel UOR catalyst but also offer a promising design strategy for the future development of energy-related devices.
文摘Pt based materials are the most efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)and methanol oxidation reaction(MOR)in fuel cells.Maximizing the utilization of Pt based materials by modulating their morphologies to expose more active sites is a fundamental objective for the practical application of fuel cells.Herein,we report a new class of hierarchically skeletal Pt-Ni nanocrystals(HSNs)with a multi-layered structure,prepared by an inorganic acid-induced solvothermal method.The addition of H_(2)SO_(4)to the synthetic protocol provides a critical trigger for the successful growth of Pt-Ni nanocrystals with the desired structure.The Pt-Ni HSNs synthesized by this method exhibit enhanced mass activity of 1.25 A mgpt−1 at 0.9 V(versus the reversible hydrogen electrode)towards ORR in 0.1-M HClO_(4),which is superior to that of Pt-Ni multi-branched nanocrystals obtained by the same method in the absence of inorganic acid;it is additionally 8.9-fold higher than that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst.Meanwhile,it displays enhanced stability,with only 21.6%mass activity loss after 10,000 cycles(0.6–1.0 V)for ORR.Furthermore,the Pt-Ni HSNs show enhanced activity and anti-toxic ability in CO for MOR.The superb activity of the Pt-Ni HSNs for ORR and MOR is fully attributed to an extensively exposed electrochemical surface area and high intrinsic activity,induced by strain effects,provided by the unique hierarchically skeletal alloy structure.The novel open and hierarchical structure of Pt-Ni alloy provides a promising approach for significant improvements of the activity of Pt based alloy electrocatalysts.
