The development of highly efficient catalysts for cathodes remains an important objective of fuel cell research. Here, we report Co3O4 nanoparticles assembled on a polypyrrole/graphene oxide electrocatalyst （C...The development of highly efficient catalysts for cathodes remains an important objective of fuel cell research. Here, we report Co3O4 nanoparticles assembled on a polypyrrole/graphene oxide electrocatalyst （Co3O4/Ppy/GO） as an efficient catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction （ORR） in alkaline media. The catalyst was prepared via the hydrothermal reaction of Co2＋ ions with Ppy-modified GO. The GO, Ppy/GO, and Co3O4/Ppy/GO were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The incorporation of Ppy into GO nanosheets resulted in the formation of a nitrogen-modified GO po-rous structure, which acted as an efficient electron-transport network for the ORR. With further anchoring of Co3O4 on Ppy/GO, the as-prepared Co3O4/Ppy/GO exhibited excellent ORR activity and followed a four-electron route mechanism for the ORR in alkaline solution. An onset potential of -0.10 V vs. a saturated calomel electrode and a diffusion limiting current density of 2.30 mA/cm^2 were achieved for the Co3O4/Ppy/GO catalyst heated at 800 ℃; these values are comparable to those for noble-metal-based Pt/C catalysts. Our work demonstrates that Co3O4/Ppy/GO is highly active for the ORR. Notably, the Ppy coupling effects between Co3O4 and GO provide a new route for the preparation of efficient non-precious electrocatalysts with hierarchical porous structures for fuel cell applications.展开更多
Significant progress has been made in the development of non-precious metal electrocatalysts （NPMEs） during the past decade. Correspondingly, there is an urgent demand for an appropriate measurement method to be est...Significant progress has been made in the development of non-precious metal electrocatalysts （NPMEs） during the past decade. Correspondingly, there is an urgent demand for an appropriate measurement method to be established for the reliable evaluation of NPMEs. In this study, platinum and graphite counter electrodes were used to investigate the impact of counter electrode material on the accelerated durability testing （ADT） of NPMEs in acidic medium. Platinum used as the coun- ter electrode in a traditional three-electrode electrochemical cell was found to dissolve in acidic medium and re-deposit on NPME coated on the working electrode during ADT. Such re-deposition causes the oxygen reduction reaction （ORR） performance of NPMEs to remarkably improve, and thus will seriously mislead our judgment of NPMEs if we are unaware of it. The phenomenon can be avoided using a graphite counter electrode.展开更多
The search for active,stable,and cost-effective electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)is desirable,but it remains a great challenge in the overall water splitting.Here,we report the synthesis of nickel ...The search for active,stable,and cost-effective electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)is desirable,but it remains a great challenge in the overall water splitting.Here,we report the synthesis of nickel boron nanoparticles supported on Vulcan carbon(Ni-B)via a simple,yet scalable,two-step chemical reduction–annealing strategy.The results of the electrochemical measurements suggest that the overpotentials of Ni-B-400 are 114 and 215 mV(in 1 mol L^–1 KOH)at current densities of 10 and 40 mA cm^?2,respectively,indicating an exceedingly good electrocatalytic activity in the HER.More importantly,Ni-B maintains a current density of 7.6 mA cm^-2 at an overpotential of 0.15 V for 20 h in the durability test.The excellent HER activity of Ni-B-400 is derived from the small particle size and the expanded lattice of Ni,which can optimize the hydrogen absorption energy and enhance the electrocatalytic properties.展开更多
Highly active Fe-N_x sites that effectively improve the performance of non-precious metal electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions（ORRs） are desirable. Herein, we propose a strategy for introducing a carbon t...Highly active Fe-N_x sites that effectively improve the performance of non-precious metal electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions（ORRs） are desirable. Herein, we propose a strategy for introducing a carbon template into a melamine/Fe-salt mixture to inductively generate highly active Fe-N_x sites for ORR. Using 57 Fe M？sbauer spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction, we studied the structural composition of the Fe and N co-doped carbon catalysts.Interestingly, the results showed that this system not only converted inactive Fe and Fe-carbides into active Fe-N_4 and other Fe-nitrides, but also improved their intrinsic activities.展开更多
The demanding all-in-one electrocatalyst system for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR), oxygen evolution reaction(OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) in zinc-air batteries or water splitting requires elaborate mater...The demanding all-in-one electrocatalyst system for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR), oxygen evolution reaction(OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) in zinc-air batteries or water splitting requires elaborate material manufacturing, which is usually complicated and time-consuming.Efficient interface engineering between MXene and highly active electrocatalytic species(CoS_(2)) is, herein, achieved by an in situ hydrothermal growth and facile sulfurization process.The CoS_(2)@MXene electrocatalyst is composed by one-dimensional CoS_(2) nanowires and two-dimensional MXene nanosheets, which lead to a hierarchical structure(large specific surface area and abundant active sites), a spatial electron redistribution(high intrinsic activity), and high anchoring strength(superior performance stability). Therefore, the electrocatalyst achieves enhanced catalytic activity and longtime stability for ORR(a half-wave potential of 0.80 V), OER(an overpotential of 270 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2), i.e., η10= 270 mV)and HER(η10= 175 mV). Furthermore, the asymmetry water splitting system based on the CoS_(2)@MXene composites delivers a low overall voltage of 1.63 V at 10 mA cm^(-2). The solidstate zinc-air batteries using CoS_(2)@MXene as the air cathode display a small charge-discharge voltage gap(0.53 V at1 mA cm^(-2)) and superior stability(60 circles and 20-h continuous test). The energy interconversion between the chemical energy and electricity can be achieved by a self-powered system via integrating the water splitting system and quasisolid-state zinc-air batteries. Supported by in situ Raman analyses, the formation of cobalt oxyhydroxide species provides the active sites for water oxidation. This study paves apromising avenue for the design and application of multifunctional nanocatalysts.展开更多
Electrocatalysis is deemed as a promising approach for sustainable energy conversion and chemical production.Although a variety of cathode reactions(e.g.,hydrogen evolution and CO_(2)/N_(2)reduction)produce valuable f...Electrocatalysis is deemed as a promising approach for sustainable energy conversion and chemical production.Although a variety of cathode reactions(e.g.,hydrogen evolution and CO_(2)/N_(2)reduction)produce valuable fuels and chemicals,the extensively studied oxygen evolution reaction(OER)at anode only generates O_(2),which is not a high-value product.Substituting the OER with thermodynamically more favorable biomass derivative oxidation reactions(BDORs)not only enables energy-saving electrocatalysis,but also provides value-added anode products.Recent achievements have demonstrated that non-noble electrocatalysts are promising for BDORs.Herein,we provide a comprehensive review on recent achievements in the field of electrochemical BDORs catalyzed by non-noble catalysts.We start by summarizing the electrocatalytic oxidation of different types of biomass-derived substrates,aiming to show the advantages of the electrocatalytic pathway and to introduce the state-of-the-art non-noble catalysts.The reaction mechanisms of non-noble-material-catalyzed BDORs are then summarized and classified into three types according to the acceptor of hydrogen species during the dehydrogenation of biomass derivatives.Subsequently,discussions are devoted to the strategies for promoting the performances of non-noble electrocatalysts.Finally,we propose our opinions regarding future trends and major challenges in this field.展开更多
Noble metal-free electrocatalysts with high activity are highly desirable for the large-scale application of hydrogen evolution reaction(HER). Mo_(2) C-based nanomaterials have been proved as a promising alternative t...Noble metal-free electrocatalysts with high activity are highly desirable for the large-scale application of hydrogen evolution reaction(HER). Mo_(2) C-based nanomaterials have been proved as a promising alternative to noble metal-based electrocatalysts owing to the Pt-resembled d-band density and optimal intermediates-adsorption properties.However, the aggregation and excessive growth of crystals often occur during their high-temperature synthesis procedure, leading to low catalytic utilization. In this study, the ultrafine Mo_(2) C/Mo_(2) N heterostructure with large surface and interface confined in the N-doped carbon nanofibers(NCNFs) was obtained by a melamine-assisted method. The synergistic effect of Mo_(2) C/Mo_(2) N heterostructure and plenty active sites exposed on the surface of ultrafine nanocrystals improves the electrocatalytic activity. Meanwhile, the N-CNFs ensure fast charge transfer and high structural stability during reactions. Moreover, the in-situ synthesis method strengthens the interfacial coupling interactions between Mo_(2)C/Mo_(2) N heterostructure and N-CNFs, further enhancing the electronic conductivity and electrocatalytic activity. Owing to these advantages, Mo_(2)C/Mo_(2) N@N-CNFs exhibit excellent HER performance with a low overpotential of 75 mV at a current density of 10 mV cm^(-2) in alkaline solution, superior to the single-phased Mo_(2)C counterpart and recently reported Mo_(2)C/Mo_(2) N-based catalysts. This study highlights a new effective strategy to design efficient electrocatalysts via integrating heterostructure, nanostructure and carbon modification.展开更多
Exploring efficient and cost-effective electro- catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction （OER） is critical to water splitting. While nickel-iron layered double hydroxide （NiFe LDH） has been long recognized as a pro...Exploring efficient and cost-effective electro- catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction （OER） is critical to water splitting. While nickel-iron layered double hydroxide （NiFe LDH） has been long recognized as a promising non- precious electrocatalyst for OER, its intrinsic activity needs further improvement. Herein, we design a highly-efficient oxygen evolution electrode based on defective NiFe LDH na- noarray. By combing the merits of the modulated electronic structure, more exposed active sites, and the conductive elec- trode, the defective NiFe LDH electrocatalysts show a low onset potential of 1.40 V （vs. RHE）. An overpotential of only 200 mV is required for 10 mA cm-2, which is 48 mV lower than that of pristine NiFe-LDH. Density functional theory plus U （DFT＋U） calculations are further employed for the origin of this OER activity enhancement. We find the introduction of oxygen vacancies leads to a lower valance state of Fe and the narrowed bandgap, which means the electrons tend to be ea- sily excited into the conduction band, resulting in the lowered reaction overpotential and enhanced OER performance.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21373042)~~
文摘The development of highly efficient catalysts for cathodes remains an important objective of fuel cell research. Here, we report Co3O4 nanoparticles assembled on a polypyrrole/graphene oxide electrocatalyst （Co3O4/Ppy/GO） as an efficient catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction （ORR） in alkaline media. The catalyst was prepared via the hydrothermal reaction of Co2＋ ions with Ppy-modified GO. The GO, Ppy/GO, and Co3O4/Ppy/GO were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The incorporation of Ppy into GO nanosheets resulted in the formation of a nitrogen-modified GO po-rous structure, which acted as an efficient electron-transport network for the ORR. With further anchoring of Co3O4 on Ppy/GO, the as-prepared Co3O4/Ppy/GO exhibited excellent ORR activity and followed a four-electron route mechanism for the ORR in alkaline solution. An onset potential of -0.10 V vs. a saturated calomel electrode and a diffusion limiting current density of 2.30 mA/cm^2 were achieved for the Co3O4/Ppy/GO catalyst heated at 800 ℃; these values are comparable to those for noble-metal-based Pt/C catalysts. Our work demonstrates that Co3O4/Ppy/GO is highly active for the ORR. Notably, the Ppy coupling effects between Co3O4 and GO provide a new route for the preparation of efficient non-precious electrocatalysts with hierarchical porous structures for fuel cell applications.
基金supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(DUT15RC(3)001,DUT15ZD225)the Program for Liao-ning Excellent Talents in University(LR2015014)+1 种基金the Liaoning BaiQianWan Talents Program(201519)Dalian Excellent Young Scientific and Technological Talents(2015R006)
文摘Significant progress has been made in the development of non-precious metal electrocatalysts （NPMEs） during the past decade. Correspondingly, there is an urgent demand for an appropriate measurement method to be established for the reliable evaluation of NPMEs. In this study, platinum and graphite counter electrodes were used to investigate the impact of counter electrode material on the accelerated durability testing （ADT） of NPMEs in acidic medium. Platinum used as the coun- ter electrode in a traditional three-electrode electrochemical cell was found to dissolve in acidic medium and re-deposit on NPME coated on the working electrode during ADT. Such re-deposition causes the oxygen reduction reaction （ORR） performance of NPMEs to remarkably improve, and thus will seriously mislead our judgment of NPMEs if we are unaware of it. The phenomenon can be avoided using a graphite counter electrode.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21573083)the 1000 Young Talent(to Deli Wang)initiatory financial support from Huazhong University of Science and Technology(HUST)~~
文摘The search for active,stable,and cost-effective electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)is desirable,but it remains a great challenge in the overall water splitting.Here,we report the synthesis of nickel boron nanoparticles supported on Vulcan carbon(Ni-B)via a simple,yet scalable,two-step chemical reduction–annealing strategy.The results of the electrochemical measurements suggest that the overpotentials of Ni-B-400 are 114 and 215 mV(in 1 mol L^–1 KOH)at current densities of 10 and 40 mA cm^?2,respectively,indicating an exceedingly good electrocatalytic activity in the HER.More importantly,Ni-B maintains a current density of 7.6 mA cm^-2 at an overpotential of 0.15 V for 20 h in the durability test.The excellent HER activity of Ni-B-400 is derived from the small particle size and the expanded lattice of Ni,which can optimize the hydrogen absorption energy and enhance the electrocatalytic properties.
文摘Highly active Fe-N_x sites that effectively improve the performance of non-precious metal electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions（ORRs） are desirable. Herein, we propose a strategy for introducing a carbon template into a melamine/Fe-salt mixture to inductively generate highly active Fe-N_x sites for ORR. Using 57 Fe M？sbauer spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction, we studied the structural composition of the Fe and N co-doped carbon catalysts.Interestingly, the results showed that this system not only converted inactive Fe and Fe-carbides into active Fe-N_4 and other Fe-nitrides, but also improved their intrinsic activities.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51871119 and 51901100)the High-Level Entrepreneurial and Innovative Talents Program of Jiangsu Province,Jiangsu Provincial Funds for Natural Science Foundation (BK20170793 and BK20180015)+2 种基金the Six Talent Peak Project of Jiangsu Province (2018-XCL-033)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2018M640481 and 2019T120426)the Foundation of Graduation Innovation Center in NUAA (kfjj20190609)。
文摘The demanding all-in-one electrocatalyst system for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR), oxygen evolution reaction(OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) in zinc-air batteries or water splitting requires elaborate material manufacturing, which is usually complicated and time-consuming.Efficient interface engineering between MXene and highly active electrocatalytic species(CoS_(2)) is, herein, achieved by an in situ hydrothermal growth and facile sulfurization process.The CoS_(2)@MXene electrocatalyst is composed by one-dimensional CoS_(2) nanowires and two-dimensional MXene nanosheets, which lead to a hierarchical structure(large specific surface area and abundant active sites), a spatial electron redistribution(high intrinsic activity), and high anchoring strength(superior performance stability). Therefore, the electrocatalyst achieves enhanced catalytic activity and longtime stability for ORR(a half-wave potential of 0.80 V), OER(an overpotential of 270 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2), i.e., η10= 270 mV)and HER(η10= 175 mV). Furthermore, the asymmetry water splitting system based on the CoS_(2)@MXene composites delivers a low overall voltage of 1.63 V at 10 mA cm^(-2). The solidstate zinc-air batteries using CoS_(2)@MXene as the air cathode display a small charge-discharge voltage gap(0.53 V at1 mA cm^(-2)) and superior stability(60 circles and 20-h continuous test). The energy interconversion between the chemical energy and electricity can be achieved by a self-powered system via integrating the water splitting system and quasisolid-state zinc-air batteries. Supported by in situ Raman analyses, the formation of cobalt oxyhydroxide species provides the active sites for water oxidation. This study paves apromising avenue for the design and application of multifunctional nanocatalysts.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21978147 and 21935001)Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformationssupported by the Shuimu Tsinghua Scholar Program (2021SM072)
文摘Electrocatalysis is deemed as a promising approach for sustainable energy conversion and chemical production.Although a variety of cathode reactions(e.g.,hydrogen evolution and CO_(2)/N_(2)reduction)produce valuable fuels and chemicals,the extensively studied oxygen evolution reaction(OER)at anode only generates O_(2),which is not a high-value product.Substituting the OER with thermodynamically more favorable biomass derivative oxidation reactions(BDORs)not only enables energy-saving electrocatalysis,but also provides value-added anode products.Recent achievements have demonstrated that non-noble electrocatalysts are promising for BDORs.Herein,we provide a comprehensive review on recent achievements in the field of electrochemical BDORs catalyzed by non-noble catalysts.We start by summarizing the electrocatalytic oxidation of different types of biomass-derived substrates,aiming to show the advantages of the electrocatalytic pathway and to introduce the state-of-the-art non-noble catalysts.The reaction mechanisms of non-noble-material-catalyzed BDORs are then summarized and classified into three types according to the acceptor of hydrogen species during the dehydrogenation of biomass derivatives.Subsequently,discussions are devoted to the strategies for promoting the performances of non-noble electrocatalysts.Finally,we propose our opinions regarding future trends and major challenges in this field.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51932011,51872334,51874326 and 51572299)the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province for Distinguished Young Scholars (2018JJ1036)the Independent Exploration and Innovation Project for graduate students of the Central South University (2019zzts049)。
文摘Noble metal-free electrocatalysts with high activity are highly desirable for the large-scale application of hydrogen evolution reaction(HER). Mo_(2) C-based nanomaterials have been proved as a promising alternative to noble metal-based electrocatalysts owing to the Pt-resembled d-band density and optimal intermediates-adsorption properties.However, the aggregation and excessive growth of crystals often occur during their high-temperature synthesis procedure, leading to low catalytic utilization. In this study, the ultrafine Mo_(2) C/Mo_(2) N heterostructure with large surface and interface confined in the N-doped carbon nanofibers(NCNFs) was obtained by a melamine-assisted method. The synergistic effect of Mo_(2) C/Mo_(2) N heterostructure and plenty active sites exposed on the surface of ultrafine nanocrystals improves the electrocatalytic activity. Meanwhile, the N-CNFs ensure fast charge transfer and high structural stability during reactions. Moreover, the in-situ synthesis method strengthens the interfacial coupling interactions between Mo_(2)C/Mo_(2) N heterostructure and N-CNFs, further enhancing the electronic conductivity and electrocatalytic activity. Owing to these advantages, Mo_(2)C/Mo_(2) N@N-CNFs exhibit excellent HER performance with a low overpotential of 75 mV at a current density of 10 mV cm^(-2) in alkaline solution, superior to the single-phased Mo_(2)C counterpart and recently reported Mo_(2)C/Mo_(2) N-based catalysts. This study highlights a new effective strategy to design efficient electrocatalysts via integrating heterostructure, nanostructure and carbon modification.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,National Key Research and Development Project (2016YFC0801302, 2016YFF0204402)the Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in the University+2 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universitiesthe longterm subsidy mechanism from the Ministry of Financethe Ministry of Education of China
文摘Exploring efficient and cost-effective electro- catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction （OER） is critical to water splitting. While nickel-iron layered double hydroxide （NiFe LDH） has been long recognized as a promising non- precious electrocatalyst for OER, its intrinsic activity needs further improvement. Herein, we design a highly-efficient oxygen evolution electrode based on defective NiFe LDH na- noarray. By combing the merits of the modulated electronic structure, more exposed active sites, and the conductive elec- trode, the defective NiFe LDH electrocatalysts show a low onset potential of 1.40 V （vs. RHE）. An overpotential of only 200 mV is required for 10 mA cm-2, which is 48 mV lower than that of pristine NiFe-LDH. Density functional theory plus U （DFT＋U） calculations are further employed for the origin of this OER activity enhancement. We find the introduction of oxygen vacancies leads to a lower valance state of Fe and the narrowed bandgap, which means the electrons tend to be ea- sily excited into the conduction band, resulting in the lowered reaction overpotential and enhanced OER performance.
