Steam reforming of acetic acid over Ni/biochar of low metal-loading:Involvement of biochar in tailoring reaction intermediates renders superior catalytic performance

Biochar is a reactive carrier as it may be partially gasified with steam in steam reforming,which could influence the formation of reaction intermediates and modify catalytic behaviors.Herein,the Ni/biochar as well as two comparative catalysts,Ni/Al_(2)O_(3) and Ni/SiO_(2),with low nickel loading(2%(mass))was conducted to probe involvement of the varied carriers in the steam reforming.The results indicated that the Ni/biochar performed excellent catalytic activity than Ni/SiO_(2) and Ni/Al_(2)O_(3),as the biochar carrier facilitated quick conversion of the -OH from dissociation of steam to gasify the oxygen-rich carbonaceous intermediates like C=O and C-O-C,resulting in low coverage while high exposure of nickel species for maintaining the superior catalytic performance.In converse,strong adsorption of aliphatic intermediates over Ni/Al_(2)O_(3) and Ni/SiO_(2) induced serious coking with polymeric coke as the main type(21.5%and 32.1%,respectively),which was significantly higher than that over Ni/biochar(3.9%).The coke over Ni/biochar was mainly aromatic or catalytic type with nanotube morphology and high crystallinity.The high resistivity of Ni/biochar towards coking was due to the balance between formation of coke and gasification of coke and partially biochar with steam,which created developed mesopores in spent Ni/biochar while the coke blocked pores in Ni/Al_(2)O_(3) and Ni/SiO_(2) catalysts.

Steam reforming of acetic acid over Ni-Ba/Al2O3 catalysts:Impacts of barium addition on coking behaviors and formation of reaction intermediates

The influence of barium addition to a Ni/Al2O3 catalyst on the reaction intermediates formed,the activity,resistance of the catalyst to coking,and properties of the coke formed after acetic acid steam reforming were investigated in this study.The results showed the drastic effects of barium addition on the physicochemical properties and performances of the catalyst.The solid-phase reaction between alumina and BaO formed BaAl2O4,which re-constructed the alumina structure,resulting in a decrease in the specific surface area and an increase in the resistance of metallic Ni to sintering.The addition of barium was also beneficial for enhancing the catalytic activity,resulting from the changed catalytic reaction network.The in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) study of the acetic acid steam reforming indicated that barium could effectively suppress the accumulation of the reaction intermediates of carbonyl,formate,and C=C functional groups on the catalyst surface,attributed to its relatively high ability to cause the gasification of these species.In addition,coking was considerably more significant over the Ba-Ni/Al2O3 catalyst.Moreover,the Ba-Ni/Al2O3 catalyst was more stable than the Ni/Al2O3catalyst,owing to the distinct forms of coke formed (carbon nanotube form over the Ba-Ni/Al2O3 catalyst,and the amorphous form over the Ni/Al2O3 catalyst).

Novel Co_3O_4 Nanoparticles/Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Composites with Extraordinary Catalytic Activity for Oxygen Evolution Reaction(OER)

Herein, Co_3O_4 nanoparticles/nitrogen-doped carbon(Co_3O_4/NPC) composites with different structures were prepared via a facile method. Structure control was achieved by the rational morphology design of ZIF-67 precursors, which were then pyrolyzed in air to obtain Co_3O_4/NPC composites. When applied as catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction(OER), the M-Co_3O_4/NPC composites derived from the flower-like ZIF-67 showedsuperior catalytic activities than those derived from the rhombic dodecahedron and hollow spherical ZIF-67. The former M-Co_3O_4/NPC composite displayed a small overpotential of 0.3 V, low onset potential of 1.41 V, small Tafel slope of 83 m V dec^(-1), and a desirable stability.(94.7% OER activity was retained after 10 h.) The excellent performance of the flower-like M-Co_3O_4/NPC composite in the OER was attributed to its favorable structure.

In-situ monitoring of dynamic behavior of catalyst materials and reaction intermediates in semiconductor catalytic processes

Semiconductor photocatalysis, as a key part of solar energy utilization, has far-reaching implications for industrial, agricultural, and commercial development. Lack of understanding of the catalyst evolution and the reaction mechanism is a critical obstacle for designing efficient and stable photocatalysts. This review summarizes the recent progress of in-situ exploring the dynamic behavior of catalyst materials and reaction intermediates. Semiconductor photocatalytic processes and two major classes of in-situ techniques that include microscopic imaging and spectroscopic characterization are presented. Finally, problems and challenges in in-situ characterization are proposed, geared toward developing more advanced in-situ techniques and monitoring more accurate and realistic reaction processes, to guide designing advanced photocatalysts.

DETECTION OF INTERMEDIATES IN REACTION BETWEEN N , N'-DI (P-METHYL) PHENYL MONOTHIOXAMIDES AND 1, 3-DIAMINE TRIMETHYLENE USING RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY

Reman spectroscopy is used as a tool to monitor the reaction between N,N'-di(pmethyl)monothioxamides and 1,3-diamine trimethylene and to detect the reaction intermediate. By observing changes of 1024 cm^(-1) C=S band and appearance of a new bend at around 1720 cm^(-1), the reaction mechanism is discussed.

Reaction pathway led by silicate structure transformation on decomposition of CaSiO_3 in alkali fusion process using NaOH

The mechanism of decomposition of calcium inosilicate(CaSiO_3) synthesized through chemical deposition method using analytical reagent NaSiO_3·9H_2O and CaCl_2 during the alkali fusion process using NaOH was investigated by Raman spectroscopy in situ,X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer(FTIR).The results show that the tetrahedral silica chains within CaSiO_3 are gradually disrupted and transformed into nesosilicate with the isolated SiO_4 tetrahedra at the beginning of the alkali fusion process.The three intermediates including Ca_2SiO_4,Na_2CaSiO_4 and Na_2SiO_3 appear simultaneously in the decomposition of CaSiO_3,while the final products are Ca(OH)_2 and Na_4SiO_4.It can be concluded that there exist two reaction pathways in the alkali fusion process of CaSiO_3:one is ion exchange,the other is in the main form of the framework structure change of silicate.The reaction pathway is led by silicate structure transformation in the alkali fusion process.

Identification of relevant active sites and a mechanism study for reverse water gas shift reaction over Pt/CeO_2 catalysts

Reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction can serve as a pivotal stage in the CO2 conversion processes, which is vital for the utilization of CO2. In this study, RWGS reaction was performed over Pt/CeO2 catalysts at the temperature range of 200-500 degrees C under ambient pressure. Compared with pure CeO2, Pt/CeO2 catalysts exhibited superior RWGS activity at lower reaction temperature. Meanwhile, the calculated TOF and E-a values are approximately the same over these Pt/CeO2 catalysts pretreated under various calcination conditions, indicating that the RWGS reaction is not affected by the morphologies of anchored Pt nanoparticles or the primary crystallinity of CeO2. TPR and XPS results indicated that the incorporation of Pt promoted the reducibility of CeO2 support and remarkably increased the content of Ce 3 + sites on the catalyst surface. Furthermore, the CO TPSR-MS signal under the condition of pure CO2 flow over Pt/CeO 2 catalyst is far lower than that under the condition of adsorbed CO2 with H-2 -assisted flow, revealing that CO2 molecules adsorbed on Ce3+ active sites have difficult in generating CO directly. Meanwhile, the adsorbed CO2 with the assistance of H-2 can form formate species easily over Ce3+ active sites and then decompose into Ce3+-CO species for CO production, which was identified by in-situ FTIR. (C) 2016 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B. V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.

Recent Advances of Transition Metal Basic Salts for Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution Reaction and Overall Water Electrolysis

Electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction(OER)has been recognized as the bottleneck of overall water splitting,which is a promising approach for sustainable production of H_(2).Transition metal(TM)hydroxides are the most conventional and classical non-noble metal-based electrocatalysts for OER,while TM basic salts[M^(2+)(OH)_(2-x)(A_(m^(-))_(x/m),A=CO_(3)^(2−),NO_(3)^(−),F^(−),Cl^(−)]consisting of OH−and another anion have drawn extensive research interest due to its higher catalytic activity in the past decade.In this review,we summarize the recent advances of TM basic salts and their application in OER and further overall water splitting.We categorize TM basic salt-based OER pre-catalysts into four types(CO_(3)^(2−),NO_(3)^(−),F^(−),Cl^(−)according to the anion,which is a key factor for their outstanding performance towards OER.We highlight experimental and theoretical methods for understanding the structure evolution during OER and the effect of anion on catalytic performance.To develop bifunctional TM basic salts as catalyst for the practical electrolysis application,we also review the present strategies for enhancing its hydrogen evolution reaction activity and thereby improving its overall water splitting performance.Finally,we conclude this review with a summary and perspective about the remaining challenges and future opportunities of TM basic salts as catalysts for water electrolysis.

Tuning the intermediate reaction barriers by a CuPd catalyst to improve the selectivity of CO_(2) electroreduction to C_(2) products

Electrochemical CO2 reduction is a promising strategy for the utilization of CO2 and intermittent excess electricity.Cu is the only single metal catalyst that can electrochemically convert CO2 into multicarbon products.However,Cu exhibits an unfavorable activity and selectivity for the generation of C2 products because of the insufficient amount of CO*provided for the C‐C coupling.Based on the strong CO2 adsorption and ultrafast reaction kinetics of CO*formation on Pd,an intimate CuPd(100)interface was designed to lower the intermediate reaction barriers and improve the efficiency of C2 product formation.Density functional theory(DFT)calculations showed that the CuPd(100)interface enhanced the CO2 adsorption and decreased the CO2*hydrogenation energy barrier,which was beneficial for the C‐C coupling.The potential‐determining step(PDS)barrier of CO2 to C2 products on the CuPd(100)interface was 0.61 eV,which was lower than that on Cu(100)(0.72 eV).Encouraged by the DFT calculation results,the CuPd(100)interface catalyst was prepared by a facile chemical solution method and characterized by transmission electron microscopy.CO2 temperature‐programmed desorption and gas sensor experiments further confirmed the enhancement of the CO2 adsorption and CO2*hydrogenation ability of the CuPd(100)interface catalyst.Specifically,the obtained CuPd(100)interface catalyst exhibited a C2 Faradaic efficiency of 50.3%±1.2%at‒1.4 VRHE in 0.1 M KHCO3,which was 2.1 times higher than that of the Cu catalyst(23.6%±1.5%).This study provides the basis for the rational design of Cu‐based electrocatalysts for the generation of multicarbon products by fine‐tuning the intermediate reaction barriers.

Fundamental aspects in CO_(2) electroreduction reaction and solutions from in situ vibrational spectroscopies

Using renewable energy to drive carbon dioxide reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR)electrochemically into chemicals with high energy density is an efficient way to achieve carbon neutrality,where the effective utilization of CO_(2) and the storage of renewable energy are realized.The reactivity and selectivity of CO_(2)RR depend on the structure and composition of the catalyst,applied potential,electrolyte,and pH of the solution.Besides,multiple electron and proton transfer steps are involved in CO_(2)RR,making the reaction pathways even more complicated.In pursuit of molecular-level insights into the CO_(2)RR processes,in situ vibrational methods including infrared,Raman and sum frequency generation spectroscopies have been deployed to monitor the dynamic evolution of catalyst structure,to identify reactive intermediates as well as to investigate the effect of local reaction environment on CO_(2)RR performance.This review summarizes key findings from recent electrochemical vibrational spectrosopic studies of CO_(2)RR in addressing the following issues:the CO_(2)RR mechanisms of different pathways,the role of surface-bound CO species,the compositional and structural effects of catalysts and electrolytes on CO_(2)RR activity and selectivity.Our perspectives on developing high sensitivity wide-frequency infrared spectroscopy,coupling different spectroelectrochemical methods and implementing operando vibrational spectroscopies to tackle the CO_(2)RR process in pilot reactors are offered at the end.

Study on the Intermediate in the o-Phenylenediamine Oxidative Reaction Using Hemoglobin as A Mimetic Peroxidase in Aqueous-Organic Two Phase

Hemoglobin was used as a mimetic enzyme for peroxidase to catalyze the oxidative reaction of o-phenylenediamine with H2O2 which functioned as an oxidant. The relationship between physicochemical properties of the intermediate and enzymatic activity of hemoglobin was studied. Since the solubility of the intermediate in the reaction is higher in butanol phase than in water phase, the intermediate itself diffused from the aqueous phase to the butanol phase. The experimental results showed that the rate of product and the stability of intermediate were associated with the temperature and the pH value of the buffer. The formation rate of intermediate and half-life period reveal the maximal in pH7, nevertheless, the whole rate of the catalytic reaction is the greatest in pH5, which the ratio of the initial rate in final product formation compared to that intermediate formation is the greatest.

Boosting the oxygen evolution reaction through migrating active sites from the bulk to surface of perovskite oxides

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) dominates the efficiency of electrocatalytic water splitting owing to its sluggish kinetics.Perovskite oxides (ABO_(3)) have emerged as promising candidates to accelerate the OER process owing to their high intrinsic activities and tailorable properties.Fe ions in perovskite oxides have been proved to be a highly catalytic element for OER,while some Fe-based perovskites such as SrTi_(0.8)Fe_(0.2)O_(3-δ)(STF) and La_(0.66)Ti_(0.8)Fe_(0.2)O_(3-δ)(LTF) exhibit inferior OER activity.Yet the essential reason is still unclear and the effective method to promote the activity of such perovskite is also lacking.Herein,an in-situ exsolution strategy was proposed to boost the OER by migrating Fe from the bulk to the surface.Significantly enhanced OER activity was achieved on STF and LTF perovskites with surfacedecorated oxygen vacancies and Fe nanoparticles.In addition,theoretical calculation confirmed that the oxygen vacancies and Fe nanoparticle on surface could lower the overpotential of OER by facilitating the adsorption of OH^(-).From this study,migration of the active elements in perovskite is found to be an effective strategy to increase the quantity and activity of active sites,providing new insights and understanding for designing efficient OER catalysts.

Ni_(3)Fe/Ni_(4)S_(3)/Ni/C Mixed Crystal Composite Nanofibers Prepared by Electrospinning and Heat Treatment Methods for Oxygen Evolution Reaction

OER catalyst of Ni_(3)Fe/Ni_(4)S_(3)/Ni/C(NiFeSC series)mixed crystal composite nanofibers was prepared by electrospinning and atmospheric heat treatment process.The testing results indicate that the diameters of Ni_(3)Fe/Ni_(4)S_(3)/Ni/C composite nanofibers is about 200 nm,the grains size is about 1-3 nm,and the fiber surface is rough.The electrochemical test results show that the heterojunction of the prepared Ni_(3)Fe/Ni_(4)S_(3)/Ni/C hybrid crystal composite nanofiber has synergistic effect with sulfide,and exhibits good electrocatalytic activity of water decomposition and OER in alkaline system.The OER electrocatalytic performance of Ni_(3)Fe/Ni_(4)S_(3)/Ni/C composite electrode prepared via a heat treatment at 1000℃process was tested in 1 mol/L KOH electrolytes.The results show that the overpotential is about 298 mV,the Tafel slope is about 74 mV?dec-1,and the surface resistance is about 1.69Ω·cm^(2),at the current density of 10 mA·cm^(-2).

Density Function Theory Studies on Reaction of HCS with OH

The exothermic reaction of HCS with OH on the single-state potential energy surface was explored by means of Density Function Theory(DFT). The equilibrium structural parameters, the harmonic vibrational frequencies, the total energies and the zero point energies(ZPE) of all the species in the reaction were computed. Six intermediates and seven transition states were located, three exothermic channels were found. The frequency analysis and the Intrinsic Reaction Coordinate(IRC) calculation confirm that the transitions are truthful. The results indicate that there are three exothermic channels and their corresponding products are: P1(H 2O+CS) , P2(H 2S+CO), P3(OCS+H 2), and P1 has a larger branch ratio.

Co NP/NC hollow nanoparticles derived from yolk-shell structured ZIFs@polydopamine as bifunctional electrocatalysts for water oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions

The pyrolysis under inert atmosphere has been widely used for the synthesis of metal containing heteroatoms doped carbon materials, versatile catalysts for various reactions. However, it is difficult to prevent metal nanoparticles aggregation during pyrolysis process. Herein, we reported the efficient synthesis of nitrogen doped carbon hollow nanospheres with cobalt nanoparticles （Co NP, ca. 10nm in size） distributed uniformly in the shell via pyrolysis of yolk-shell structured Zn-Co-ZIFs@polydopamine （PDA）. PDA acted as both protection layer and carbon source, which successfully prevented the aggregation of cobalt nanoparticles during high-temperature pyrolysis process. The Co NP and N containing carbon （Co NP/NC） hollow nanospheres were active for both oxygen evolution reaction （OER） and oxygen reduction reaction （ORR）, affording overpotential of 430 mV at 10 mA/cm2 for OER in 1 M KOH and comparable half-wave potential to that of Pt/C （0.80V vs RHE） for ORR in 0.1 M KOH. The superior performance of carbon hollow nanospheres for both OER and ORR was mainly attributed to its small metal nanoparticles, N-doping and hollow nanostructure. The protection and confinement effect that originated from PDA coating strategy could be extended to the synthesis of other hollow structured carbon materials, especially the ones with small metal nanoparticles.

Recent Advances in the Comprehension and Regulation of Lattice Oxygen Oxidation Mechanism in Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Water electrolysis,a process for producing green hydrogen from renewable energy,plays a crucial role in the transition toward a sustainable energy landscape and the realization of the hydrogen economy.Oxygen evolution reaction(OER)is a critical step in water electrolysis and is often limited by its slow kinetics.Two main mechanisms,namely the adsorbate evolution mechanism(AEM)and lattice oxygen oxidation mechanism(LOM),are commonly considered in the context of OER.However,designing efficient catalysts based on either the AEM or the LOM remains a topic of debate,and there is no consensus on whether activity and stability are directly related to a certain mechanism.Considering the above,we discuss the characteristics,advantages,and disadvantages of AEM and LOM.Additionally,we provide insights on leveraging the LOM to develop highly active and stable OER catalysts in future.For instance,it is essential to accurately differentiate between reversible and irreversible lattice oxygen redox reactions to elucidate the LOM.Furthermore,we discuss strategies for effectively activating lattice oxygen to achieve controllable steady-state exchange between lattice oxygen and an electrolyte(OH^(-)or H_(2)O).Additionally,we discuss the use of in situ characterization techniques and theoretical calculations as promising avenues for further elucidating the LOM.

Fe掺杂NiCo-LDH的制备及OER催化性能

层状双金属氢氧化物(LDH)因具有组成和结构易于调变等优势而被广泛用作析氧反应(Oxygen evolution reaction,OER)催化剂。通过溶剂热法合成了由二维纳米片组成的花状结构的NiCo-LDH材料,并利用Fe离子对其进行刻蚀,合成了Fe掺杂的NiCo-LDH。在OER催化性能测试中,与未刻蚀的NiCo-LDH相比,在电流密度为10 mA·cm^(-2)时,Fe掺杂的NiCo-LDH材料的过电位仅为273 mV,塔菲尔斜率为98 mV·dec^(-1),OER性能显著提升。此外,所合成的Fe掺杂的NiCo-LDH材料还表现出良好的长期稳定性,经过16 h的连续测试,其OER催化活性仍然能保持在80%。Fe离子刻蚀使NiCo-LDH纳米片具有较多的边缘缺陷,能够提供更多的边缘位点作为活性中心;并且Fe离子的引入改变了NiCo-LDH的电子结构,增加了LDH的层间距离,从而有效改善了催化剂的催化活性和动力学性能。

水热法制备FeNi_x-LDH催化剂及OER性能

采用水热法制备氧析出反应(OER)催化剂铁镍层状双氢氧化物(FeNix-LDH),研究Fe、Ni物质的量比及水热温度和浓度对FeNix-LDH结构及OER催化性能的影响。当x=3时,以较低反应物浓度(为较高反应物浓度的1/10)在180℃下反应24 h,得到的FeNi3-LDH-2催化剂表现出最好的OER催化性能。在1.0 mol/L KOH溶液中,10 mA/cm^2电流密度下的过电位为0.271 V;以10 mA/cm^2恒流连续测量6 h,电压只上升了3.6%,具有较好的电化学稳定性。

Theoretical Studies on the Mechanism of Photocycloaddition Reaction Between 6 Azauracil and Acetone

The mechanism of photocycloaddition reaction between 6-azauracll and acetone was studied by using semiemptrical SCFMO AMI method. It was found that this reaction is not a concerted one. The calculated results are as follows:(1) A T1 state exciplex is on the T1 state energy surface; (2) T exciplex as a reactant will proceed along the energy surface of T1 state to form a diradical intermediate. The energy barrier of this reaction step is 63. 6 kJ/mol; (3) The T1 state diradical intermediate happens to be close in energy to the ground state intermediate with a similar geometry. Such a situation turns out to be very favorable for an intersystem crossing (jump from the T, state to the ground state) ; (4) The final product will be formed from the ground S0 state intermediate via an energy barrier 88. 2 kJ/mol.

溶剂对Ni-MOF的形貌调控及其OER性能影响

通过改变溶剂的种类和组成,系统地研究了溶剂对Ni-金属有机框架材料(Ni-MOF)合成的影响。由于DMF、EtOH和水具有竞争性,使用不同比例的DMF/EtOH/H_(2)O作为溶剂进一步控制晶体尺寸大小和形貌。每种溶剂都可以起到晶体调制器的作用,降低成核速率,从而增大晶体尺寸。为了研究形貌对Ni-MOF性能的影响,将所得不同形貌的Ni-MOF,用于析氧反应(OER)测试。目前,通过调控反应溶剂的策略,简单而有效地控制了MOF的尺寸和形貌,并可扩展到各种具有广泛潜在应用前景的纳米MOF的制备。