Morphology and valence state evolution of Cu:Unraveling the impact on nitric oxide electroreduction

Ammonia(NH3)serves as a critical component in the fertilizer industry and fume gas denitrification.However,the conventional NH3production process,namely the Haber-Bosch process,leads to considerable energy consumption and waste gas emissions.To address this,electrocatalytic nitric oxide reduction reaction(NORR)has emerged as a promising strategy to bridge NH3consumption to NH3production,harnessing renewable electricity for a sustainable future.Copper(Cu)stands out as a prominent electrocatalyst for NO reduction,given its exceptional NH3yield and selectivity.However,a crucial aspect that remains insufficiently explored is the effects of morphology and valence states of Cu on the NORR performance.In this investigation,we synthesized CuO nanowires(CuO-NF)and Cu nanocubes(Cu-NF)as cathodes through an in situ growth method.Remarkably,CuO-NF exhibited an impressive NH3yield of 0.50±0.02 mg cm^(-2)h^(-1)at-0.6 V vs.reversible hydrogen electrode(RHE)with faradaic efficiency of29,68%±1,35%,surpassing that of Cu-NF(0.17±0.01 mg cm^(-2)h^(-1),16.18%±1.40%).Throughout the electroreduction process,secondary cubes were generated on the CuO-NF surface,preserving their nanosheet cluster morphology,sustained by an abundant supply of subsurface oxygen(s-O)even after an extended duration of 10 h,until s-O depletion ensued.Conversely,Cu-NF exhibited inadequate s-O content,leading to rapid crystal collapse within the same timeframe.The distinctive current-potential relationship,akin to a volcano-type curve,was attributed to distinct NO hydrogenation mechanisms.Further Tafel analysis revealed the exchange current density(i0)and standard heterogeneous rate constant(k0)for CuO-NF,yielding 3.44×10^(-6)A cm^(-2)and 3.77×10^(-6)cm^(-2)s^(-1)when NORR was driven by overpotentials.These findings revealed the potential of CuO-NF for NO reduction and provided insights into the intricate interplay between crystal morphology,valence states,and electrochemical performance.

Valence electron structures dependences of structural stability and properties of REX_(3)(RE=rare earth;X=In,Tl)and RE(In,Co)3 alloys

Intermetallic compounds REIn3(RE=rare earth)have attracted much attention due to their unique characteristics:crystal field effect,Kondo effect,superconductivity,heavy fermion,and antiferromagnetism,and their cobalt diluted alloys exhibit the ferromagnetic half-metallic characteristics at room temperature.In this study,an empirical electron theory(EET)is employed to investigate systemically the valence electronic structure,the thermal and magnetic properties of REX_(3) and their cobalt diluted alloys for revealing the mechanism of physical properties.The calculated bond length,melting point,and magnetic moment match the experimental ones very well.The study reveals that structural stability and physical properties of REX_(3) and their cobalt dilute alloys are strongly related to their valence electron structures.It is suggested that the structural stability and cohesive energy depend upon the covalent electron,the melting point is modulated by covalent electron pair,and the magnetic moment is originated from 3d magnetic electron.The ferromagnetic characteristics of Co-diluted REIn3 alloys is originated from the introduction of strong ferromagnetic Co atom,but,a competition is caused between the electron transition from valence electron to magnetic electron on d orbit and its reversal electron transformation with increasing the content of cobalt,which results in the formations of diluted magnetic Gd(In,Co)3 alloy with minor amount of cobalt and strong magnetic Nd(In,Co)3 alloy with doping more Co atoms.

Valence Bands Convergence in p-Type CoSb_(3) through Electronegative Fluorine Filling

Band convergence is considered to be a strategy with clear benefits for thermoelectric performance,generally favoring the co-optimization of conductivity and Seebeck coefficients,and the conventional means include elemental filling to regulate the band.However,the influence of the most electronegative fluorine on the CoSb_(3) band remains unclear.We carry out density-functional-theory calculations and show that the valence band maximum gradually shifts downward with the increase of fluorine filling,lastly the valence band maximum converges to the highly degenerated secondary valence bands in fluorine-filled skutterudites.

Enhanced anomalous Hall effect in kagome magnet YbMn_(6)Sn_(6)with intermediate-valence ytterbium

We report on the magnetization and anomalous Hall effect(AHE)in the high-quality single crystals of the kagome magnet YbMn_(6)Sn_(6),where the spins of the Mn atoms in the kagome lattice order ferromagnetically and the intermediate-valence Yb atoms are nonmagnetic.The intrinsic mechanism plays a crucial role in the AHE,leading to an enhanced anomalous Hall conductivity(AHC)compared with the other rare-earth RMn_(6)Sn_(6)compounds.Our band structure calculation reveals a strong hybridization between the 4f electrons of Yb and conduction electrons.

High valence metals engineering strategies of Fe/Co/Ni-based catalysts for boosted OER electrocatalysis

Electrocatalysis for the oxygen evolution reactions(OER)has attracted much attention due to its important role in water splitting and rechargeable metal-air batteries.Therefore,designing highly efficient and low-cost catalysts for OER process is essential as the conventional catalysts still rely on precious metals.Transition metal-based compounds have been widely investigated as active OER catalysts,and renewed interest in the high valence metals engineered compounds has been achieved for superior catalytic activity and stability.However,an in-depth understanding of the construction strategies and induced effects for the high valence metals engineered catalysts is still lacking and desired.In this review,we have summarized the construction strategies of high valence metals as dopants or formed heterostructures with the iron/cobalt/nickel(Fe/Co/Ni)-based catalysts.Then the induced effects on Fe/Co/Ni-based catalysts by incorporating high valence metals,e.g.,accelerating the surface reconstruction,forming amorphous structure,generating vacancies/defects,and acting as stabilizers,are highlighted.The impacts of high valence metals on OER performance are elucidated based on different elements,including molybdenum(Mo),tungsten(W),cerium(Ce),vanadium(V),chromium(Cr),manganese(Mn),niobium(Nb),zirconium(Zr).The correlations of construction strategies,induced effects,catalytic activity and OER reaction pathways are elaborated.Finally,the remaining challenges for further enhancements of OER performance induced by high valence metals are presented.

Novel ternary metals-based telluride electrocatalyst with synergistic effects of high valence non-3d metal and oxophilic Te for pH-universal hydrogen evolution reaction

Electrocatalyst designs based on oxophilic foreign atoms are considered a promising approach for developing efficient pH-universal hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)electrocatalysts by overcoming the sluggish alkaline HER kinetics.Here,we design ternary transition metals-based nickel telluride(Mo WNi Te)catalysts consisting of high valence non-3d Mo and W metals and oxophilic Te as a first demonstration of non-precious heterogeneous electrocatalysts following the bifunctional mechanism.The Mo WNi Te showed excellent HER catalytic performance with overpotentials of 72,125,and 182 mV to reach the current densities of 10,100,and 1000 mA cm^(-2),respectively,and the corresponding Tafel slope of 47,52,and 58 mV dec-1in alkaline media,which is much superior to commercial Pt/C.Additionally,the HER performance of Mo WNi Te is well maintained up to 3000 h at the current density of 100 mA cm^(-2).It is further demonstrated that the Mo WNi Te exhibits remarkable HER activities with an overpotential of 45 mV(31 mV)and Tafel slope of 60 mV dec-1(34 mV dec-1)at 10 mA cm^(-2)in neutral(acid)media.The superior HER performance of Mo WNi Te is attributed to the electronic structure modulation,inducing highly active low valence states by the incorporation of high valence non-3d transition metals.It is also attributed to the oxophilic effect of Te,accelerating water dissociation kinetics through a bifunctional catalytic mechanism in alkaline media.Density functional theory calculations further reveal that such synergistic effects lead to reduced free energy for an efficient water dissociation process,resulting in remarkable HER catalytic performances within universal pH environments.

Interface and M^(3+)/M^(2+)Valence Dual-Engineering on Nickel Cobalt Sulfoselenide/Black Phosphorus Heterostructure for Efficient Water Splitting Electrocatalysis

The catalyst innovation that aims at noble-metal-free substitutes is one key aspect for future sustainable hydrogen energy deployment.In this paper,a nickel cobalt sulfoselenide/black phosphorus heterostructure(NiCoSe|S/BP)was fabricated to realize the highly active and durable water electrolysis through interface and valence dual-engineering.The NiCoSe|S/BP nanostructure was constructed by in-situ growing NiCo hydroxide nanosheet arrays on few-layer BP and subsequently one-step sulfoselenization by SeS2.Besides the conductive merit of BP substrate,holes in p-type BP are capable of oxidizing the Co^(2+)to high-valence and electron-accepting Co^(3+),benefiting the oxygen evolution reaction(OER).Meanwhile,Ni^(3+)/Ni^(2+)ratio in the heterostructure is reduced to maintain the electrical neutrality,which corresponds to the increased electron-donating character for boosting hydrogen evolution reaction(HER).As for HER and OER,the heterostructured NiCoSe|S/BP electrocatalyst exhibits small overpotentials of 172 and 285 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2)(η_(10))in alkaline media,respectively.And overall water splitting has been achieved at a low cell potential of 1.67 V at η_(10) with high stability.Molecular sensing and density functional theory(DFT)calculations are further proposed for understanding the rate-determine steps and enhanced catalytic mechanism.The investigation presents a deep-seated perception for the electrocatalytic performance enhancement of BP-based heterostructure.

Alternative lead-free mixed-valence double perovskites for high-efficiency photovoltaic applications

Lead-based organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites have exhibited great potential in photovoltaics,achieving power conversion efficiencies(PCEs) exceeding 25%.However,the toxicity of lead and the instability of these materials under moist conditions pose significant barriers to large-scale production.To overcome these limitations,researchers have proposed mixed-valence double perovskites,where Cs_(2)Au~ⅠAu~ⅢI_6 is a particularly effective absorber due to its suitable band gap and high absorptance efficiency.To further extend the scope of these lead-free materials,we varied the trivalent gold ion and halogen anion in Cs_(2)Au~ⅠAu~ⅢI_6,resulting in 18 new structures with unique properties.Further,using first-principles calculations and elimination criteria,we identified four materials with ideal band gaps,small effective carrier mass,and strong anisotropic optical properties.According to theoretical modeling,Cs_(2)AuSbCl_6,Cs_(2)AuInCl_6,and Cs_(2)AuBiCl_6 are potential candidates for solar cell absorbers,with a spectroscopic limited maximum efficiency(SLME) of approximately 30% in a 0.25 μm-thick film.These three compounds have not been previously reported,and therefore,our work provides new insights into potential materials for solar energy conversion.We aim for this theoretical exploration of novel perovskites to guide future experiments and accelerate the development of high-performance photovoltaic devices.

Integrating the valence theory and the norm activation theory to understand consumers’ e-waste recycling intention

Electrical and electronic waste(e-waste)is a growing challenge,matching the widespread boom in the use of information and communication technology.Opposite to an alarming increasing amount of e-waste,a low rate of consumer engagement in ensuring the proper disposal of such materials intensifies the pressure on the exist‐ing e-waste crisis.To deal with this thorny problem,it is of great interest to grasp consumers’disposal and re‐cycling behavioral intentions.Therefore,this study attempts to understand complementary perspectives around consumers’e-waste recycling intention based on the integration of the valence theory and the norm activation theory.Four data mining models using classification and prediction-based algorithms,namely Chi squared automatic interaction detector(CHAID),Neural network,Discriminant analysis,and Quick,unbiased,efficient statistical tree(QUEST),were employed to analyze a set of the 398 data collected in Vietnam.The re‐sults revealed that the social support value is by far the most critical predictor,followed by the utilitarian value,task difficulty,and monetary risk.It is also noteworthy that the awareness of consequences,education background,the ascription of responsibility,and age were also ranked as critical affecting factors.The lowest influential predictors found in this study were income and gender.In addition,a comparison was made in terms of the classification performance of the four utilized data mining techniques.Based on several evalua‐tion measurements(confusion matrix,accuracy,precision,recall,specificity,F-measure,ROC curve,and AUC),the aggregated results suggested that CHAID and Neural network performed the best.The findings of this research are expected to assist policymakers and future researchers in updating all information surround‐ing consumer behavioral intention-related topics focusing on e-waste.Furthermore,the adoption of data min‐ing algorithms for prediction is another insight of this study,which may shed the light on data mining applica‐tions in such environmental studies in the future.

Valence state effect of Cu on photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction

Copper(Cu)is extensively employed in photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction reactions for the production of high-value products.The valence state of transition metals plays a pivotal role in influencing the catalytic process.However,due to the complex valence state changes of Cu in the CO_(2)reduction reaction,research on its valence state effect is lacking.The current work is to prepare a series of TiO_(2)/CuX with stable Cu valence composition using different copper halides(CuX and CuX_(2),X=Br or Cl)as precursors.The results show that the CuBr_(2)loading leads to Cu^(+)/Cu^(2+) mixed cocatalyst and exhibits the highest activity for CO_(2)photoreduction.The CH4 evolution rate of the TiO_(2)/CuBr_(2)catalyst is as high as 100.59μmol h^(-1)g^(-1),which is 6.6 times that of pristine TiO_(2).The CH4 selectivity reaches 77%.The enhanced catalytic activity and selectivity can be ascribed to the efficient surface adsorption,activation,excellent carrier separation,and transfer ofCu^(+)/Cu^(2+) mixed cocatalyst.Our findings provide a reference for designing highly active Cu-based photocatalysts.

Equalized Electronegativity Based on the Valence Electrons and Its Application

We take the contribution of all valence electrons into consideration and propose a new valence electrons equilibration method to calculate the equalized electronegativity including molecular electronegativity, group electronegativity, and atomic charge. The ionization potential of alkanes and mono-substituted alkanes, the chemical shift of 1H NMR, and the gas phase proton affinity of aliphatic amines, alcohols, and ethers were estimated. All the expressions have good correlations. Moreover, the Sanderson method and Bratsch method were modified on the basis of the valence electrons equilibration theory. The modified Sanderson method and modified Bratsch method are more effective than their original methods to estimate these properties.

STUDY ON DEGRADATION OF LDPE CATALYZED BY MULTI-VALENCE METALLIC ORGANIC COMPOUNDS AT COMPOST TEMPERATURE

The catalytic effects of the organic compounds of iron,tin and manganese on the degradation of low density polyethylene (LDPE) at compost temperature are discussed.A series of samples were aged in a simulating compost environment.The mechanical properties,viscosity average molecular weight (M η) of PE and hydroperoxide (POOH) concentration in the samples were measured.FT IR and DSC were also applied to characterize some samples.It was shown that the above mentioned metallic organic compounds can catalyze the degradation of LDPE efficiently.After 2 months aging,all samples with catalysts became fragile and the M η of the material decreased dramatically.Furthermore,the concentration of carbonyl and the degree of crystallinity of the material increased with the aging time.

Valence states, impurities and electrocrystallization behaviors during molten salt electrorefining for preparation of high-purity titanium powder from sponge titanium

High-purity titanium powder was prepared by molten salt electrorefining from sponge titanium in NaCl-KCl-TiClx salts. The titanium valence, purity and electrocrystallization during electrolysis process were studied. The XPS analysis showed that the titanium valences are mainly ＋4, ＋3 and ＋2 at the earlier, medium and later stages of electrolysis, respectively. During the electrolysis process, the contents of impurities Si, Cr, Mn, Al vary little, and the contents of impurities Fe, Cu, Ni decrease markedly, while the contents of impurities O, N, H increase obviously. The residual impurities are usually distributed in small tunnel of dendritic crystals. Enhancing the electrolysis temperature and prolonging the electrolysis time can increase the titanium particle size. The TEM analysis showed that the electrodeposited titanium is not a single crystal, but contains many nanostructured grains and subgrains, with grain size of 100-500 nm. The electrolysis mechanisms were also discussed.

V2O5 Nanospheres with Mixed Vanadium Valences as High Electrochemically Active Aqueous Zinc-Ion Battery Cathode

AV4+-V2O5 cathode with mixed vanadium valences was prepared via a novel synthetic method using VOOH as the precursor,and its zinc-ion storage performance was evaluated.The products are hollow spheres consisting of nanoflakes.The V4+-V2O5 cathode exhibits a prominent cycling performance,with a specific capacity of 140 mAhg-1 after 1000 cycles at 10 A g.1,and an excellent rate capability.The good electrochemical performance is attributed to the presence of V4+,which leads to higher electrochemical activity,lower polarization,faster ion diffusion,and higher electrical conductivity than V2O5 without V4+.This engineering strategy of valence state manipulation may pave the way for designing high-performance cathodes for elucidating advanced battery chemistry.

Effects of 4f Electron Characteristics and Alternation Valence of Rare Earths on Photosynthesis: Regulating Distribution of Energy and Activities of Spinach Chloroplast

Chloroplasts were isolated from spinach treated with taCl3, CeCl3, and NdCl3. Because of owning 4f electron characteristics and alternation valence, Ce treatment presented the highest enhancement in light absorption, energy transfer from LHC Ⅱ to PS Ⅱ, excitation energy distribution from PS Ⅰ to PS Ⅱ, and fluorescence quantum yield around 680 nm. Compared with Ce treatment, Nd treatment resulted in relatively lower enhancement in these physiological indices, as Nd did not have alternation valence. La treatment presented the lowest enhancement, as La did not have either 4f electron or alternation valence. The increase in activities of whole chain electron transport, PS ⅡDCPIP photoreduction, and oxygen evolution of chloroplasts was of the following order： Ce〉Nd 〉La〉 control. However, the photoreduction activities of spinach PS I almost did not change with La, Ce, or Nd treatments. The results suggested that 4f electron characteristics and alternation valence of rare earths had a close relationship with photosynthesis improvement.

ASTUDY OF VALENCE OF YTTRIUM IN Y_2O_3 Mo CATHODE

The valenceofelementyttrium of Y2 O3 Mocathode materialhasbeenstudied by usingther mal weight analysis, X ray diffraction analysis, Scanning electron microscopy and X rayphotoelectronspectrum . It hasbeen provedthatyttrium oxidecan bereduced by molybdenum carbide. Thereaction between powdered Y2 O3 and Mo2 Ccan happen at 1173 , and Y2 O3may bereduced to metallicyttrium . Afterthepowder mixtureof Y2 O3 and Mo2 Cwasheat treated at1873 K, Yttrium existsin two kinds of chemicalstate- yttrium of zero valence and yttrium ofthreevalences.

In-situ optimizing the valence configuration of vanadium sites in NiV-LDH nanosheet arrays for enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction

Developing the highly active, cost-effective, environmental-friendly, and ultra-stable nonprecious electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) is distinctly indispensable for the large-scale practical applications of hydrolytic hydrogen production. Herein, we report the synthesis of well-integrated electrode, NiV layered double hydroxide nanosheet array grown in-situ on porous nickel foam(abbreviated as in-NiV-LDH/NF) via the facile one-step hydrothermal route. Interestingly, the valence configuration of vanadium(V) sites in such NiV-LDH are well dominated by the innovative use of NF as the reducing regulator, achieving the reassembled in-NiV-LDH/NF with a high proportion of trivalent V ions(V3+), and then an enhanced intrinsic electrocatalytic HER activity. The HER testing results show that the in-NiVLDH/NF drives the current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm-2 at extremely low overpotentials of 114 and 245 mV without iR-compensation respectively, even outperforms commercial 20 wt% Pt/C at the large current density of over 80 mA cm-2 in alkaline media, as well as gives robust catalytic durability of at least 100 h in both alkaline and neutral media. More importantly, this work provides a fresh perspective for designing bimetal(oxy) hydroxides electrocatalysts with efficient hydrogen generation.

Boosting the cell performance of the SiO_(x)@C anode material via rational design of a Si-valence gradient

Relieving the stress or strain associated with volume change is highly desirable for high-performance SiOx anodes in terms of stable solid electrolyte interphase(SEI)-film growth.Herein,a Si-valence gradient is optimized in SiOx composites to circumvent the large volume strain accompanied by lithium insertion/extraction.SiO_(x)@C annealed at 850℃ has a gentle Si-valence gradient along the radial direction and excellent electrochemical performances,delivering a high capacity of 506.9 mAh g^(−1) at 1.0 A g^(−1) with a high Coulombic efficiency of~99.8%over 400 cycles.Combined with the theoretical prediction,the obtained results indicate that the gentle Si-valence gradient in SiO_(x)@C is useful for suppressing plastic deformation and maintaining the inner connection integrity within the SiO_(x)@C particle.Moreover,a gentle Si-valence gradient is expected to form a stress gradient and affect the distribution of dangling bonds,resulting in local stress relief during the lithiation/delithiation process and enhanced Li-ion kinetic diffusion.Furthermore,the lowest interfacial stress variation ensures a stable SEI film at the interface and consequently increases cycling stability.Therefore,rational design of a Si-valence gradient in SiOx can provide further insights into achieving high-performance SiOx anodes with large-scale production.

High valence state of Ni and Mo synergism in NiS_(2);MoS_(2)hetero-nanorods catalyst with layered surface structure for urea electrocatalysis

High valence state species are significant in the energy-relevant electrochemical oxidation reactions.Herein,the high active state of Ni^(3+)formation induced by Mo^(6+)and their efficient synergism in NiS_(2)-MoS_(2)hetero-nanorods powder catalyst with the rough layered structure are demonstrated,as proof of concept,for the urea-assisted water electrolysis.This catalyst can be derived from the sulfidation of NiMoO_(4) nanorods that can realize individual metal sulfides sufficiently mixing at a domain size in the nanoscale which creates lots of active sites and nanointerfaces.The high valence state of Mo^(6+)and Ni^(3+)formation and increased conductive phase of 1 T MoS_(2)in the hetero-nanorods compared to the counterpart pure phases are revealed by spectral study and microscopic analysis;high electrochemical surface area and active site exposure are found due to the nano-interface formation and layered rough nanosheets over the surface of nanorods.They show much higher catalytic performance than their pure phases for urea oxidation,including high catalytic activity,stability,charge transfer ability and catalytic kinetics resulting from more active Ni^(3+)species formation and electronic synergism of high valence metals.Transformation of 1 T MoS_(2)to Mo^(6+)and increased amount of Mo^(6+)and Ni^(3+)after stability test indicate their involvement and synergism for the catalysis reaction.The current work offers a novel understanding of the synergistic effect based on the high valence state synergism for heterogeneous catalysts in electrocatalysis.

Effect of Valence Electron Structure on Temper Process and Hardness of the Supersaturated Carburized Layer

By measuring the hardness of carburized layer of a new type supersaturated carburizing steel （35Cr3SiMnMoV） at different temper temperature for 2 h, the relationship curve between the carburized layer hardness and the temper temperature is established. The result indicates that the hardness goes down firstly, then up and down, just like a wave consistent with the temperature increase. A secondary hardening peak appears at 570 ℃ or so. Based on Empirical Election Theory （EET） of Solids and Molecules, the valence electron structures （VESs） containing α-Fe-C, α-Fe-C-Me segregation structure units and carbide are calculated. The laws of temper process and hardness change with the temper temperature are explained, and the fact that reconstruction of θ-Fe3C is prior to that of special carbide at high tempering is analyzed with the phase structure formation factor, S, being taken into consideration. Therefore, the laws of temper process and hardness change of supersaturated carburized layer at different temper temperature can be traced back to valence electron structure （VES） level of alloy phase.