Surface engineering of ZnO electrocatalyst by N doping towards electrochemical CO_(2) reduction

The discovery of efficient,selective,and stable electrocatalysts can be a key point to produce the largescale chemical fuels via electrochemical CO_(2) reduction(ECR).In this study,an earth-abundant and nontoxic ZnO-based electrocatalyst was developed for use in gas-diffusion electrodes(GDE),and the effect of nitrogen(N)doping on the ECR activity of ZnO electrocatalysts was investigated.Initially,a ZnO nanosheet was prepared via the hydrothermal method,and nitridation was performed at different times to control the N-doping content.With an increase in the N-doping content,the morphological properties of the nanosheet changed significantly,namely,the 2D nanosheets transformed into irregularly shaped nanoparticles.Furthermore,the ECR performance of Zn O electrocatalysts with different N-doping content was assessed in 1.0 M KHCO_(3) electrolyte using a gas-diffusion electrode-based ECR cell.While the ECR activity increased after a small amount of N doping,it decreased for higher N doping content.Among them,the N:ZnO-1 h electrocatalysts showed the best CO selectivity,with a faradaic efficiency(FE_(CO))of 92.7%at-0.73 V vs.reversible hydrogen electrode(RHE),which was greater than that of an undoped Zn O electrocatalyst(FE_(CO)of 63.4%at-0.78 V_(RHE)).Also,the N:ZnO-1 h electrocatalyst exhibited outstanding durability for 16 h,with a partial current density of-92.1 mA cm^(-2).This improvement of N:ZnO-1 h electrocatalyst can be explained by density functional theory calculations,demonstrating that this improvement of N:ZnO-1 h electrocatalyst comes from(ⅰ)the optimized active sites lowering the free energy barrier for the rate-determining step(RDS),and(ⅱ)the modification of electronic structure enhancing the electron transfer rate by N doping.

MXene-based hybrid materials for electrochemical and photoelectrochemical H_(2) generation

The conversion of solar energy to produce clean hydrogen fuel through water splitting is an emerging strategy for efficiently storing solar energy in the form of solar fuel.This aligns with the increasing global demand for the development of an ideal energy alternative to fossil fuels that does not emit greenhouse gases.Electrochemical(EC) and photoelectrochemical(PEC) water splitting technologies have garnered significant attention worldwide for advanced hydrogen solar fuel production in recent decades.To achieve sustainable green H_(2) production,it is essential to create efficient catalyst materials that are low-cost and can replace expensive noble metal-based catalysts.These characteristics make them an ideal catalyst material for the process.Two-dimensional MXenes with M_(n+1)X_(n) structure have been identified as a promising option for EC and PEC water splitting due to their superior hydrophilicity,metal-like conductivity,large surface area,and adjustable surface chemistry.Here,we present a summary of recent advancements in the synthesis and performance enhancement methods for MXene hybrid materials in hydrogen production through EC and PEC water splitting.Furthermore,we examine the challenges and insights associated with the rational design of MXene-based hybrid materials to facilitate efficient water splitting for sustainable solar fuel production.

Defect Engineering in Earth-Abundant Cu_(2)ZnSnSe_(4) Absorber Using Efficient Alkali Doping for Flexible and Tandem Solar Cell Applications

To demonstrate flexible and tandem device applications,a low-temperature Cu_(2)ZnSnSe_(4)(CZTSe)deposition process,combined with efficient alkali doping,was developed.First,high-quality CZTSe films were grown at 480℃by a single co-evaporation,which is applicable to polyimide(PI)substrate.Because of the alkali-free substrate,Na and K alkali doping were systematically studied and optimized to precisely control the alkali distribution in CZTSe.The bulk defect density was significantly reduced by suppression of deep acceptor states after the(NaF+KF)PDTs.Through the low-temperature deposition with(NaF+KF)PDTs,the CZTSe device on glass yields the best efficiency of 8.1%with an improved Voc deficit of 646 mV.The developed deposition technologies have been applied to PI.For the first time,we report the highest efficiency of 6.92%for flexible CZTSe solar cells on PI.Additionally,CZTSe devices were utilized as bottom cells to fabricate four-terminal CZTSe/perovskite tandem cells because of a low bandgap of CZTSe(~1.0 eV)so that the tandem cell yielded an efficiency of 20%.The obtained results show that CZTSe solar cells prepared by a low-temperature process with in-situ alkali doping can be utilized for flexible thin-film solar cells as well as tandem device applications.

Multiphase cooperation for multilevel strain accommodation in a single-crystalline BiFeO_(3) thin film

The functionalities and diverse metastable phases of multiferroic BiFeO_(3)(BFO)thin films depend on the misfit strain.Although mixed phase-induced strain relaxation in multiphase BFO thin films is well known,it is unclear whether a singlecrystalline BFO thin film can accommodate misfit strain without the involvement of its polymorphs.Thus,understanding the strain relaxation behavior is key to elucidating the lattice strain–property relationship.In this study,a correlative strain analysis based on dark-field inline electron holography(DIH)and quantitative scanning transmission electron microscopy(STEM)was performed to reveal the structural mechanism for strain accommodation of a single-crystalline BFO thin film.The nanoscale DIH strain analysis results indicated a random combination of multiple strain states that acted as a primary strain relief,forming irregularly strained nanodomains.The STEM-based bond length measurement of the corresponding strained nanodomains revealed a unique strain accommodation behavior achieved by a statistical combination of multiple modes of distorted structures on the unit-cell scale.The globally integrated strain for each nanodomain was estimated to be close to1.5%,irrespective of the nanoscale strain states,which was consistent with the fully strained BFO film on the SrTiO_(3) substrate.Density functional theory calculations suggested that strain accommodation by the combination of metastable phases was energetically favored compared to single-phase-mediated relaxation.This discovery allows a comprehensive understanding of strain accommodation behavior in ferroelectric oxide films,such as BFO,with various low-symmetry polymorphs.

Solution-flame hybrid synthesis of defect-enriched mesoporous CuO_(x) nanowires for enhanced electrochemical nitrate-to-ammonia production

Electrochemical nitrate reduction(ENR)is an economical and eco-friendly method for converting industrial wastewater into valuable ammonia under atmospheric conditions.The main challenge lies in designing and developing highly durable ENR electrocatalysts.This study introduces defect-rich mesoporous CuO_(x) nanowires electrocatalyst synthesized using a novel solution-flame(sol-flame)hybrid method to control mesoporosity and introduce surface defects,thereby enhancing the electrochemical nitrate-toammonia production performance.We found surface defects(oxygen vacancies and Cu^(+))and unique mesoporous nanowire structure composed of tightly interconnected nanoparticles.The sol-flamesynthesized CuO_(x) nanowires(sf-CuO NWs)achieved superior ammonia yield rate(0.51 mmol h^(-1)cm^(-2)),faradaic efficiency(97.3%),and selectivity(86.2%)in 1 M KOH electrolyte(2000 ppm nitrate).This performance surpasses that of non-porous and less-defective CuO NWs and is attributed to the increased surface area and rapid electron transport facilitated by the distinctive morphology and generated defects.Theoretical calculation further suggests oxygen vacancies enhance NO_(3)^(-)adsorption on the sf-CuO NWs’surface and mitigate the competing hydrogen evolution reaction.This study outlines a strategic design and simple synthesis approach for nanowire electrocatalysts that boost the efficiency of electrochemical nitrate-to-ammonia conversion.

A sulfur self-doped multifunctional biochar catalyst for overall water splitting and a supercapacitor from Camellia japonica flowers

A versatile use of a sulfur self-doped biochar derived from Camellia japonica(camellia)flowers is demonstrated as a multifunctional catalyst for overall water splitting and a supercapacitor.The native sulfur content in the camellia flower facilitates in situ self-doping of sulfur,which highly activates the camellia-driven biochar(SA-Came)as a multifunctional catalyst with the enhanced electron-transfer ability and long-term durability.For water splitting,an SA-Came-based electrode is highly stable and shows reaction activities in both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions,with overpotentials of 154 and 362 mV at 10 mA cm^(−2),respectively.For supercapacitors,SA-Came achieves a specific capacitance of 125.42 F g^(−1)at 2 A g^(−1)and high cyclic stability in a three-electrode system in a 1 M KOH electrolyte.It demonstrated a high energy density of 34.54 Wh kg^(−1)at a power density of 1600 W kg^(−1)as a symmetric hybrid supercapacitor device with a wide working potential range of 0-1.6 V.

Aggregation induced edge sites actuation of 3D MoSe_(2)/rGO electrocatalyst for high-performing water splitting system

2D materials are regarded as promising electrocatalysts for water splitting because of their advances in providing ample active sites and improving electrochemical reaction kinetics.2D MoSe_(2)has a greater intrinsic electrical conductivity and lower Gibbs free energy for reactant adsorption.However,there is still room for improvement in the electrocatalytic performance of MoSe_(2)for high-performance electrochemical water splitting devices.Herein,the in situ preparation of heterostructure made of covalently bonded MoSe_(2)and rGO is reported.The obtained electrocatalyst contains the aggregated 3D structured MoSe_(2)over rGO,which is covalently bonded together with more edge sites.The active edge sites of MoSe_(2)/rGO are dynamically involved in the electrocatalytic activity while facilitating electron transfer.Hence,the MoSe_(2)/rGO heterostructure requires a low cell voltage of 1.64 V to reach 100 mA cm^(−2)in water splitting with high reaction kinetics.The aggregated MoSe_(2)over rGO with more edge sites exposed by the 3D structure of MoSe_(2)and the interfacial covalent bond in between them provides a favorable electronic structure for the HER and OER with low overpotentials and high current densities and enhances the stability of the electrocatalyst.This work presents an attractive and cost-effective electrocatalyst suitable for industrial-scale hydrogen fuel production.

V_(2)O_(3)/VN electrocatalysts with coherent heterogeneous interfaces for selecting low-energy nitrogen reduction pathways

Electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction(NRR)is a sustainable alterna-tive to the Haber-Bosch process for ammonia(NH3)production.However,the significant uphill energy in the multistep NRR pathway is a bottleneck for favorable serial reactions.To overcome this challenge,we designed a vanadium oxide/nitride(V_(2)O_(3)/VN)hybrid electrocatalyst in which V_(2)O_(3)and VN coex-ist coherently at the heterogeneous interface.Since single-phase V_(2)O_(3)and VN exhibit different surface catalytic kinetics for NRR,the V_(2)O_(3)/VN hybrid elec-trocatalyst can provide alternating reaction pathways,selecting a lower energy pathway for each material in the serial NRR pathway.As a result,the ammo-nia yield of the V_(2)O_(3)/VN hybrid electrocatalyst was 219.6µg h^(-1)cm^(-2),and the Faradaic efficiency was 18.9%,which is much higher than that of single-phase VN,V_(2)O_(3),and VNxOy solid solution catalysts without heterointerfaces.Density functional theory calculations confirmed that the composition of these hybrid electrocatalysts allows NRR to proceed from a multistep reduction reaction to a low-energy reaction pathway through the migration and adsorption of interme-diate species.Therefore,the design of metal oxide/nitride hybrids with coherent heterointerfaces provides a novel strategy for synthesizing highly efficient elec-trochemical catalysts that induce steps favorable for the efficient low-energy progression of NRR.

Biomimetic Fe_(7)S_(8)/Carbon electrocatalyst from[FeFe]-Hydrogenase for improving pH-Universal electrocatalytic hydrogen production Special Collection:Aggregation-Induced Processes and Functions

Efficient and cost-effective electrocatalysts that can operate across a wide range of pH conditions are essential for green hydrogen production.Inspired by biological systems,Fe_(7)S_(8)nanoparticles incorporated on polydopamine matrix electrocatalyst were synthesized by co-precipitation and annealing process.The resulting Fe_(7)S_(8)/C electrocatalyst possesses a three-dimensional structure and exhibits enhanced electrocatalytic performance for hydrogen production across various pH conditions.Notably,the Fe_(7)S_(8)/C electrocatalyst demonstrates exceptional activity,achieving low overpotentials of 90.6,45.9,and 107.4 mV in acidic,neutral,and alkaline environments,respectively.Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy reveals that Fe_(7)S_(8)/C exhibits the lowest charge transfer resistance under neutral conditions,indicating an improved proton-coupled electron transfer process.Continuous-wave electron paramagnetic resonance results confirm a change in the valence state of Fe from 3+to 1+during the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER).These findings closely resemble the behavior of natural[FeFe]-hydrogenase,known for its superior hydrogen production in neutral conditions.The remarkable performance of our Fe_(7)S_(8)/C electrocatalyst opens up new possibilities for utilizing bioinspired materials as catalysts for the HER.

Origin of the synergistic effects of bimetallic nanoparticles coupled with a metal oxide heterostructure for accelerating catalytic performance

Precisely tuning bicomponent intimacy during reactions by traditional methods remains a formidable challenge in the fabrication of highly active and stable catalysts because of the difficulty in constructing well-defined catalytic systems and the occurrence of agglomeration during assembly.To overcome these limitations,a PtRuPNiO@TiO_(x)catalyst on a Ti plate was prepared by ultrasound-assisted low-voltage plasma electrolysis.This method involves the oxidation of pure Ti metal and co-reduction of strong metals at 3000◦C,followed by sonochemical ultrasonication under ambient conditions in an aqueous solution.The intimacy of the bimetals in PtRuPNiO@TiOx is tuned,and the metal nanoparticles are uniformly distributed on the porous titania coating via strong metal-support interactions by leveraging the instantaneous high-energy input from the plasma discharge and ultrasonic irradiation.The intimacy of PtRuPNiO@TiO_(x)increases the electron density on the Pt surface.Consequently,the paired sites exhibit a high hydrogen evolution reaction activity(an overpotential of 220 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm^(−2)and Tafel slope of 186 mV dec^(−1)),excellent activity in the hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol with a robust stability for up to 20 cycles,and the ability to contrast stated catalysts without ultrasonication and plasma electrolysis.This study facilitates industrially important reactions through synergistic chemical interactions.

Hydrogen spillover in nonreducible oxides:Mechanism and catalytic utilization

Hydrogen(H)spillover in nonreducible oxides such as zeolites and Al2O3 has been a highly controversial phenomenon in heterogeneous catalysis.Since industrial catalysts are predominantly prepared using these materials as supports,it is important to understand the mechanism and catalytic functions of H spillover on their surfaces.In the past decade,fundamental studies on zeolite-encapsulated metal catalysts have revealed that H spillover and reverse spillover can be utilized in the design of hydrogenation and dehydrogenation catalysts with improved properties.Both experimental and theoretical studies have indicated that H spillover can occur in nonreducible oxides when they possess substantial acid sites that aid the surface migration of active H.In the present review,we will discuss the possible mechanisms of H spillover in nonreducible oxides and the unique opportunities of using this phenomenon for the design of advanced hydroprocessing catalysts.