Enhancing hydrogen evolution and oxidation kinetics through oxygen insertion into nickel lattice

Nickel-based materials,including metallic Ni and Ni oxide,have been widely studied in the exploration of non-precious-metal hydrogen electrocatalysts,but neither pure Ni nor NiO is ideal for the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and hydrogen oxidation reaction(HOR).In this paper,an oxygen insertion strategy was applied on nickel to regulate its hydrogen electrocatalytic performance,and the oxygen-inserted nickel catalyst was successfully obtained with the assistance of tungsten dioxide support(denoted as O-Ni/WO_(2)).The partial insertion of oxygen in Ni maintains the face-centered cubic arrangement of Ni atoms,simultaneously expanding the lattice and increasing the lattice spacing.Consequently,the adsorption strength of^(*)H and^(*)OH on Ni is optimized,thus resulting in superior electrocatalytic performance of0-Ni/WO_(2)in alkaline HER/HOR.The Tafel slope of O-Ni/WO_(2)@NF for HER is 56 mV dec^(-1),and the kinetic current density of O-Ni/WO_(2)for HOR reaches 4.85 mA cm^(-2),which is ahead of most currently reported catalysts.Our proposed strategy of inserting an appropriate amount of anions into the metal lattice could provide more possibilities for the design of high-performance catalysts.

The photo-decomposition and self-restructuring dynamic equilibrium mechanism of Cu_(2)(OH)_(2)CO_(3)for stable photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction

Developing suitable photocatalysts and understanding their intrinsic catalytic mechanism remain key challenges in the pursuit of highly active,good selective,and long-term stable photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction(PCO_(2)R)systems.Herein,monoclinic Cu_(2)(OH)_(2)CO_(3)is firstly proven to be a new class of photocatalyst,which has excellent catalytic stability and selectivity for PCO_(2)R in the absence of any sacrificial agent and cocatalysts.Based on a Cu_(2)(OH)_(2)^(13)CO_(3)photocatalyst and 13CO_(2)two-sided^(13)C isotopic tracer strategy,and combined with in situ diffused reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy(DRIFTS)analysis and density functional theory(DFT)calculations,two main CO_(2)transformation routes,and the photo-decomposition and self-restructuring dynamic equilibrium mechanism of Cu_(2)(OH)_(2)CO_(3)are definitely revealed.The PCO_(2)R activity of Cu_(2)(OH)_(2)CO_(3)is comparable to some of state-of-the-art novel photocatalysts.Significantly,the PCO_(2)R properties can be further greatly enhanced by simply combining Cu_(2)(OH)_(2)CO_(3)with typical TiO_(2)to construct composites photocatalyst.The highest CO_(2)and CH_(4)production rates by 7.5 wt%Cu_(2)(OH)_(2)CO_(3)-TiO_(2)reach 16.4μmol g^(-1)h^(-1)and 116.0μmol g^(-1)h^(-1),respectively,which are even higher than that of some of PCO_(2)R systems containing sacrificial agents or precious metals modified photocatalysts.This work provides a better understanding for the PCO_(2)R mechanism at the atomic levels,and also indicates that basic carbonate photocatalysts have broad application potential in the future.

Preparation of nitrogen and sulfur co-doped ultrathin graphitic carbon via annealing bagasse lignin as potential electrocatalyst towards oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline and acid media

Renewable lignin used for synthesizing materials has been proven to be highly potential in specific electrochemistry.Here,we report a simple method to synthesize nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon nanosheets by using bagasse lignin,denoted as lignin-derived carbon(LC).By adjusting the ratio of nitrogen source and annealing temperature,we obtained the ultrathin graphitic lignin carbon(LC-4-1000)with abundant wrinkles with high surface area of 1208 m2g_1 and large pore volume of 1.40 cm3g_1.In alkaline medium,LC-4-1000 has more positive half-wave potential and nearly current density compared to commercial Pt/C for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR).More importantly,LC-4-1000 also exhibits comparable activity and superior stability for ORR in acid medium due to its high graphitic N ratio and a direct four electron pathway for ORR.This study develops a cost-effective and highly efficient method to prepare biocarbon catalyst for ORR in fuel cells.

Noble-metal-based high-entropy-alloy nanoparticles for electrocatalysis

Since the two seminal papers were published independently in 2004, high-entropy-alloys(HEAs) have been applied to structural and functional materials due to the enhanced mechanical properties, thermal stability, and electrical conductivity. In recent years, HEA nanoparticles(HEA-NPs) were paid much attention to in the field of catalysis for the promoted catalytic activity. Furthermore, the various ratios among the metal components and tunable bulk and surface structures enable HEAs have big room to enhance the catalytic performance. Especially, noble-metal-based HEAs displayed significantly improved performance in electrocatalysis, where the ‘core effects’ were employed to explain the superior catalytic activity. However, it is insufficient to understand the essential mechanism or further guide the design of electrocatalysts. Structure–property relationship should be disclosed for the catalysis on HEA-NPs to accelerate the process of seeking high effective and efficient electrocatalysts. Therefore, we summarized the recent advances of noble-metal-based HEA-NPs applied to electrocatalysis, such as hydrogen evolution reaction, oxygen evolution reaction, oxygen reduction reaction, methanol oxidation reaction, ethanol oxidation reaction, formic acid oxidation reaction, hydrogen oxidation reaction, carbon dioxide reduction reaction and nitrogen reduction reaction. For each electrocatalytic reaction, the reaction mechanism and catalyst structure were presented, and then the structure–property relationship was elaborated. The review begins with the development, concept, four ‘core effect’ and synthesis methods of HEAs. Next,the electrocatalytic reactions on noble-metal-based HEA-NPs are summarized and discussed independently. Lastly, the main views and difficulties pertaining to structure–property relationship for HEAs are discussed.

Syngas production by dry reforming of the mixture of glycerol and ethanol with CaCO3

The reduction of CO2 emission is crucial for the mitigation of climate change.A considerable amount of industrial CO2 can be absorbed in the form of carbonates through high-temperature sorption processes.In this regard,the efficient conversion of carbonates to value-added products will provide an economically viable method for the sustainable usage of carbon compounds.Herein,we report a promising solution involving the use of a glycerol and ethanol mixture as a hydrogen donor in the dry reforming process with CaCO3 to produce syngas.A series of metal active components,including Ni,Fe,Co,Cu,Pt,Pd,Ru,and Rh,was used to promote this reaction.Ni showed comparable performance with that of Pd,but outperformed Co,Fe,Cu,Rh,Ru,and Pt.Approximately 100%conversion of glycerol and ethanol,~92%selectivity of synthesis gas(H2 and CO),and a H2/CO ratio of^1.2 were achieved over CaCO3 containing10 wt%Ni(10Ni-CaCO3).Meanwhile,the CO2 concentration was less than 5 vol%,indicating that most of the CO2 captured by the carbonate can be transformed into chemicals;however,they cannot simply be emitted.The CO2 released from the decomposition of CaCO3 not only adjusted the ratio of H2 to CO but also eliminated cokes to guarantee the CO2 absorption-conversion cyclic stability in the absence of steam and at high temperatures.

Production of high-purity hydrogen from paper recycling black liquor via sorption enhanced steam reforming

Environmentally friendly and energy saving treatment of black liquor(BL),a massively produced waste in Kraft papermaking process,still remains a big challenge.Here,by adopting a NieCaOeCa_(12)Al_(14)O_(33) bifunctional catalyst derived from hydrotalcite-like materials,we demonstrate the feasibility of producing high-purity H_(2)(~96%)with 0.9 mol H_(2) mol^(-1) C yield via the sorption enhanced steam reforming(SESR)of BL.The SESRBL performance in terms of H_(2) production maintained stable for 5 cycles,but declined from the 6th cycle.XRD,Raman spectroscopy,elemental analysis and energy dispersive techniques were employed to rationalize the deactivation of the catalyst.It was revealed that gradual sintering and agglomeration of Ni and CaO and associated coking played important roles in catalyst deactivation and performance degradation of SESRBL,while deposition of Na and K from the BL might also be responsible for the declined performance.On the other hand,it was demonstrated that the SESRBL process could effectively reduce the emission of sulfur species by storing it as CaSO_(3).Our results highlight a promising alternative for BL treatment and H_(2) production,thereby being beneficial for pollution control and environment governance in the context of mitigation of climate change.

Bi-functional particles for integrated thermo-chemical processes:Catalysis and beyond

Particulate materials possessing dual functionalities have received tremendous investigations in many fields,owing to their superiority over mono-functional counterparts and their potential for process integration and intensification.This review focuses on bi-functional catalytic particles which also serve as sorbents/adsorbents or heat suppliers in the scheme of various thermo-chemical processes,enabling inherent separation or energy conservation within single-step operation.Bi-functional particles applied for integration of reaction and separation including sorption-enhanced hydrogen production and integrated capture and catalytic conversion processes are reviewed in detail,providing insights into material design and key performance indicators.On the other hand,bi-functional particles applied for integration of reaction and non-thermal radiation heating,including electrothermal and photothermal assisted heterogeneously catalyzed reactions,are also reviewed,with emphasis on the material property and energy efficiency improvement.These bi-functional particles show broad adaptability and feasibility in various reactions operated in integrated and intensified schemes,affording huge potentials for further improving productivity and efficiency in thermo-chemical processes.