Ternary layered double hydroxide oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalyst for anion exchange membrane alkaline seawater electrolysis

Anion exchange membrane(AEM)water electrolyzers are promising energy devices for the production of clean hydrogen from seawater.However,the lack of active and robust electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction(OER)severely impedes the development of this technology.In this study,a ternary layered double hydroxide(LDH)OER electrocatalyst(NiFeCo-LDH)is developed for high-performance AEM alkaline seawater electrolyzers.The AEM alkaline seawater electrolyzer catalyzed by the NiFeCo LDH shows high seawater electrolysis performance(0.84 A/cm^(2)at 1.7 Vcell)and high hydrogen production efficiency(77.6%at 0.5 A/cm^(2)),thus outperforming an electrolyzer catalyzed by a benchmark IrO_(2)electrocatalyst.The NiFeCo-LDH electrocatalyst greatly improves the kinetics of the AEM alkaline seawater electrolyzer,consequently reducing its activation loss and leading to high performance.Based on the results,this NiFeCo-LDH-catalyzed AEM alkaline seawater electrolyzer can likely surpass the energy conversion targets of the US Department of Energy.

Electrolyte accessibility of non-precious-metal catalysts with different spherical particle sizes under alkaline conditions for oxygen reduction reaction

Fuel cells are one of the most competitive alternative energy sources because their theoretical efficiency is~15%higher than that of internal combustion engines (ICEs) and they are considered cleaner and safer.When fuel cells are used to replace ICEs in cars and energy conversion systems,the system efficiency increases;furthermore,the process becomes more environmentally-friendly because fuel cells produce electricity by using only hydrogen and oxygen,obtained by purifying atmospheric air by filtering out dust and pollutants.Hence,their final product is only water,instead of pollutants like carboFuel cells are one of the most competitive alternative energy sources because their theoretical efficiency is~15%higher than that of internal combustion engines (ICEs) and they are considered cleaner and safer.When fuel cells are used to replace ICEs in cars and energy conversion systems,the system efficiency increases;furthermore,the process becomes more environmentally-friendly because fuel cells produce electricity by using only hydrogen and oxygen,obtained by purifying atmospheric air by filtering out dust and pollutants.Hence,their final product is only water,instead of pollutants like carbon dioxide.n dioxide.

Self-assembled three-dimensional carbon networks with accessorial Lewis base sites and variational electron characteristics as efficient oxygen reduction reaction catalysts for alkaline metal-air batteries

Heteroatom-doped carbon has been demonstrated to be one of the most promising non-noble metal catalysts with high catalytic activity and stability through the modification of the electronic and geometric structures.In this study,we develop a novel solvent method to prepare interconnected N,S co-doped three-dimensional（3D）carbon networks with tunable nanopores derived from an asso-ciated complex based on melamine and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate（SDBS）.After the intro-duction of silica templates and calcination,the catalyst exhibits 3D networks with interconnected 50-nm pores and partial graphitization.With the increase of the number of Lewis base sites caused by the N doping and change of the carbon charge and spin densities caused by the S doping,the designed N,S co-doped catalyst exhibits a similar electrochemical activity to that of the commercial 20-wt%Pt/C as an oxygen reduction reaction catalyst.In addition,in an aluminum-air battery,the proposed catalyst even outperforms the commercial 5-wt%Pt/C catalyst.Both interconnected porous structures and synergistic effects of N and S contribute to the superior catalytic perfor-mance.This study paves the way for the synthesis of various other N-doped and co-doped carbon materials as efficient catalysts in electrochemical energy applications.

Modified Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Alkaline Fuel Cells

We report modified nitrogen-doped graphene （CN） as electrocatalyst for ORR （oxygen reduction reaction） in alkaline medium. CN was synthesized by a novel procedure based on graphite oxide thermally treated with cyanamide suitable for facile N-doping and large-scale production, whereas cyanamide was used as N-precursor. The structure of the material was characterized by TEM （transmission electron microscopy）, SEM （scanning electron microscopy）, Raman spectroscopy and XPS （X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy）. Structural and electrochemical properties of CN were compared with those of non-modified graphene （TRGO （thermally reduced graphite oxide））. The electrochemical characterization of TRGO and CN in alkaline solution demonstrates enhanced electrocatalytic ORR activity and improved long-term stability for N-doped CN. Voltammetric studies confirmed that, oxygen reduction on CN rather follows four-electron pathway. Compared with commercial 20% PtC catalyst, CN is characterized by exceptional methanol crossover resistance and superb long-term operation stability. Owing to these factors, nitrogen-doped graphene has a great potential to be used as metal-free electrocatalyst in cathodes of alkaline fuel cells.

Gold leaching with elemental sulfur in alkaline solutions under oxygen pressure

A gold leaching process by using oxidation products of elemental sulfur in alkaline solutions was proposed and investigated. A gold concentrate and a residue from an arsenic refractory gold concentrate by acidic oxidation leaching were tested. The residue contains 16.3% elemental sulfur and no more elemental sulfur was added in tests. For the concentrate elemental sulfur was added before leaching tests. The leaching ratio of gold depends mainly on the initial equivalent ratio of elemental sulfur to hydroxyl ions, the consumption of oxygen and the reaction temperature in the process. Analysis of the experimental results shows that thiosulfate is the majority complexing reagent for gold in the process. Over 90% gold was leached from the residue and 82%87% from the concentrate by using this process.

POLYETHER POLYURETHANE FROM MODIFIED WHEAT STRAW OXYGEN-ALKALINE LIGNIN

Polyether polyurethane was synthesized from modified wheat straw oxygen-alkaline lignin, polyethylene glycol and two different diisocyanates (diphenylemethane-4, 4’-diisocyanate, tolulene diisocyanate) by solution casting method, its properties were investigated. The results show that modified wheat straw oxygen-alkaline lignin can substitute part of polyethylene glycol to react with diisocyanate to synthesize polyurethane. The molar ratio of NCO to OH and modified wheat straw oxygen-alkaline lignin content affect the properties of lignin-based polyether polyurethane respectively. The addition of plasticizer in the polyurethane synthesis process improves the properties of synthesized polyurethane, especially the elasticity of polyurethane. The synthesized polyurethane from modified wheat straw oxygen-alkali lignin can be used as both engineering plastic and hard foam plastic in future.

Research on Alkaline Filler Flame-Retarded Asphalt Pavement

Used as flame returdant of tunnel asphalt pavement, organic bromides produce a large amount of poisons and smoke in construction and flame retardation stage. The alkaline filler was found to replace mineral filler, and the flame- retarded asphalt mixtures were produced. Experimental results show that these asphalt mixtures are smoke restrained ; the performances and construction technology of asphalt pavement are not influenced; also the alkaline filler is of low-price. So this kind of flame-retarded asphalt mixtures is suitable for tunnel patement.

Roles of heteroatoms in electrocatalysts for alkaline water splitting:A review focusing on the reaction mechanism

Alkaline water splitting is a promising technology for“green hydrogen”generation.To improve its efficiency,highly robust catalysts are required to reduce the overpotential for low electrical power consumption.Heteroatom modification is one of the most effective strategies for boosting catalytic performance,as it can regulate the physicochemical properties of host catalysts to improve their intrinsic activity.Herein,aiming to provide an overview of the impact of heteroatoms on catalytic activity at the atomic level,we present a review of the key role of heteroatoms in enhancing reaction kinetics based on the reaction pathways of the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and oxygen evolution reaction(OER)in alkaline media.In particular,the introduction of heteroatoms can directly and indirectly optimize the interactions between the active sites and intermediates,thus improving the intrinsic activity.To clearly illustrate this influence in detail,we have summarized a series of representative heteroatom-modified electrocatalysts and discussed the important roles of heteroatoms in the OER and HER reaction pathways.Finally,some challenges and perspectives for heteroatom-modified electrodes are discussed.We hope that this review will be helpful for the development of efficient and low-cost electrocatalysts for water electrolysis and other energy conversion applications.

Levels of antioxidant enzymes and alkaline protease from pulp and peel of sunflower

Objective:The activity of enzymes participating in the systems of antioxidant protection was assayed in the peel and pulp of sunflower.The essential roles of proteases in food stimulate research to find other sources of the enzyme especially from non-conventional sources.In the present work,we study several biochemical parameters in the pulp and peel of sunflower.Methods:Pulp and peel of sunflower was extracted,antioxidant enzymes and nonenzymatic antioxidant were measured.Alkaline protease was measured and purified from pulp in sunflower.Results:High carbohydrate concentration,beta-carotene,catalase and ascorbate peroxidase activities,free radical scavenging capacity and free flavonoid content were observed in the peel of sunflower.Whereas,MDA and ceruloplasmin activities were high in the pulp of sunflower.Conclusions:The present study concluded that peel in sunflower are strong radical scavengers and can be considered as good sources of natural antioxidants for medicinal and commercial uses.Further analysis showed that protease activity was a significantly high in the pulp compared to the peel.

Regulation of Migration, Phagocytosis and Apoptosis of Human Neutrophils by Recombinant Human Intestinal Alkaline Phosphatase

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of recombinant human intestinal alkaline phosphatase(recIAP) on human neutrophils in vitro, and the migration, phagocytosis, apoptosis in presence and absence of LPS. In this study, freshly extracted human neutrophils were used to establish an inflammatory cell model, and the control group, recIAP group, LPS group and recIAP +LPS group were set up to stimulate the model. The migration of neutrophils was detected by agarose gel drop method. Fluorescent particles and fluorescent probes were added to different treatment groups, and the phagocytic rate of neutrophils and the release of reactive oxygen species(ROS) from neutrophils were detected by flow cytometry. The apoptosis rate of neutrophils was detected by flow cytometry according to Annexin V-FITC apoptosis detection kit. The results showed that regardless of the presence or absence of LPS, recIAP could inhibit the migration of neutrophils, phagocytosis and the release of ROS. In addition, recIAP could weaken the inhibitory effect of LPS on neutrophils apoptosis.

Effects of Mg-based Alkaline Peroxide Bleaching on Physical Properties of Poplar Bleached Chemi-thermomechanical Pulp and Its Influence Mechanism

In this study,Mg O was partially used as an alkali source in the peroxide bleaching process of bleached chemi-thermomechanical pulp(BCTMP).The effects of substitution percentage of Mg O for Na OH on the bulk,optical,and physical properties of bleached pulp,and the main effluent characteristics were analyzed.In addition,the influencing mechanism of Mgbased alkali on the strength properties of the BCTMP was further investigated.Strength properties of the BCTMPs were investigated as a function of charge characteristics,fiber morphology,surface lignin content,relative bonding area,and hydrogen bonds of the BCTMP.The results showed that cationic demand(CD) and chemical oxygen demand(COD_(Cr)) of the bleaching effluent decreased as the substitution percentage of Mg O for Na OH increased; meanwhile,the bulk and optical properties of the BCTMP increased.Nevertheless,the strength properties(tensile,tear,and burst indices) of the bleached pulp decreased as the substitution percentage of Mg O for Na OH increased.The decrease in the fiber charge density and increase in the surface lignin content affected the fiber swelling,resulting in a decline in pulp interfibers bonding strength and further loss of the tensile and burst indices.

Nucleus-Encoded Thylakoid Protein,OsY3IP1,Confers Enhanced Tolerance to Saline and Alkaline Stresses in Rice

Abiotic stress confers serious damage to the photosynthetic machinery,often resulting in plant growth inhibition.Hypothetical chloroplast open reading frame 3(Ycf3)-interacting protein 1(Y3IP1)is a nucleus-encoded thylakoid protein and plays an essential role in the assembly of photosystem I.The full-length cDNA over-expresser(FOX)gene-hunting system is an approach using systemically generated gain-of-function mutants.Among the FOX-rice lines,a line CE175 overexpressing rice Y3IP1gene(Os Y3IP1)displayed less inhibition of root growth under saline(NaCl)stress.The expression of Os Y3IP1 was up-regulated under saline and alkaline(Na2CO3)stresses in the rice variety Kitaake.After saline and alkaline treatments,transgenic Kitaake overexpressing OsY3IP1-GFP(OsY3IP1-GFPox/Kit)displayed higher levels of chlorophyll content compared to Kitaake.Under the stress conditions,the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II photochemistry levels was higher in OsY3IP1-GFPox/Kit than in Kitaake.The increased tolerance conferred by OsY3IP1 overexpression correlated with reduced reactive oxygen species accumulation.Our data provide new insights into the possible role of OsY3IP1 in the pathway suppressing photooxidative damage under stress conditions.These features can be further exploited to improve saline and alkaline tolerances of rice plants in future.

Study on TEMPO-Mediated Selective Oxidation of Alkaline Natural Cellulose Pulp and Properties of Its Products

It has been reported that natural cellulose （cellulose I） can not be oxidized by TEMPO - NaOCI - NaBr system, one of TEMPO-mediated selective oxidant systems, but regenerated cellulose （cellulose Ⅱ ） can be completely selectively oxidized. In the present work, natural cellulose pulp was treated with NaOH solution, which concentration is lower than 20 wt%. The alkaline celluloses obtained were oxidized by TEMPO - NaOCI - NaBr system and the factors which influence the selective oxidation reaction rate have been investigated. The structure of the oxidized products has been characterized by Fourier transform-infrared （FTIR）, nuclear magenatic resonace （NMR） and wide angle X-ray diffraction （WAXD） methods, and their adsorption properties for Cu^2＋ and Cd^2＋ in aqueous solutions have been preliminarily examined. The results show that after the alkaline treatment, the primary hydroxyl at C6 position of natural cellulose can be selectively oxidized to carboxyl group in the reaction medium at pH 10.8, the oxidation rate becomes greater with the NaOH concentration and alkaline treatment time increasing. The alkaline treatment has a great effect on the crystal structure of natural cellulose, but the crystal structure of alkaline cellulose keeps almost unchanged after oxidation. The adsorption capacity is enhanced by introducing carboxyl groups into the cellulose macromolecular chains.

Steam activation of Fe-N-C catalyst for advanced power performance of alkaline hydrazine fuel cells

Alkaline hydrazine liquid fuel cells(AHFC) have been highlighted in terms of high power performance with non-precious metal catalysts.Although Fe-N-C is a promising non-Pt electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR),the surface density of the active site is very low and the catalyst layer should be thick to acquire the necessary number of catalytic active sites.With this thick catalyst layer,it is important to have an optimum pore structure for effective reactant conveyance to active sites and an interface structure for faster charge transfer.Herein,we prepare a Fe-N-C catalyst with magnetite particles and hierarchical pore structure by steam activation.The steam activation process significantly improves the power performance of the AHFC as indicated by the lower IR and activation voltage losses.Based on a systematic characterization,we found that hierarchical pore structures improve the catalyst utilization efficiency of the AHFCs,and magnetite nanoparticles act as surface modifiers to reduce the interracial resistance between the electrode and the ion-exchange membrane.

Characterization of different plasma-treated cobalt oxide catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline media

Plasma-synthesized cobalt oxide supported on carbon has been analyzed for its use for electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction （ORR） in alkaline anion exchange membrane fuel cells （AEMFC）. This work presents the ORR activity in 0.1 mol L-1 KOH and 0.1 tool L-1 K2CO3 at 25 ℃. Cyclic voltammetry （CV） was used to determine the potentials at which the ORR occurs and to evaluate the stability of catalyst. Moreover, a rotating ring-disk electrode （RRDE） was used to investigate the activity of the catalysts and the formation of the by-product hydroperoxide anion （HO2-） as well as to identify the preferred pathway of the ORR. Calculated kinetic parameters for the ORR for the cobalt catalysts are shown in this work together with a comparison to a commercial platinum catalyst. However, the cobalt oxide produced more by-products which could lead to damage of the membrane in a fuel cell through a radical attack of the polymer backbone.

Highly active and durable Pd-Cu catalysts for oxygen reduction in alkaline exchange membrane fuel cells

A Pd-Cu catalyst, with primary B2-type phase, supported by VulcanXC-7R carbon was synthesized via a solvothermal method. The catalysts were physically and electrochemically characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）, trans- mission electron microscopy （TEM） and both cyclic and linear sweep voltammetry using a rotating disk electrode （RDE）. During the RDE testing, the half-wave potential of the Pd-Cu/Vulcan catalyst was 50 mV higher compared to that of commercial Pt/C catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction （ORR） in alkaline media. The Pd-Cu/Vulcan exhibited a specific activity of 1.27 mA/cm2 and a mass activity of 0.59 A/mgpd at 0.9 V, which were 4 and 3 times greater than that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst, respectively. The Pd-Cu/Vulcan catalyst also showed higher in-situ alkaline exchange membrane fuel cell （AEMFC） performance, with operating power densities of 1100 MW/cm2 operating on H2/O2 and 700 MW/cm2 operating on H2/Air （CO2-free）, which were markedly higher than those of the commercial Pt/C. The Pd-Cu/ Vulcan catalyst also exhibited high stability during a short-term, in-situ AEMFC durability test, with only around 11% performance loss after 30 hours of operation, an improve- ment over most AEMFCs reported in the literature to date.

CoFe-LDH nanowire arrays on graphite felt: A high-performance oxygen evolution electrocatalyst in alkaline media

Developing non-noble-metal oxygen evolution reaction(OER) electrocatalysts with high performance is critical to electrocatalytic water splitting. In this work, we fabricated Co Fe-layered double hydroxide(LDH) nanowire arrays on graphite felt(Co Fe-LDH/GF) via a hydrothermal method. The Co Fe-LDH/GF, as a robust integrated 3 D OER anode, exhibits excellent catalytic activity with the need of low overpotential of 252 and 285 mV to drive current densities of 10 and 100 mA/cm^(2) in 1.0 mol/L KOH, respectively. In addition, it also maintains electrochemical durability for at least 24 h. This work would open up avenues for the development of GF like attractive catalyst supports for oxygen evolution applications.

Co/N-doped carbon nanotube arrays grown on 2D MOFs-derived matrix for boosting the oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline and acidic media

The development of high-performance and cost-effective electrocatalysts towards oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) is of significant importance,but still challenging for the practical applications in related energy systems.ORR process typically suffers from sluggish kinetics,the exploration of ORR electrocatalyst thus requires elaborate design.Herein,an effective strategy is developed for growing Co/N-doped carbon nanotube arrays on 2D MOFs-derived matrix via the pyrolysis of Co/Zn metalorganic-framework(MOF) nanosheets.The Co/Zn-MOF nanosheets serve as both the self-template for the 2D carbonized framework morphology and C/N source for the in-situ growth of 1D N-doped carbon nanotubes.The constructed hie rarchical architecture effectively integrates the OD/1D Co nanoparticle/Ndoped carbon nanotube interface and 1D(nanotubes)/2D(nanosheets) junction into frameworks with highly exposed active surface,enhanced mass-transport kinetics and electrical conductivity.As a result,the designed composite exhibits superior ORR activity and durability in alkaline media as compared to commercial Pt/C.Particularly,it shows promising ORR performance with a half-wave potential of 0.78 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode and negligible activity attenuation after 5000 potential cycles in acidic electrolyte.The designed strategy can be extended to construct other MOFs-derived carbon matrixes with diverse hierarchical structures and provide an efficient avenue for searching highperformance electrocatalysts.

Exciting lattice oxygen of nickel–iron bi-metal alkoxide for efficient electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction

High efficiency,cost-effective and durable electrocatalysts are of pivotal importance in energy conversion and storage systems.The electro-oxidation of water to oxygen plays a crucial role in such energy conversion technologies.Herein,we report a robust method for the synthesis of a bimetallic alkoxide for efficient oxygen evolution reaction(OER)for alkaline electrolysis,which yields current density of 10 mA cm^(-2)at an overpotential of 215 mV in 0.1 M KOH electrolyte.The catalyst demonstrates an excellent durability for more than 540 h operation with negligible degradation in activity.Raman spectra revealed that the catalyst underwent structure reconstruction during OER,evolving into oxyhydroxide,which was the active site proceeding OER in alkaline electrolyte.In-situ synchrotron X-ray absorption experiment combined with density functional theory calculation suggests a lattice oxygen involved electrocatalytic reaction mechanism for the in-situ generated nickel–iron bimetal-oxyhydroxide catalyst.This mechanism together with the synergy between nickel and iron are responsible for the enhanced catalytic activity and durability.These findings provide promising strategies for the rational design of nonnoble metal OER catalysts.

Nanoporous nickel with rich adsorbed oxygen for efficient alkaline hydrogen evolution electrocatalysis

Sluggish water dissociation kinetics severely limits the rate of alkaline electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction(HER).Therefore,finding highly active electrocatalysts and clarifying the mechanism of water dissociation are challenging but important.In this study,we report an integrated nanoporous nickel(np-Ni)catalyst with high alkaline HER performance and the origin of the corresponding enhanced catalytic activity.In 1 mol L^(-1) KOH solution,this np-Ni electrode shows an HER overpotential of 20 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2),along with fast water dissociation kinetics.The excellent performance is not only attributed to the large surface area provided by the three-dimensional interconnected conductive network but also from the enhanced intrinsic activity induced by the unique surface properties.Further studies reveal that the types of oxygen species that naturally form on the Ni surface play a key role in water dissociation.Remarkably,when the lattice oxygen almost disappears,the Ni surface terminates with_(ads)orbed oxygen(O_(ads)),exhibiting the fastest water dissociation kinetics.Density functional theory calculation suggests that when O_(ads)acts as the surface termination of Ni metal,the orientation and configuration of polar water molecules are strongly affected by O_(ads).Finally,the H–OH bond of interfacial water molecules is effectively activated in a manner similar to hydrogen bonding.This work not only identifies a high-performance and low-cost electrocatalyst but also provides new insights into the chemical processes underlying water dissociation,thus benefiting the rational design of electrocatalysts.