Hydrogenation reaction of metallic titanium prepared by molten salt electrolysis

The hydrogenation reaction of electrolyzed titanium, as the first step during hydrogenation-dehydrogenation for the preparation of titanium powder, was studied. The titanium hydride was prepared through the reaction between electrolyzed titanium and hydrogen at different hydrogenation temperatures and different time. The evolutions of hydrogen and oxygen contents, density, hardness and phase composition before and after hydrogenation were characterized under different hydrogenation conditions. The results show that the main phases of titanium hydride were TiHl.924, TiH1.971 and TiH2. Increasing the hydrogenation temperature could not enhance the hydrogen content but increase the oxygen content. The effect of the hydrogenation time on the hydrogen content was not obvious. The optimal parameters of the hydrogenation process were obtained： beating at 400℃ and holding for 2 h, by which the hydrogen content of 3.63% and oxygen content of 0.18% （mass fraction） can be obtained. In addition, the microstructure, orientations and tissues of electrolyzed titanium and titanium hydride were detected.

Hydrogenation reaction characteristics and properties of its hydrides for magnetic regenerative material HoCu_2

The hydrogenation reaction characteristics and the properties of its hydrides for the magnetic regenerative material HoCu_2(CeCu_2-type) of a cryocooler were investigated. The XRD testing reveals that the hydrides of HoCu_2 were a mixture of Cu, unknown hydride Ⅰ, and unknown hydride Ⅱ. Based on the PCT(pressure-concentration-temperature) curves under different reaction temperatures, the relationships among reaction temperature, equilibrium pressure, and maximum hydrogen absorption capacity were analyzed and discussed. The enthalpy change ΔH and entropy change ΔS as a result of the whole hydrogenation process were also calculated from the PCT curves. The magnetization and volumetric specific heat capacity of the hydride were also measured by SQUID magnetometer and PPMS, respectively.

Recent development of supported monometallic gold as heterogeneous catalyst for selective liquid phase hydrogenation reactions

The great potential of gold catalysts for chemical conversions in both industrial and environmental concerns has attracted increasing interest in many fields of research.Gold nanoparticles supported by metal oxides with high surface area have been recognized as highly efficient and effective green heterogeneous catalyst even at room temperature under normal reaction conditions,in gas and liquid phase reactions.In the present review,we discuss the recent development of heterogeneous,supported monometallic gold catalysts for organic transformations emphasizing mainly liquid phase hydrogenation reactions.Discussions on the catalytic synthesis procedures and the promoting effect of other noble metals are omitted since they are already worked out.Applications of heterogeneous,supported monometallic catalysts for chemoselective hydrogenations in liquid phase are studied including potential articles during the period 2000–2013.

Shedding light on the reversible deactivation of carbon-supported single-atom catalysts in hydrogenation reaction

Carbon-supported single-atom catalysts were found to suffer reversible deactivation in catalytic hydrogenation,but the mechanism is still unclear.Herein,nitro compounds hydrogenation catalyzed by N-doped carbon-supported Co single atom(Co1/NC)was taken as a model to uncover the mechanism of the reversible deactivation phenomenon.Co1/NC exhibited moderate adsorption towards the substrate molecules(i.e.,nitro compounds or related intermediates),which could be strengthened by the confinement effect from the porous structure.Consequently,substrate molecules tend to accumulate within the pore channel,especially micropores that host Co1,making it difficult for the reactants to access the active sites and finally leading to their deactivation.The situation could be even worse when the substrate molecules possess a large size.Nevertheless,the catalytic activity of Co1/NC could be restored via a simple thermal treatment,which could remove the adsorbates within the pore channel,hence releasing active sites that were originally inaccessible to reactants.

Highly mass activity electrocatalysts with ultralow Pt loading on carbon black for hydrogen evolution reaction

Pt-based nanocatalysts offer excellent prospects for various industries.However,the low loading of Pt with excellent performance for efficient and stable nanocatalysts still presents a considerable challenge.In this study,nanocatalysts with ultralow Pt content,excellent performance,and carbon black as support were prepared through in-situ synthesis.These~2-nm particles uniformly and stably dispersed on carbon black because of the strong s-p-d orbital hybridizations between carbon black and Pt,which suppressed the agglomeration of Pt ions.This unique structure is beneficial for the hydrogen evolution reaction.The catalysts exhibited remarkable catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction,exhibiting a potential of 100 mV at 100 mA·cm^(-2),which is comparable to those of commercial Pt/C catalysts.Mass activity(1.61 A/mg)was four times that of a commercial Pt/C catalyst(0.37 A/mg).The ultralow Pt loading(6.84wt%)paves the way for the development of next-generation electrocatalysts.

Pd single-atom monolithic catalyst: Functional 3D structure and unique chemical selectivity in hydrogenation reaction

Regulating the selectivity of catalysts in selective hydrogenation reactions at the atomic level is highly desirable but remains a grand challenge. Here we report a simple and practical strategy to synthesize a monolithic single-atom catalyst(SAC) with isolated Pd atoms supported on bulk nitrogen-doped carbon foams(Pd-SAs/CNF). Moreover, we demonstrate that the single-atom Pd sites with unique electronic structure endow Pd-SAs/CNF with an isolated site effect, leading to excellent activity and selectivity in 4-nitrophenylacetylene semi-hydrogenation reaction. In addition, benefiting from the great integrity and excellent mechanical strength, monolithic Pd-SAs/CNF catalyst is easy to separate from the reaction system for conducting the subsequent recycling. The cyclic test demonstrates the excellent reusability and stability of monolithic Pd-SAs/CNF catalyst.The discovery of isolated site effect provides a new approach to design highly selective catalysts. And the development of monolithic SACs provides new opportunities to advance the practical applications of single-atom catalysts.

Chiral metal-organic frameworks with tunable catalytic selectivity in asymmetric transfer hydrogenation reactions

Metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)have achieved great success in the field of heterogeneous catalysis,however,ifs still challenging to design MOF catalysts with enhanced selectivity.Here,we demonstrated a combination strategy of metal design and ligand design on the enantioselectivity—that is the enantioselectivities of chiral MOF(CMOF)catalysts could be significantly enhanced by the rational choice of metal ions with higher electronegativities and introducing sterically demanding groups into the ligands.Four isostructural Ca-,Sr-and Zn-based CMOFs were prepared from enantiopure phosphono-carboxylate ligands of 1,V-biphenol that are functionalized with 2,4,6-trimethyl-and 2,4,6-trifluoro-phenyl groups at the Supposition.The uniformly distributed metal phosphonates along the channels could act as Lewis acids and catalyze the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of heteroaromatic imines(benzoxazines and quinolines).Particularly,the Ca-based MOF 1 with 2,4,6-trimethyl groups at the substituents exhibited enhanced catalytic performance,affording the highest enantioselectivity(up to 97%).It is also the first report of the heterogeneous catalyst with chiral non-noble metal phosphonate active sites for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation reactions with Hantzsch ester as the hydrogen source.The catalyst design strategy demonstrated here is expected to develop new types of chiral materials for asymmetric catalysis and other chiral applications.

Recent Advances on Confining Noble Metal Nanoparticles Inside Metal-Organic Frameworks for Hydrogenation Reactions

Hydrogenation reaction is one of the pillars of the chemical industry for the synthesis of drugs and fine chemicals.To achieve high catalytic performance,it is still highly desirable for constructing novel supported metal catalysts.Different from conventional supports like metal oxides,zeolites and carbon materials,metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)as the emerging porous materials have exhibited great potential to host metal nanoparticles(NPs)for achieving hydrogenation reactions with high catalytic efficiency,due to their unique porous structures.Recently,many progresses have been made,and thus,it is necessary to summarize the recent progresses on confining metal NPs inside MOFs for hydrogenation reactions.In this review,we first introduced the general synthesis methods for confining noble metal NPs inside MOFs.Then,the applications of noble metal NPs/MOFs catalysts in hydrogenation reactions were summarized,and the synergistic catalytic performances among noble metal NPs,metal nodes,functional groups,and pore channels in MOFs were illustrated.Subsequently,the hydrogen spillover effect involved in the hydrogenation reactions was discussed.Finally,we provide an outlook on the future research directions and challenges of confining noble metal NPs inside MOFs for hydrogenation reactions.

Deformable Catalytic Material Derived from Mechanical Flexibility for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Deformable catalytic material with excellent flexible structure is a new type of catalyst that has been applied in various chemical reactions,especially electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction(HER).In recent years,deformable catalysts for HER have made great progress and would become a research hotspot.The catalytic activities of deformable catalysts could be adjustable by the strain engineering and surface reconfiguration.The surface curvature of flexible catalytic materials is closely related to the electrocatalytic HER properties.Here,firstly,we systematically summarized self-adaptive catalytic performance of deformable catalysts and various micro–nanostructures evolution in catalytic HER process.Secondly,a series of strategies to design highly active catalysts based on the mechanical flexibility of lowdimensional nanomaterials were summarized.Last but not least,we presented the challenges and prospects of the study of flexible and deformable micro–nanostructures of electrocatalysts,which would further deepen the understanding of catalytic mechanisms of deformable HER catalyst.

Precisely Control Relationship between Sulfur Vacancy and H Absorption for Boosting Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Ef fective and robust catalyst is the core of water splitting to produce hydrogen.Here, we report an anionic etching method to tailor the sulfur vacancy(VS) of NiS_(2) to further enhance the electrocatalytic performance for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER). With the VS concentration change from 2.4% to 8.5%, the H* adsorption strength on S sites changed and NiS_(2)-VS 5.9% shows the most optimized H* adsorption for HER with an ultralow onset potential(68 m V) and has long-term stability for 100 h in 1 M KOH media. In situ attenuated-total-reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(ATR-FTIRS) measurements are usually used to monitor the adsorption of intermediates. The S-H* peak of the Ni S_(2)-VS 5.9% appears at a very low voltage, which is favorable for the HER in alkaline media. Density functional theory calculations also demonstrate the Ni S_(2)-VS 5.9% has the optimal |ΔG^(H*)| of 0.17 e V. This work offers a simple and promising pathway to enhance catalytic activity via precise vacancies strategy.

Selective photosynthesis of Z-olefins through crystalline metal-organic cage-initiated expeditious cascade reactions

The semi-hydrogenation of alkyne to form Z-olefins with high conversion and high selectivity is still a huge challenge in the chemical industry.Moreover,flammable and explosive hydrogen as the common hydrogen source of this reaction increases the cost and danger of industrial production.Herein,we connect the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction and the semihydrogenation reaction of alkynes in series and successfully realize the high selective production of Z-alkenes using low-cost,safe,and green water as the proton source.Before the cascade reaction,a series of isomorphic metal–organic cage catalysts(Co_(x)Zn_(8−x)L_(6),x=0,3,4,5,and 8)are designed and synthesized to improve the yield of the photocatalytic hydrogen production.Among them,Co_(5)Zn_(3)L_(6) shows the highest photocatalytic activity,with a H_(2) generation rate of 8.81 mmol g^(−1) h^(−1).Then,Co_(5)Zn_(3)L_(6) is further applied in the above tandem reaction to efficiently reduce alkynes to Z-alkenes under ambient conditions,which can reach high conversion of>98%and high selectivity of>99%,and maintain original catalytic activity after multiple cycles.This“one-pot”tandem reaction can achieve a highly selective and safe stepwise conversion from water into hydrogen into Z-olefins under mild reaction conditions.

Fundamental Understanding of Hydrogen Evolution Reaction on Zinc Anode Surface:A First‑Principles Study

Hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)has become a key factor affecting the cycling stability of aqueous Zn-ion batteries,while the corresponding fundamental issues involving HER are still unclear.Herein,the reaction mechanisms of HER on various crystalline surfaces have been investigated by first-principle calculations based on density functional theory.It is found that the Volmer step is the ratelimiting step of HER on the Zn(002)and(100)surfaces,while,the reaction rates of HER on the Zn(101),(102)and(103)surfaces are determined by the Tafel step.Moreover,the correlation between HER activity and the generalized coordination number(CN)of Zn at the surfaces has been revealed.The relatively weaker HER activity on Zn(002)surface can be attributed to the higher CN of surface Zn atom.The atomically uneven Zn(002)surface shows significantly higher HER activity than the flat Zn(002)surface as the CN of the surface Zn atom is lowered.The CN of surface Zn atom is proposed as a key descriptor of HER activity.Tuning the CN of surface Zn atom would be a vital strategy to inhibit HER on the Zn anode surface based on the presented theoretical studies.Furthermore,this work provides a theoretical basis for the in-depth understanding of HER on the Zn surface.

Revealing interfacial charge redistribution of homologous Ru-RuS_(2) heterostructure toward robust hydrogen oxidation reaction

Precisely tailoring the surface electronic structures of electrocatalysts for optimal hydrogen binding energy and hydroxide binding energy is vital to improve the sluggish kinetics of hydrogen oxidation reac-tion(HOR).Herein,we employ a partial desulfurization strategy to construct a homologous Ru-RuS_(2) heterostructure anchored on hollow mesoporous carbon nanospheres(Ru-RuS_(2)@C).The disparate work functions of the heterostructure contribute to the spontaneous formation of a unique built-in electric field,accelerating charge transfer and boosting conductivity of electrocatalyst.Consequently,Ru-RuS_(2)@C exhibits robust HOR electrocatalytic activity,achieving an exchange current density and mass activity as high as 3.56 mA cm^(-2) and 2.13 mAμg_(Ru)^(-1),respectively.exceeding those of state-of-the-art Pt/C and most contemporary Ru-based HOR electrocatalysts.Surprisingly,Ru-RuS_(2)@C can tolerate 1000 ppm of cO that lacks in Pt/C.Comprehensive analysis reveals that the directional electron transfer across Ru-RuS_(2) heterointerface induces local charge redistribution in interfacial region,which optimizes and balances the adsorption energies of H and OH species,as well as lowers the energy barrier for water formation,thereby promoting theHoR performance.

In situ infrared, Raman and X-ray spectroscopy for the mechanistic understanding of hydrogen evolution reaction

Hydrogen production by water reduction reactions has received considerable attention because hydrogen is considered a clean-energy carrier,key for a sustainable energy future.Computational methods have been widely used to study the reaction mechanism of the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER),but the calculation results need to be supported by experimental results and direct evidence to confirm the mechanistic insights.In this review,we discuss the fundamental principles of the in situ spectroscopic strategy and a theoretical model for a mechanistic understanding of the HER.In addition,we investigate recent studies by in situ Fourier transform infrared(FTIR),Raman spectroscopy,and X-ray absorption spectroscopy(XAS) and cover new findings that occur at the catalyst-electrolyte interface during HER.These spectroscopic strategies provide practical ways to elucidate catalyst phase,reaction intermediate,catalyst-electrolyte interface,intermediate binding energy,metal valency state,and coordination environment during HER.

Exploring the Cation Regulation Mechanism for Interfacial Water Involved in the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction by In Situ Raman Spectroscopy

Interfacial water molecules are the most important participants in the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER).Hence,understanding the behavior and role that interfacial water plays will ultimately reveal the HER mechanism.Unfortunately,investigating interfacial water is extremely challenging owing to the interference caused by bulk water molecules and complexity of the interfacial environment.Here,the behaviors of interfacial water in different cationic electrolytes on Pd surfaces were investigated by the electrochemistry,in situ core-shell nanostructure enhanced Raman spectroscopy and theoretical simulation techniques.Direct spectral evidence reveals a red shift in the frequency and a decrease in the intensity of interfacial water as the potential is shifted in the positively direction.When comparing the different cation electrolyte systems at a given potential,the frequency of the interfacial water peak increases in the specified order:Li+<Na^(+)<K^(+)<Ca^(2+)<Sr^(2+).The structure of interfacial water was optimized by adjusting the radius,valence,and concentration of cation to form the two-H down structure.This unique interfacial water structure will improve the charge transfer efficiency between the water and electrode further enhancing the HER performance.Therefore,local cation tuning strategies can be used to improve the HER performance by optimizing the interfacial water structure.

Atomic-level coupled RuO_(2)/BaRuO_(3) heterostructure for efficient alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction

The slow water dissociation is the rate-determining step that slows down the reaction rate in alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction(HER).Optimizing the surface electronic structure of the catalyst to lower the energy barrier of water dissociation and regulating the binding strength of adsorption intermediates are crucial strategy for boosting the catalytic performance of HER.In this study,RuO_(2)/BaRuO_(3)(RBRO)heterostructures with abundant oxygen vacancies and lattice distortion were in-situ constructed under a low temperature via the thermal decomposition of gel-precursor.The RBRO heterostructures obtained at 550℃ exhibited the highest HER activity in 1 M KOH,showing an ultra-low overpotential of 16 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2)and a Tafel slope of 33.37 m V dec^(-1).Additionally,the material demonstrated remarkable durability,with only 25 mV of degradation in overpotential after 200 h of stability testing at 10 mA cm^(-2).Density functional theory calculations revealed that the redistribution of charges at the heterojunction interface can optimize the binding energies of H*and OH*and effectively lower the energy barrier of water dissociation.This research offers novel perspectives on surpassing the water dissociation threshold of alkaline HER catalysts by means of a systematic design of heterogeneous interfaces.

Towards a new avenue for rapid synthesis of electrocatalytic electrodes via laser-induced hydrothermal reaction for water splitting

Electrochemical production of hydrogen from water requires the development ofelectrocatalysts that are active,stable,and low-cost for water splitting.To address these challenges,researchers are increasingly exploring binder-free electrocatalytic integratedelectrodes (IEs) as an alternative to conventional powder-based electrode preparation methods,for the former is highly desirable to improve the catalytic activity and long-term stability for large-scale applications of electrocatalysts.Herein,we demonstrate a laser-inducedhydrothermal reaction (LIHR) technique to grow NiMoO4nanosheets on nickel foam,which is then calcined under H2/Ar mixed gases to prepare the IE IE-NiMo-LR.This electrode exhibits superior hydrogen evolution reaction performance,requiring overpotentials of 59,116 and143 mV to achieve current densities of 100,500 and 1000 mA·cm-2.During the 350 h chronopotentiometry test at current densities of 100 and 500 m A·cm-2,the overpotentialremains essentially unchanged.In addition,NiFe-layered double hydroxide grown on Ni foam is also fabricated with the same LIHR method and coupled with IE-NiMo-IR to achieve water splitting.This combination exhibits excellent durability under industrial current density.The energy consumption and production efficiency of the LIHR method are systematicallycompared with the conventional hydrothermal method.The LIHR method significantly improves the production rate by over 19 times,while consuming only 27.78%of the total energy required by conventional hydrothermal methods to achieve the same production.

Recent advances in design of hydrogen evolution reaction electrocatalysts at high current density:A review

The electrolysis of water powered by renewable energy sources offers a promising method of"green hydrogen"production,which is considered to be at the heart of future carbon-neutral energy systems.In the past decades,researchers have reported a number of hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)electrocatalysts with activity comparable to that of commercial Pt/C,but most of them are tested within a small current density range,typically no more than 500 mA cm^(-2).To realize the industrial application of hydrogen production from water electrolysis,it is essential to develop high-efficiency HER electrocatalysts at high current density(HCD≥500 mA cm^(-2)).Nevertheless,it remains challenging and significant to rational design HCD electrocatalysts for HER.In this paper,the design strategy of HCD electrocatalysts is discussed,and some HCD electrocatalysts for HER are reviewed in seven categories(alloy,metal oxide,metal hydroxide,metal sulfide/selenide,metal nitride,metal phosphide and other derived electrocatalysts).At the end of this article,we also pro-pose some viewpoints and prospects for the future development and research directions of HCD electrocatalysts for HER.

Unraveling the Harmonious Coexistence of Ruthenium States on a Self-Standing Electrode for Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

The development of cost-effective,highly efficient,and durable electrocatalysts has been a paramount pursuit for advancing the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER).Herein,a simplified synthesis protocol was designed to achieve a self-standing electrode,composed of activated carbon paper embedded with Ru single-atom catalysts and Ru nanoclusters(ACP/Ru_(SAC+C))via acid activation,immersion,and high-temperature pyrolysis.Ab initio molecular dynamics(AIMD)calculations are employed to gain a more profound understanding of the impact of acid activation on carbon paper.Furthermore,the coexistence states of the Ru atoms are confirmed via aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy(AC-STEM),X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),and X-ray absorption spectroscopy(XAS).Experimental measurements and theoretical calculations reveal that introducing a Ru single-atom site adjacent to the Ru nanoclusters induces a synergistic effect,tuning the electronic structure and thereby significantly enhancing their catalytic performance.Notably,the ACP/Ru_(SAC+C)exhibits a remarkable turnover frequency(TOF)of 18 s^(−1)and an exceptional mass activity(MA)of 2.2 A mg^(−1),surpassing the performance of conventional Pt electrodes.The self-standing electrode,featuring harmoniously coexisting Ru states,stands out as a prospective choice for advancing HER catalysts,enhancing energy efficiency,productivity,and selectivity.

Electronic Communication Between Co and Ru Sites Decorated on Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanotubes Boosting the Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Designing highly efficient Pt-free electrocatalysts with low overpotential for an alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)remains a significant challenge.Here,a novel and efficient cobalt(Co),ruthenium(Ru)bimetallic electrocatalyst composed of CoRu nanoalloy decorated on the N-doped carbon nanotubes(CoRu@N-CNTs),was prepared by reacting fullerenol with melamine via hydrothermal treatment and followed by pyrolysis.Benefiting from the electronic communication between Co and Ru sites,the as-obtained CoRu@N-CNTs catalyst exhibited superior electrocatalytic HER activity.To deliver a current density of 10 mA·cm^(-2),it required an overpotential of merely 19 mV along with a Tafel slope of 26.19 mV·dec^(-1)in 1 mol·L^(-1)potassium hydroxide(KOH)solution,outperforming the benchmark Pt/C catalyst.The present work would pave a new way towards the design and construction of an efficient electrocatalyst for energy storage and conversion.