Strong synergy between physical and chemical properties:Insight into optimization of atomically dispersed oxygen reduction catalysts

Atomically dispersed catalysts exhibit significant influence on facilitating the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)kinetics with high atom economy,owing to remarkable attributes including nearly 100%atomic utilization and exceptional catalytic functionality.Furthermore,accurately controlling atomic physical properties including spin,charge,orbital,and lattice degrees of atomically dispersed catalysts can realize the optimized chemical properties including maximum atom utilization efficiency,homogenous active centers,and satisfactory catalytic performance,but remains elusive.Here,through physical and chemical insight,we review and systematically summarize the strategies to optimize atomically dispersed ORR catalysts including adjusting the atomic coordination environment,adjacent electronic orbital and site density,and the choice of dual-atom sites.Then the emphasis is on the fundamental understanding of the correlation between the physical property and the catalytic behavior for atomically dispersed catalysts.Finally,an overview of the existing challenges and prospects to illustrate the current obstacles and potential opportunities for the advancement of atomically dispersed catalysts in the realm of electrocatalytic reactions is offered.

Precise construction of RuPt dual single-atomic sites to optimize oxygen electrocatalytic behaviors for high-performance Zn-air batteries

The development of redox bifunctional electrocatalysts with high performance,low cost,and long lifetimes is essential for achieving clean energy goals.This study proposed an atom capture strategy for anchoring dual single atoms(DSAs)in a zinc-zeolitic imidazolate framework(Zn-ZIF),followed by calcination under an N_(2) atmosphere to synthesize ruthenium-platinum DSAs supported on a nitrogendoped carbon substrate(RuPt DSAs-NC).Theoretical calculations showed that the degree of Ru 5dxz-~*O 2p_x orbital hybridization was high when^(*)O was adsorbed at the Ru site,indicating enhanced covalent hybridization of metal sites and oxygen ligands,which benefited the adsorption of intermediate species.The presence of the RuPtN_6 active center optimized the absorption-desorption behavior of intermediates,improving the electrocatalytic performance of the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)and the oxygen evolution reaction(DER),RuPt DSAs-NC exhibited a 0.87 V high half-wave potential and a 268 mV low overpotential at 10 mA cm^(-2)in an alkaline environment.Furthermore,rechargeable zinc-air batteries(ZABs)achieved a peak power density of 171 MW cm^(-2).The RuPt DSAs-NC demonstrated long-term cycling for up to 500 h with superior round-trip efficiency.This study provided an effective structural design strategy to construct DSAs active sites for enhanced electrocata lytic performance.

Direct photoelectrochemical nitrate synthesis in an acidic electrolyte from N_(2)by a hole coupled oxygen atom transfer process

Ammonia is an important chemical for pharmaceutical,agriculture,industry,as well as energy production et al.However,the industrial production of ammonia using the Haber-Bosch process is energy-intensive,which stimulates us to explore a cost-effective and low-carbon footprint way for the synthesis of ammonia[1–3].Electrochemical(EC)synthesis of ammonia from an aqueous N_(2)reduction reaction(NRR)has gained significant attention in recent years,while the high dissociation energy of the N≡N bond(941 kJ/mol),as well as higher over-potential than hydrogen evolution reaction(HER),cause a lower efficiency[4].

Atomically Dispersed Ruthenium Catalysts with Open Hollow Structure for Lithium-Oxygen Batteries

Lithium–oxygen battery with ultrahigh theoretical energy density is considered a highly competitive next-generation energy storage device,but its practical application is severely hindered by issues such as difficult decomposition of discharge products at present.Here,we have developed N-doped carbon anchored atomically dispersed Ru sites cathode catalyst with open hollow structure(h-RuNC)for Lithium–oxygen battery.On one hand,the abundance of atomically dispersed Ru sites can effectively catalyze the formation and decomposition of discharge products,thereby greatly enhancing the redox kinetics.On the other hand,the open hollow structure not only enhances the mass activity of atomically dispersed Ru sites but also improves the diffusion efficiency of catalytic molecules.Therefore,the excellent activity from atomically dispersed Ru sites and the enhanced diffusion from open hollow structure respectively improve the redox kinetics and cycling stability,ultimately achieving a high-performance lithium–oxygen battery.

Atomically dispersed Fe sites on hierarchically porous carbon nanoplates for oxygen reduction reaction

Developing cost-effective,robust and stable non-precious metal catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) is of paramount importance for electrochemical energy conversion devices such as fuel cells and metal-air batteries.Although Fe-N-C single atom catalysts(SACs) have been hailed as the most promising candidate due to the optimal binding strength of ORR intermediates on the Fe-N_(4) sites,they suffer from serious mass transport limitations as microporous templates/substrates,i.e.,zeolitic imidazolate frameworks(ZIFs),are usually employed to host the active sites.Motivated by this challenge,we herein develop a hydrogen-bonded organic framework(HOF)-assisted pyrolysis strategy to construct hierarchical micro/mesoporous carbon nanoplates for the deposition of atomically dispersed Fe-N_(4) sites.Such a design is accomplished by employing HOF nanoplates assembled from 2-aminoterephthalic acid(NH_(2)-BDC) and p-phenylenediamine(PDA) as both soft templates and C,N precursors.Benefitting from the structural merits inherited from HOF templates,the optimized catalyst(denoted as Fe-N-C SAC-950) displays outstanding ORR activity with a high half-wave potential of 0.895 V(vs.reversible hydrogen electrode(RHE)) and a small overpotential of 356 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2) for the oxygen evolution reaction(OER).More excitingly,its application potential is further verified by delivering superb rechargeability and cycling stability with a nearly unfading charge-discharge gap of 0.72 V after 160 h.Molecular dynamics(MD) simulations reveal that micro/mesoporous structure is conducive to the rapid mass transfer of O_(2),thus enhancing the ORR performance.In situ Raman results further indicate that the conversion of O_(2) to~*O_(2)-the rate-determining step(RDS) for Fe-N-C SAC-950.This work will provide a versatile strategy to construct single atom catalysts with desirable catalytic properties.

Supramolecular Macrocycle Regulated Single-Atom MoS_(2)@Co Catalysts for Enhanced Oxygen Evolution Reaction

The development of active water oxidation catalysts for water splitting has stimulated considerable interest.Herein,the design and building of single atom Co sites using a supramolecular tailoring strategy are reported,that is,the introduction of pillar[4]arene[1]quinone(P4A1Q)permits mononuclear Co species stereoelectronically assembled on MoS_(2)matrix to construct an atomically dispersed MoS_(2)@Co catalyst with modulated local electronic structure,definite chemical environment and enhanced oxygen evolution reaction performance.Theoretical calculations indicate that immsobilized single-Co sites exhibit an optimized adsorption capability of oxygen-containing intermediates,endowing the catalyst an excellent electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction activity,with a low overpotential of 370 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2)and a small Tafel slope of 90 mV dec^(-1).The extendable potential of this strategy to other electrocatalysts such as MoS_(2)@Ni and MoS_(2)@Zn,and other applications such as the hydrogen evolution reaction was also demonstrated.This study affords new insights into the rational design of single metal atom systems with enhanced electrocatalytic performance.

Effects of Atomic Oxygen Irradiation on Transparent Conductive Oxide Thin Films

Transparent conductive oxide （TCO） thin film is a kind of functional material which has potential applications in solar cells and atomic oxygen （AO） resisting systems in spacecrafts. Of TCO, ZnO：Al （ZAO） and In2O3：Sn （ITO） thin films have been widely used and investigated. In this study, ZAO and ITO thin films were irradiated by AO with different amounts of fluence. The as-deposited samples and irradiated ones were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and Hall-effect measurement to investigate the dependence of the structure, morphology and electrical properties of ZAO or ITO on the amount of fluence of AO irradiation. It is noticed that AO has erosion effects on the surface of ZAO without evident influences upon its structure and conductive properties. Moreover, as the amount of AO fluence rises, the carrier concentration of ITO decreases causing the resistivity to increase by at most 21.7%.

A Simulator for Producing of High Flux Atomic Oxygen Beam by Using ECR Plasma Source

In order to study the atomic oxygen corrosion of spacecraft materials in low earth orbit environment, an atomic oxygen simulator was established. In the simulator, a 2.45 GHz microwave source with maximum power of 600 W was launched into the circular cavity to generate ECR (electron cyclotron resonance) plasma. The oxygen ion beam moved onto a negatively biased Mo plate under the condition of symmetry magnetic mirror field confine, then was neutralized and reflected to form oxygen atom beam. The properties of plasma density, electron temperature, plasma space potential and ion incident energy were characterized. The atomic oxygen beam flux was calibrated by measuring the mass loss rate of Kapton during the atomic oxygen exposure. The test results show that the atomic oxygen beam with flux of 1016-1017 atoms-cm-2·s-1 and energy of 5-30 eV and a cross section of φ80 mm could be obtained under the operating pressure of 10-1-10-3 Pa. Such a high flux source can provide accelerated simulation tests of materials and coatings for space applications.

A general bimetal-ion adsorption strategy to prepare nickel single atom catalysts anchored on graphene for efficient oxygen evolution reaction

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) supported on two-dimensional (2D) materials are highly attractive for maximizing their catalytic activity.However,graphene based SACs are primarily bonded with nitrogen and carbon sites,resulting in poor performance for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER).Herein,we develop a general bimetal-ion adsorption strategy for the synthesis of individually dispersed Ni SACs anchored on the oxygenated sites of ultrathin reduced graphene oxide as efficient OER electrocatalysts.The resultant Ni SACs for OER in alkaline electrolyte exhibit a highly stable overpotential of 328 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm^-2,and Tafel slope of 84 mV dec^-1 together with long-term durability and negligible degradation for 50 h,which is greatly outperform its counterparts of nitrogen bonded Ni SACs (564 mV,364 mV dec^-1) and Ni(OH)2 nanoparticles anchored on graphene (450 mV,142 mV dec^-1),and most reported Ni based OER electrocatalysts.Furthermore,the extended X-ray absorption fine structure at the Ni K-edge and theoretical simulation reveal that the nickel-oxygen coordination significantly boost OER performance.Therefore,this work will open numerous opportunities for creating novel-type 2D SACs via oxygen-metal bonding as highly robust OER catalysts.

Experimental Study of Vacuum Ultraviolet Radiation Effects and Its Synergistic Effects with Atomic Oxygen on a Spacecraft Material-Polytetrafluoroethylene

Polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon), a widely used spacecraft material, isstudied to investigate the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) effects and its synergistic effects with atomicoxygen (AO) in a ground-based simulation facility. The samples before and after the experiments arecompared in appearance, mass, optical properties and surface composition. The reactioncharacteristics of Teflon are summarized and the reaction mechanisms are analyzed. The followingconclusion can be drawn: at the action of VUV the Teflon sample surface is darkened for theaccumulation of carbon; and when the sample is exposed to AO, the carbon is oxidized and thedarkening surface is bleached; the synergistic effects of VUV and AO may cause the erosion of Teflonmore severe.

Active sites engineering of Pt/CNT oxygen reduction catalysts by atomic layer deposition

Understanding carbon-supported Pt-catalyzed oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)from the perspective of the active sites is of fundamental and practical importance.In this study,three differently sized carbon nanotube-supported Pt nanoparticles(Pt/CNT)are prepared by both atomic layer deposition(ALD)and impregnation methods.The performances of the catalysts toward the ORR in acidic media are comparatively studied to probe the effects of the sizes of the Pt nanoparticles together with their distributions,electronic properties,and local environments.The ALD-Pt/CNT catalysts show much higher ORR activity and selectivity than the impregnation-Pt/CNT catalysts.This outstanding ORR performance is ascribed to the well-controlled Pt particle sizes and distributions,desirable Pt^04f binding energy,and the Cl-free Pt surfaces based on the electrocatalytic measurements,catalyst characterizations,and model calculations.The insights reported here could guide the rational design and fine-tuning of carbon-supported Pt catalysts for the ORR.

Atomically Dispersed Transition Metal-Nitrogen-Carbon Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalysts for Zinc-Air Batteries:Recent Advances and Future Perspectives

Rechargeable zinc-air batteries(ZABs)are currently receiving extensive attention because of their extremely high theoretical specific energy density,low manufacturing costs,and environmental friendliness.Exploring bifunctional catalysts with high activity and stability to overcome sluggish kinetics of oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction is critical for the development of rechargeable ZABs.Atomically dispersed metal-nitrogen-carbon(M-N-C)catalysts possessing prominent advantages of high metal atom utilization and electrocatalytic activity are promising candidates to promote oxygen electrocatalysis.In this work,general principles for designing atomically dispersed M-N-C are reviewed.Then,strategies aiming at enhancing the bifunctional catalytic activity and stability are presented.Finally,the challenges and perspectives of M-N-C bifunctional oxygen catalysts for ZABs are outlined.It is expected that this review will provide insights into the targeted optimization of atomically dispersed M-N-C catalysts in rechargeable ZABs.

Investigation of Surface Reaction and Degradation Mechanism of Kapton during Atomic Oxygen Exposure

The erosion behavior of Kapton when exposed to atomic oxygen (AO) environment in the ground-based simulation facility was studied. The chemical and physical changes of sample surfaces after exposed to AO fluxes were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results indicated that Kapton underwent dramatically degradation, including much mass loss and change of surface morphologies; vacuum outgassing effect of Kapton was the key factor for initial mass loss in the course of atomic oxygen beam exposures. XPS analysis showed that the carbonyl group in Kapton reacted with oxygen atoms to generate CO2, then CO2 desorbed from Kapton surface. In addition, PMDA in the polyimide structure degraded due to the reaction with atomic oxygen of 5 eV.

Ground-based Investigations of Atomic Oxygen Erosion Behaviors of Silver and Ion-implanted Silver

Silver foils and ion-implanted silver foils exposed to atomic oxygen （AO） generated in a ground simulation facility were investigated by the quartz crystal microbalance （QCM）, the scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）. The experimental results show the presence of Ag2O and AgO in an oxidation process of the silver foil having exposure to AO. As soon as silver comes under the bombardment of atomic oxygen, the oxidation process starts with a thick film forming on the silver surface. Because of the development of stresses, the oxide layer gets cracked and spalled, which leads to appearance of a new silver surface intensifying further oxidation. At last, AgO begins to form on the outer surface of the oxide film. The analytical results of the XPS and the AES attest to formation of a continuous high-quality protective oxide-based layer on the surface of ion-implanted silver films after exposure to AO. This layer can well protect materials in question from erosion.

Oxygen Atom Exchange Mechanism in Reaction of OH Radical with AsO

Oxygen atom exchange reaction mechanism in the reaction of OH radicals with AsO was investigated by means of the density functional theory (DFT) with 6 311++G( 3df,3pd ) and 6 311++G( d,p ) basis sets. The calculated results suggest that the reaction between OH and AsO should make the oxygen atoms exchange rapidly because the barrier to isomerization is significantly less than the HO-AsO bond dissociation energy.

3D star-like atypical hybrid MOF derived single-atom catalyst boosts oxygen reduction catalysis

Developing high-efficiency,stable and non-precious electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)is highly important for energy conversion and storage.Single atom catalysts(SACs)show good potential in enhancing ORR,however,the specifical control over the coordination surroundings around single metal center to intrinsically modify the electron structure is still a great challenge.Herein,we demonstrate that a 3 D hybrid MOF composed of cobalt doped ZIF-L and ZIF-8,featuring star morphology with six equal branches,can be used as an advanced precursor for making the Co SACs for greatly boosted ORR.The as-synthesized Co_(SA)-N-C exhibits excellent ORR activity with E_(1/2) of 0.891 V in alkaline medium,outperforming the commercial Pt/C by 39 m V.Moreover,the E_(1/2) of Co_(SA)-N-C(0.790 V)is merely 15 m V,less than that of Pt/C(0.805 V)in acid medium,which is among the best in the reported state-of-the-art SACs.DFT calculations demonstrate that the enhanced ORR performance is assigned to the formation of atomically isolated cobalt atom coordinated three N atoms and one C atom,which is easier to decrease the free energy of rate determining step and accelerate the ORR process than that of traditional cobalt atom coordinated four N atoms.In addition,a primary Zn-air battery with Co_(SA)-N-C cathode reveals a maximum power density of 92.2 m W cm^(-2) at 120.0 m A cm^(-2),far higher than that of commercial catalysts(74.2 m W cm^(-2) at 110.0 m A cm^(-2)).

Oxygen redox chemistry in lithium-rich cathode materials for Li-ion batteries:Understanding from atomic structure to nano-engineering

Lithium-rich oxide compounds have been recognized as promising cathode materials for high performance Li-ion batteries,owing to their high specific capacity.However,it remains a great challenge to achieve the fully reversible anionic redox reactions to realize high capacity,high stability,and low voltage hysteresis for lithiumrich cathode materials.Therefore,it is critically important to comprehensively understand and control the anionic redox chemistry of lithium-rich cathode materials,including atomic structure design,and nano-scale materials engineering technologies.Herein,we summarize the recent research progress of lithium-rich cathode materials with a focus on redox chemistry.Particularly,we highlight the oxygen-based redox reactions in lithium-rich metal oxides,with critical views of designing next generation oxygen redox lithium cathode materials.Furthermore,we purposed the most promising strategies for improving the performances of lithium-rich cathode materials with a technology-spectrum from the atomic scale to nano-scale.

Solid phase microwave-assisted fabrication of Fe-doped ZIF-8 for single-atom Fe-N-C electrocatalysts on oxygen reduction

Fe-N-C endowed with inexpensiveness,high activity,and excellent anti-poisoning power have emerged as promising candidate catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR).Single-atom Fe-N-C electrocatalysts derived from Fe-doped ZIF-8 represent the top-level ORR performance.However,the current fabrication of Fe-doped ZIF-8 relies on heavy consumption of time,energy,cost and organic solvents.Herein,we develop a rapid and solvent-free method to produce Fe-doped ZIF-8 under microwave irradiation,which can be easily amplified in combination with ball-milling.After rational pyrolysis,Fe-N-C catalysts with atomic FeN4 sites well dispersed on the hierarchically porous carbon matrix are obtained,which exhibit exceptional ORR performance with a half-wave potential of 0.782 V(vs.reversible hydrogen electrode(RHE))and brilliant methanol tolerance.The assembled direct methanol fuel cells(DMFCs)endow a peak power density of 61 mW cm^(-2) and extraordinary stability,highlighting the application perspective of this strategy.

Preparation and anti atomic oxygen erosion properties of OPPOSS/PI composites

Atomic oxygen （AO） found in low earth orbit can cause serious erosion to polyimide （PI） materials, which greatly limits their lifetime. 8-phenyl silsesquioxane （OPPOSS） was synthesized, and OPPOSS/PI composites were pre- pared by physical blending, followed by thermal imidization to enhance the AO erosion resistance of PI materials. The morphology, composition, and structure of the composites were analyzed before and after AO exposure in a ground sim- ulated facility of atomic oxygen. After 16 h AO exposure, the OPPOSS/PI composite with 5wt% OPPOSS addition shows an erosion rate of about 1.4×10-24 cm3/atom with only 48% mass loss of that of PI without OPPOSS addition. The mixture of OPPOSS nano molecules is assembled into a kind of regular square structure and distributed evenly in OPPOSS/PI composites. Some SiO2 particles are formed in the composites during AO exposure, which can act as ＂inert points＂ to reduce the AO erosion rate of OPPOSS/PI composites.

Resistance of Nanoclay Reinforced Epoxy Composites to Hyperthermal Atomic Oxygen Attack

Due to outstanding mechanical properties, heat resistance, and relatively facile production,nanoclay reinforced epoxy composites(NCRE composites) have been suggested as candidate materials for use on external surfaces of spacecraft residing in the low Earth orbit(LEO) environment. The resistance of the NCRE composites to bombardment by atomic oxygen(AO), a dominant component of the LEO environment, has been investigated. Four types of samples were used in this study. They were pure epoxy(0 wt% nanoclay content), and NCRE composites with different loadings of nanoclay—1 wt%, 2 wt%, and 4 wt%. Etch depths decreased with increasing nanoclay content, and for the 4 wt% samples it ranged from 28% to 37% compared to that of pure epoxy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) indicates that after AO bombardment, relative area of C-C/C-H peak decreased,while the area of the C-O, ketones peaks increased, and the oxidation degree of surfaces increased. New carbon-related component carbonates were detected on nanoclay containing composite surfaces. Scanning electron microscopy indicates that aggregates formed on nanoclay-containing surfaces after AO bombardment. The sizes and densities of aggregates increased with nanoclay content. The combined erosion depths, XPS and SEM results indicate that although all the studied surfaces got eroded and oxidized after AO bombardment,the nanoclay containing composites showed better AO resistance compared to pure epoxy,because the produced aggregates on surface potentially act as a physical "shield", effectively retarding parts of the surface from further AO etching.