Advances on Axial Coordination Design of Single‑Atom Catalysts for Energy Electrocatalysis:A Review

Single-atom catalysts(SACs)have garnered increasingly growing attention in renewable energy scenarios,especially in electrocatalysis due to their unique high efficiency of atom utilization and flexible electronic structure adjustability.The intensive efforts towards the rational design and synthesis of SACs with versatile local configurations have significantly accelerated the development of efficient and sustainable electrocatalysts for a wide range of electrochemical applications.As an emergent coordination avenue,intentionally breaking the planar symmetry of SACs by adding ligands in the axial direction of metal single atoms offers a novel approach for the tuning of both geometric and electronic structures,thereby enhancing electrocatalytic performance at active sites.In this review,we briefly outline the burgeoning research topic of axially coordinated SACs and provide a comprehensive summary of the recent advances in their synthetic strategies and electrocatalytic applications.Besides,the challenges and outlooks in this research field have also been emphasized.The present review provides an in-depth and comprehensive understanding of the axial coordination design of SACs,which could bring new perspectives and solutions for fine regulation of the electronic structures of SACs catering to high-performing energy electrocatalysis.

Axial Coordination Effects of Pyridine on the Electrochemistry of (TPP)Co in 1,2-Dichloroethane Solution

The electrochemistry of (TPP)Co in the presence of pyridine was investigated in dichloroethane solution by cyclic voltammetry. With the addition of pyridine to the solution, the reduction peaks of the axial complex compounds, (TPP)Co(III)(Py) and (TPP)Co(III)(Py)(2) were observed. It was found that the reduction peak of Co(II)/Co(I) shifted to about -1.20V (SCE) with the increase of added pyridine. The new reduction peak may be attributed to the direct reduction of the axially complex (TPP)Co(II)(Py).

Engineering the axial coordination of cobalt single atom catalysts for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Improving the catalytic activity of non-noble metal single atom catalysts(SACs)has attracted considerable attention in materials science.Although optimizing the local electronic structure of single atom can greatly improve their catalytic activity,it often involves in-plane modulation and requires high temperatures.Herein,we report a novel strategy to manipulate the local electronic structure of SACs via the modulation of axial Co-S bond anchored onto graphitic carbon nitride(C_(3)N_(4))at room temperature(RT).Each Co atom is bonded to four N atoms and one S atom(Co-(N,S)/C_(3)N_(4)).Owing to the greater electronegativity of S in the Co-S bond,the local electronic structure of the Co atoms is available to be controlled at a relatively moderate level.Consequently,when employed for the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction,the adsorption energy of intermediate hydrogen(H*)on the Co atoms is remarkably low.In the presence of the Co-(N,S)/C_(3)N_(4)SACs,the hydrogen evolution rates reach up to 10 mmol/(g·h),which is nearly 10 and 2.5 times greater than the rates in the presence of previously reported transition metal/C_(3)N_(4)and noble platinum nanoparticles(PtNPs)/C_(3)N_(4)catalysts,respectively.Attributed to the tailorable axial Co-S bond in the SAC,the local electronic structure of the Co atoms can be further optimized for other photocatalytic reactions.This axial coordination engineering strategy is universal in catalyst designing and can be used for a variety of photocatalytic applications.

Decrypting the Influence of Axial Coordination on the Electronic Microenvironment of Co-N_(5)Site for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Reaction

Metal porphyrins are star molecules that possess welldefined coordination metal centers for versatile catalytic reactions.However,most previous work has focused on the correlations between in-plane symmetric configuration of metal-N_(4)sites and their catalytic performance.Addressing the catalytic contribution of additional axial coordination to such symmetric configuration remains a challenge.Theoretical calculations revealed that axially anchoring an extra pyridine on the tetra-coordinated cobalt porphyrin(Co-N4)to construct penta-coordinated cobalt porphyrin(Co-N_(5))renders cobalt a higher electron density,thereby favoring the rate-determining O_(2)adsorption/activation and reducing the oxygen electroreduction barrier.Therefore,a well-defined Co-N_(5)site is rationally introduced into the azo-linked polymer framework for a fundamental structure-catalytic performance correlation study.As-prepared Co-N_(5)catalyst exhibits a 26 mV positive shift in half-wave potential compared with the pyridine-free Co-N_(4)counterpart,discloses a markedly higher power density(141.4 mW cm^(−2)),and possesses better long-term durability(over 160 h cycles)in a Zn-air battery.Moreover,such a Co-N_(5)catalyst also showcases potential applications for CO_(2)reduction with high CO_(2)-to-CO conversion faradic efficiency and better selectivity than the Co-N_(4)counterpart because coordination of the fifth pyridine evokes electronic localization that suppresses a competitive side reaction.This work proves the positive electrocatalytic contribution of axial penta-coordination on well-defined metalporphyrin-based catalysts and offers atomic understanding of the structure-performance correlation on single atom catalysts for future catalyst design.

Regulating single-atom Mn sites by precisely axial pyridinic-nitrogen coordination to stabilize the oxygen reduction

Designing single-atom catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)are fashionable but challenging to boost the zinc-air battery performance.Significantly enhanced ORR activity by manganese(Mn)singleatom catalysts can be achieved by accurately regulating the coordination number of isolated Mn atoms.Theoretical calculations indicate that the single Mn-N5sites possess lower free energy barrier and higher oxygen adsorption performance than single Mn-N4sites to accelerate the ORR kinetics.Target to it,here we synthesize an atomically dispersed Mn-N5catalyst by precisely axial coordination of pyridinic-N doped into two-dimensional(2D)porous nanocarbon sheets(~3.56 nm thickness),which reveals outstanding catalytic activity and ultrahigh stability for the ORR in zinc-air battery owing to the inhomogeneous charge distribution of Mn-N5sites compared to the conventional single-site Mn-N4catalyst and Pt/C.This work gives a new strategy for in situ regulating the electronic structure of metal single-atoms and further promoting the overall ORR performance in energy systems.

Axial coordination regulation of MOF-based single-atom Ni catalysts by halogen atoms for enhanced CO_(2) electroreduction

Single-atom catalysts(SACs),with the utmost atom utilization,have attracted extensive interests for various catalytic applications.The coordination environment of SACs has been recognized to play a vital role in catalysis while their precise regulation at atomic level remains an immense challenge.Herein,a post metal halide modification(PMHM)strategy has been developed to construct Ni-N4 sites with axially coordinated halogen atoms,named Ni1-N-C(X)(X=CI,Br,and I),on pre-synthetic nitrogen-doped carbon derived from metal-organic frameworks.The axial halogen atoms with distinct electronegativity can break the symmetric charge distribution of planar Ni-N4 sites and regulate the electronic states of central Ni atoms in Ni1-N-C(X)(X=Cl,Br,and I).Significantly,the Ni1-N-C(CI)catalyst,decorated with the most electronegative Cl atoms,exhibits Faradaic efficiency of CO up to 94.7%in electrocatalytic CO_(2) reduction,outperforming Ni1-N-C(Br)and Ni1-N-C(I)catalysts.Moreover,Ni1-N-C(CI)also presents superb performance in Zn-CO_(2) battery with ultrahigh CO selectivity and great durability.Theoretical calculations reveal that the axially coordinated Cl atom remarkably facilitates*COOH intermediate formation on single-atom Ni sites,thereby boosting the CO_(2) reduction performance of Ni1-N-C(CI).This work offers a facile strategy to tailor the axial coordination environments of SACs at atomic level and manifests the crucial role of axial coordination microenvironments in catalysis.

Kinetic Studies on Axial Coordination Reaction of Tetraphenylporphinatocobalt（Ⅱ） Chloride

he axial coordination reactions of tetraphenylporphinatocobalt (Ⅲ) chloride(Co TPPC1) with various imidazoles RIm ( HIm . imidazole; Melm , 2-methylimida-zole) were investigated in acetone and dichloromethand solvents at different temper-atures. The reaction mechanisms were proposed and the differences between experi-mental results in the two solvents h ave been interpreted using the proposed mecha-nisms and rate equations for the first time , and the reaction scheme for the axial re-action of the metalloporphyrin has been developed. Hydrogen bonding plays an im-portant role in the reactions. The effects of various imidazoles for these reactionsand the solvents are reported. The comparison between iron and cobalt porphyrinsin the kinetics are discussed.

Thermodynamic study of axial coordination reaction of zinc porphyrin with metal Schiff base and imidazole complex

A thermodynamic study is reported for the coordination reaction of ZnT ( m-X)PP derivatives (X = NO2, Cl, OCH3, H or CH3) with various ligands L (L= imidazole (Im), 2-methylimidazole (Melm), clotrimidazole (CIM), imidazol-4-carboxaldehyde (4-CHOIm), unsymmetrical tetradentate copper Schiff base, Culm(p-C1), Ch(p-Br), and nickel Schiff base, Nilm(p-CI)), in dichloromethane solvent. Conversion of the four-coordinated ZnT( m-X)PP to the five-coordinated species is followed and isosbestic behavior is exhibited in the region among 450 and 700 nm. The reaction of a copper(II) or nickel(II) imidazolate Schiff base with ZnT( m-X)PP results in the formation of an imidazolate bridged heterobinuclear complex. The stochiometric number is unity for all axial ligands. The equilibrium constants were determined using the β band of ZnT( m-X)-PP in the 293–308 K range by the method of Rose and Drago. It increases with decrease in temperature, and ΔH0 0, Δ09 0. The stronger the nucleophilic ability of the axial ligand is, the larger the stability of the axial coordination product is. Hammet linear relationships and isoequilibrium relationships exist in the system studied.

Multifunctional Film Assembled from N‑Doped Carbon Nanofiber with Co–N_(4)–O Single Atoms for Highly Efficient Electromagnetic Energy Attenuation

Single-atom materials have demonstrated attractive physicochemical characteristics.However,understanding the relationships between the coordination environment of single atoms and their properties at the atomic level remains a considerable challenge.Herein,a facile waterassisted carbonization approach is developed to fabricate well-defined asymmetrically coordinated Co–N_(4)–O sites on biomass-derived carbon nanofiber(Co–N_(4)–O/NCF)for electromagnetic wave(EMW)absorption.In such nanofiber,one atomically dispersed Co site is coordinated with four N atoms in the graphene basal plane and one oxygen atom in the axial direction.In-depth experimental and theoretical studies reveal that the axial Co–O coordination breaks the charge distribution symmetry in the planar porphyrin-like Co–N_(4) structure,leading to significantly enhanced dielectric polarization loss relevant to the planar Co–N_(4) sites.Importantly,the film based on Co–N_(4)–O/NCF exhibits light weight,flexibility,excellent mechanical properties,great thermal insulating feature,and excellent EMW absorption with a reflection loss of−45.82 dB along with an effective absorption bandwidth of 4.8 GHz.The findings of this work offer insight into the relationships between the single-atom coordination environment and the dielectric performance,and the proposed strategy can be extended toward the engineering of asymmetrically coordinated single atoms for various applications.

ZnTPP Axially Coordinated with a Novel Dipyridylamine Ligand:Hydrothermal Synthesis and Crystal Structure

A novel complex ZnTPPL1·3DMF 1（TPP = tetraphenylporphyrin,L1 = N-（4-（9-carbazolyl） phenyl）-N,N-di（4-pyridyl）amine） was prepared by a hydrothermal method and characterized by elemental analysis,IR,and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.Compound 1 crystallizes in triclinic,space group P1 with a = 13.3082（2）,b = 14.3276（2）,c = 18.6120（3） ,α = 109.853（1）,β = 95.054（1）,γ = 98.832（1）°,V = 3260.57（9） 3,Z = 2,Dc = 1.334 g/cm3,C81H69N11O3Zn,Mr = 1309.84,μ（MoKα） = 0.438 mm-1,F（000） = 1372,GOF = 1.159,the final R = 0.0482 and wR = 0.1479 for 12091 observed reflections（Ⅰ 〉 2σ（Ⅰ））.Crystal structure analyses revealed that L1 utilizes one pyridyl N atom to bind Zn via axial coordination,affording a 1：1 complex.The binding constant was estimated to be 1.74（7） × 10^4 M^-1 from electronic spectra measurements.

Cobalt porphyrin immobilized on the TiO_(2) nanotube electrode for CO2 electroreduction in aqueous solution

Herein we report CO_(2) electrochemical reduction reaction(CO_(2) ERR)on the cobalt tetraphenylporphyrin(Co TPP)modified TiO_(2) nanotube(TNT)electrode.It was found the axial coordination of drop-casting solvent to Co TPP and the porphyrin structure are the major factors that have significant effects on the catalytic performance of the electrode.As confirmed by spectrophotometric titration,pyridine has a stronger coordination bond to Co TPP than DMF and THF thus leading to the highest efficiency among the dropcasting solvents tested in the study.Based on the spectrophotometric analysis,possible coordination mechanism between drop-casting solvents and Co TPP is put forward.On the other hand,introduction of-COOMe substituents in phenyl rings of Co TPP weakens the coordination bond between pyridine and Co TPP as clearly evidenced by deuterium NMR spectra,resulting in a detrimental effect on CO_(2) ERR.Therefore,the manipulation of the coordination environment around the metal center of immobilized catalyst is crucial in designing an efficient electrocatalytic system.

Regulating electronic structure of CoN_(4)with axial Co-S for promoting oxygen reduction and Zn-air battery performance

Regulating the coordination environment of transition-metal based materials in the axial direction with heteroatoms has shown great potential in boosting the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR).The coordination configuration and the regulation method are pivotal and elusive.Here,we report a combined strategy of matrix-activization and controlled-induction to modify the CoN_(4)site by axial coordination of Co-S(Co1N_(4)-S_(1)),which was validated by the aberration-corrected electron microscopy and X-ray absorption fine structure analysis.The optimal Co1N_(4)-S_(1)exhibits an excellent alkaline ORR activity,according to the half-wave potential(0.897 V vs.reversible hydrogen electrode(RHE)),Tafel slope(24.67 mV/dec),and kinetic current density.Moreover,the Co1N_(4)-S_(1)based Zn-air battery displays a high power density of 187.55 mW/cm^(2)and an outstanding charge-discharge cycling stability for 160 h,demonstrating the promising application potential.Theoretical calculations indicate that the better regulation of CoN_(4)on electronic structure and thus the highly efficient ORR performance can be achieved by axial Co-S.

Synthesis of Axially Coordinated Cobalt Porphyrin/graphene Oxide Nanocomposite for Enhanced Electrocatalytic CO_(2) Reduction to CO

The electrocatalysts containing cobalt-pyrrolic nitrogen-carbon(Co-N_(4)-C)moiety for CO_(2)reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR)have caught much attention.However;the effects of Co valence state and its synergy with gra-phene substrate are not clear yet.In this work;cobalt porphyrin(CoTPP)molecule with the intrinsic Co-N_(4)-C moiety is successfully combined with graphene oxide(GO)via three kinds of liquid-phase methods.The ratio of CoTPP to GO and the valence state of Co atom are studied to explore their catalysis for CO_(2)RR to CO.It is found that axial-ly-coordinated Co(III)TPPCl/GO nanocomposites synthesized via a chemical method exhibit better ability for CO_(2)RR;as compared with Co(II)TPP+GO and/or Co(III)TPPCl+GO nanocomposites obtained via a physically mixing way.After optimizing the ratio of CoTPP to GO;the Faradaic efficiency(FE)is more than 90%for CO_(2)RR to CO between−0.7 and−0.8 V vs.reversible hydrogen electrode(RHE)in Co(III)TPPCl/GO75.The synergy be-tween CoTPP and GO and the effect of Co valence state are systematically investigated;indicating that their strong interaction plays the key role in electrocatalytic CO_(2)RR.

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes covalently functionalized by axially coordinated metal-porphyrins： Facile syntheses and temporally dependent optical performance

Axially coordinated metal-porphyrin-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotube （MWCNT） nanohybrids were prepared via two different synthetic approaches （a one-pot 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction and a stepwise approach that involved 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition followed by nucleophilic substitution）, and characterized through spectroscopic techniques. Attachment of the tin porphyrins to the surface of the MWCNTs significantly improves their solubility and ease of processing. These axially coordinated （5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrinato）tin（Ⅳ） （SnTPP）- MWCNTs exhibit significant fluorescence quenching. The third-order nonlinear optical properties of the resultant nanohybrids were studied by using the Z-scan technique at 532 nm with both nanosecond and picosecond laser pulses. The results show that the nanohybrids exhibit significant reverse saturable absorption or saturable absorption when nanosecond or picosecond pulses, respectively, are employed. Improvement in the nanosecond regime nonlinear absorption is observed on proceeding to the nanohybrids and is ascribed to a combination of the outstanding properties of MWCNTs and the chemically attached metal-porphyrins.

Single-molecule imaging of dinitrogen molecule adsorption on individual iron phthalocyanine

Nitrogen fixation is a vital process for both nature and industry.Whereas the nitrogenase can reduce nitrogen in ambient environment in nature,the industrialized Haber-Bosch process is a high temperature and high-pressure process.Since the discovery of the first dinitrogen complex in 1965,many dinitrogen complexes are prepared in a homogeneous solution to mimic the nitrogenase enzyme in nature.However,studies of the heterogeneous process on surface are rarely addressed.Moreover,molecular scale characterization for such dinitrogen complex is lacking.Here,we present a simple model system to investigate,at the single-molecule level,the binding of dinitrogen on a surface confined iron phthalocyanine(FePc)monolayer through the combination of in-situ low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy(LT-STM)and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)measurements.The iron center in FePc molecule deposited on Au(111)and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite(HOPG)surface can adsorb dinitrogen molecule at room temperature and low pressure.A comparative study reveals that the adsorption behaviors of FePc on these two different substrates are identical.Chemical bond is formed between the dinitrogen and the Fe atom in the FePc molecule,which greatly modifies the electronic structure of FePc.The bonding is reversible and can be manipulated by applying bias using a STM tip or by thermal annealing.