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.

Single-atom catalysts for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide into hydrocarbons and oxygenates

The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide offers a sound and economically viable technology for the electrification and decarbonization of the chemical and fuel industries.In this technology,an electrocatalytic material and renewable energy-generated electricity drive the conversion of carbon dioxide into high-value chemicals and carbon-neutral fuels.Over the past few years,single-atom catalysts have been intensively studied as they could provide near-unity atom utilization and unique catalytic performance.Single-atom catalysts have become one of the state-of-the-art catalyst materials for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide.However,it remains a challenge for single-atom catalysts to facilitate the efficient conversion of carbon dioxide into products beyond carbon monoxide.In this review,we summarize and present important findings and critical insights from studies on the electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction into hydrocarbons and oxygenates using single-atom catalysts.It is hoped that this review gives a thorough recapitulation and analysis of the science behind the catalysis of carbon dioxide into more reduced products through singleatom catalysts so that it can be a guide for future research and development on catalysts with industry-ready performance for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide into high-value chemicals and carbon-neutral fuels.

Series Reports from Professor Wei's Group of Chongqing University:Advancements in Electrochemical Energy Conversions(1/4):Report 1:High-performance Oxygen Reduction Catalysts for Fuel Cells

Two major challenges,high cost and short lifespan,have been hindering the commercialization process of lowtemperature fuel cells.Professor Wei's group has been focusing on decreasing cathode Pt loadings without losses of activity and durability,and their research advances in this area over the past three decades are briefly reviewed herein.Regarding the Pt-based catalysts and the low Pt usage,they have firstly tried to clarify the degradation mechanism of Pt/C catalysts,and then demonstrated that the activity and stability could be improved by three strategies:regulating the nanostructures of the active sites,enhancing the effects of support materials,and optimizing structures of the three-phase boundary.For Pt-free catalysts,especialiy carbon-based ones,several strategies that they proposed to enhance the activity of nitrogen-/heteroatom-doped carbon catalysts are firstly presented.Then,an indepth understanding of the degradation mechanism for carbon-based catalysts is discussed,and followed by the corresponding stability enhancement strategies.Also,the carbon-based electrode at the micrometer-scale,faces the challenges such as low active-site density,thick catalytic layer,and the effect of hydrogen peroxide,which require rational structure design for the integral cathodic electrode.This review finally gives a brief conclusion and outlook about the low cost and long lifespan of cathodic oxygen reduction catalysts.

Boosting the Oxygen Reduction Performance of Fe-N-C Catalyst Using Zeolite as an Oxygen Reservoir

Non-precious metal electrocatalysts(such as Fe-N-C materials) for the oxygen(O_(2)) reduction reaction demand a high catalyst loading in fuel cell devices to achieve workable performance. However, the extremely low solubility of O_(2) in water creates severe mass transport resistance in the thick catalyst layer of Fe-N-C catalysts. Here, we introduce silicalite-1 nanocrystals with hydrophobic cavities as sustainable O_(2) reservoirs to overcome the mass transport issue of Fe-N-C catalysts. The extra O_(2) supply to the adjacent catalysts significantly alleviated the negative effects of the severe mass transport resistance. The hybrid catalyst(Fe-N-C@silicalite-1) achieved a higher limiting current density than Fe-N-C in the half-cell test. In the H_(2)-O_(2) and H_2-air proton exchange membrane fuel cells, Fe-N-C@silicalite-1 exhibited a 16.3% and 20.2% increase in peak power density compared with Fe-N-C, respectively. The O_(2)-concentrating additive provides an effective approach for improving the mass transport imposed by the low solubility of O_(2) in water.

Engineering oxygen vacancies on Tb-doped ceria supported Pt catalyst for hydrogen production through steam reforming of long-chain hydrocarbon fuels

Steam reforming of long-chain hydrocarbon fuels for hydrogen production has received great attention for thermal management of the hypersonic vehicle and fuel-cell application.In this work,Pt catalysts supported on CeO_(2)and Tb-doped CeO_(2)were prepared by a precipitation method.The physical structure and chemical properties of the as-prepared catalysts were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy,Raman spectroscopy,H_(2)temperature programmed reduction,and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.The results show that Tb-doped CeO_(2)supported Pt possesses abundant surface oxygen vacancies,good inhibition of ceria sintering,and strong metal-support interaction compared with CeO_(2)supported Pt.The catalytic performance of hydrogen production via steam reforming of long-chain hydrocarbon fuels(n-dodecane)was tested.Compared with 2Pt/CeO_(2),2Pt/Ce_(0.9)Tb_(0.1)O_(2),and 2Pt/Ce_(0.5)Tb_(0.5)O_(2),the 2Pt/Ce_(0.7)Tb_(0.3)O_(2)has higher activity and stability for hydrogen production,on which the conversion of n-dodecane was maintained at about 53.2%after 600 min reaction under 700℃at liquid space velocity of 9 ml·g^(-1)·h^(-1).2Pt/CeO_(2)rapidly deactivated,the conversion of n-dodecane was reduced to only 41.6%after 600 min.

Boric Acid-Assisted Pyrolysis for High-Loading Single-Atom Catalysts to Boost Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Zn-Air Batteries

The emerging of single-atom catalysts(SACs)offers a great opportunity for the development of advanced energy storage and conversion devices due to their excellent activity and durability,but the actual mass production of high-loading SACs is still challenging.Herein,a facile and green boron acid(H_(3)BO_(3))-assisted pyrolysis strategy is put forward to synthesize SACs by only using chitosan,cobalt salt and H_(3)BO_(3)as precursor,and the effect of H_(3)BO_(3)is deeply investigated.The results show that molten boron oxide derived from H_(3)BO_(3)as ideal high-temperature carbonization media and blocking media play important role in the synthesis process.As a result,the acquired Co/N/B tri-doped porous carbon framework(Co-N-B-C)not only presents hierarchical porous structure,large specific surface area and abundant carbon edges but also possesses high-loading single Co atom(4.2 wt.%),thus giving rise to outstanding oxygen catalytic performance.When employed as a catalyst for air cathode in Zn-air batteries,the resultant Co-N-B-C catalyst shows remarkable power density and long-term stability.Clearly,our work gains deep insight into the role of H_(3)BO_(3)and provides a new avenue to synthesis of high-performance SACs.

Ca and Sr co-doping induced oxygen vacancies in 3DOM La_(2-x)Sr_(x)Ce_(2-y)CayO_(7-δ)catalysts for boosting low-temperature oxidative coupling of methane

It is urgent to develop catalysts with application potential for oxidative coupling of methane(OCM)at relatively lower temperature.Herein,three-dimensional ordered macro porous(3 DOM)La_(2-x)Sr_(x)Ce_(2-y)CayO_(7-δ)(A_(2)B_(2)O_(7)-type)catalysts with disordered defective cubic fluorite phased structure were successfully prepared by a colloidal crystal template method.3DOM structure promotes the accessibility of the gaseous reactants(O2and CH4)to the active sites.The co-doping of Ca and Sr ions in La_(2-x)Sr_(x)Ce_(2-y)CayO_(7-δ)catalysts improved the formation of oxygen vacancies,thereby leading to increased density of surface-active oxygen species(O_(2)^(-))for the activation of CH4and the formation of C2products(C2H6and C2H4).3DOM La_(2-x)Sr_(x)Ce_(2-y)CayO_(7-δ)catalysts exhibit high catalytic activity for OCM at low temperature.3DOM La1.7Sr0.3Ce1.7Ca0.3O7-δcatalyst with the highest density of O_(2)^(-)species exhibited the highest catalytic activity for low-temperature OCM,i.e.,its CH4conversion,selectivity and yield of C2products at 650℃are 32.2%,66.1%and 21.3%,respectively.The mechanism was proposed that the increase in surface oxygen vacancies induced by the co-doping of Ca and Sr ions boosts the key step of C-H bond breaking and C-C bond coupling in catalyzing low-temperature OCM.It is meaningful for the development of the low-temperature and high-efficient catalysts for OCM reaction in practical application.

Designing Oxide Catalysts for Oxygen Electrocatalysis: Insights from Mechanism to Application

The electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction(OER) are fundamental processes in a range of energy conversion devices such as fuel cells and metal–air batteries. ORR and OER both have significant activation barriers, which severely limit the overall performance of energy conversion devices that utilize ORR/OER. Meanwhile, ORR is another very important electrochemical reaction involving oxygen that has been widely investigated. ORR occurs in aqueous solutions via two pathways: the direct 4-electron reduction or 2-electron reduction pathways from O_(2) to water(H_2O) or from O_(2) to hydrogen peroxide(H_2O_(2)). Noble metal electrocatalysts are often used to catalyze OER and ORR, despite the fact that noble metal electrocatalysts have certain intrinsic limitations, such as low storage. Thus, it is urgent to develop more active and stable low-cost electrocatalysts, especially for severe environments(e.g., acidic media). Theoretically, an ideal oxygen electrocatalyst should provide adequate binding to oxygen species. Transition metals not belonging to the platinum group metal-based oxides are a low-cost substance that could give a d orbital for oxygen species binding. As a result, transition metal oxides are regarded as a substitute for typical precious metal oxygen electrocatalysts. However, the development of oxide catalysts for oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions still faces significant challenges, e.g., catalytic activity, stability, cost, and reaction mechanism. We discuss the fundamental principles underlying the design of oxide catalysts, including the influence of crystal structure, and electronic structure on their performance. We also discuss the challenges associated with developing oxide catalysts and the potential strategies to overcome these challenges.

Strengthening absorption ability of Co-N-C as efficient bifunctional oxygen catalyst by modulating the d band center using MoC

Co-N-C is a promising oxygen electrochemical catalyst due to its high stability and good durability.However,due to the limited adsorption ability improvement for oxygen-containing intermediates,it usually exhibits inadequate catalytic activity with 2-electron pathway and high selectivity of hydrogen peroxide.Herein,the adsorption of Co-N-C to these intermediates is modulated by constructing heterostructures using transition metals and their derivatives based on d-band theory.The heterostructured nanobelts with MoC core and pomegranate-like carbon shell consisting of Co nanoparticles and N dopant(MoC/Co-N-C)are engineered to successfully modulate the d band center of active Co-N-C sites,resulting in a remarkably enhanced electrocatalysis performance.The optimally performing MoC/Co-N-C exhibits outstanding bi-catalytic activity and stability for the oxygen electrochemistry,featuring a high wave-half potential of 0.865 V for the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)and low overpotential of 370 mV for the oxygen evolution reaction(OER)at 10 mA cm^(-2).The zinc air batteries with the MoC/Co-N-C catalyst demonstrate a large power density of 180 mW cm^(-2)and a long cycling lifespan(2000 cycles).The density functional theory calculations with Hubbard correction(DFT+U)reveal the electron transferring from Co to Mo atoms that effectively modulate the d band center of the active Co sites and achieve optimum adsorption ability with"single site double adsorption"mode.

Hierarchically porous Co@N-doped carbon fiber assembled by MOF-derived hollow polyhedrons enables effective electronic/mass transport:An advanced 1D oxygen reduction catalyst for Zn-air battery

Developing advanced oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)electrocatalysts with rapid mass/electron transport as well as conducting relevant kinetics investigations is essential for energy technologies,but both still face ongoing challenges.Herein,a facile approach was reported for achieving the highly dispersed Co nanoparticles anchored hierarchically porous N-doped carbon fibers(Co@N-HPCFs),which were assembled by core-shell MOFs-derived hollow polyhedrons.Notably,the unique one-dimensional(1D)carbon fibers with hierarchical porosity can effectively improve the exposure of active sites and facilitate the electron transfer and mass transfer,resulting in the enhanced reaction kinetics.As a result,the ORR performance of the optimal Co@N-HPCF catalysts remarkably outperforms that of commercial Pt/C in alkaline solution,reaching a limited diffusion current density(J)of 5.85 m A cm^(-2)and a half-wave potential(E_(1/2))of 0.831 V.Particularly,the prepared Co@N-HPCF catalysts can be used as an excellent air-cathode for liquid/solid-state Zn-air batteries,exhibiting great potentiality in portable/wearable energy devices.Furthermore,the reaction kinetic during ORR process is deeply explored by finite element simulation,so as to intuitively grasp the kinetic control region,diffusion control region,and mixing control region of the ORR process,and accurately obtain the relevant kinetic parameters.This work offers an effective strategy and a reliable theoretical basis for the engineering of first-class ORR electrocatalysts with fast electronic/mass transport.

Corrosion engineering on AlCoCrFeNi high-entropy alloys toward highly efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution of alkaline seawater

Seawater splitting is a prospective approach to yield renewable and sustainable hydrogen energy.Complex preparation processes and poor repeatability are currently considered to be an insuperable impediment to the promotion of the large-scale production and application of electrocatalysts.Avoiding the use of intricate instruments,corrosion engineering is an intriguing strategy to reduce the cost and presents considerable potential for electrodes with catalytic performance.An anode comprising quinary AlCoCrFeNi layered double hydroxides uniformly decorated on an AlCoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy is proposed in this paper via a one-step corrosion engineering method,which directly serves as a remarkably active catalyst for boosting the oxygen evolution reaction(OER)in alkaline seawater.Notably,the best-performing catalyst exhibited oxygen evolution reaction activity with overpotential values of 272.3 and 332 mV to achieve the current densities of 10 and100 mA·cm^(-2),respectively.The failure mechanism of the obtained catalyst was identified for advancing the development of multicomponent catalysts.

Bimetallic catalysts as electrocatalytic cathode materials for the oxygen reduction reaction in microbial fuel cell:A review

Microbial fuel cell(MFC) is one synchronous power generation device for wastewater treatment that takes into account environmental and energy issues, exhibiting promising potential. Sluggish oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) kinetics on the cathode remains by far the most critical bottleneck hindering the practical application of MFC. An ideal cathode catalyst should possess excellent ORR activity, stability, and costeffectiveness, experiments have demonstrated that bimetallic catalysts are one of the most promising ORR catalysts currently. Based on this, this review mainly analyzes the reaction mechanism(ORR mechanisms, synergistic effects), advantages(combined with characterization technologies), and typical synthesis methods of bimetallic catalysts, focusing on the application effects of early Pt-M(M = Fe, Co, and Ni) alloys to bifunctional catalysts in MFC, pointing out that the main existing challenges remain economic analysis, long-term durability and large-scale application, and looking forward to this. At last, the research trend of bimetallic catalysts suitable for MFC is evaluated, and it is considered that the development and research of metal-organic framework(MOF)-based bimetallic catalysts are still worth focusing on in the future, intending to provide a reference for MFC to achieve energy-efficient wastewater treatment.

High throughput screening of single atomic catalysts with optimized local structures for the electrochemical oxygen reduction by machine learning

Single atomic catalysts(SACs),especially metal-nitrogen doped carbon(M-NC)catalysts,have been extensively explored for the electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction(ORR),owing to their high activity and atomic utilization efficiency.However,there is still a lack of systematic screening and optimization of local structures surrounding active centers of SACs for ORR as the local coordination has an essential impact on their electronic structures and catalytic performance.Herein,we systematic study the ORR catalytic performance of M-NC SACs with different central metals and environmental atoms in the first and second coordination sphere by using density functional theory(DFT)calculation and machine learning(ML).The geometric and electronic informed overpotential model(GEIOM)based on random forest algorithm showed the highest accuracy,and its R^(2) and root mean square errors(RMSE)were 0.96 and 0.21,respectively.30 potential high-performance catalysts were screened out by GEIOM,and the RMSE of the predicted result was only 0.12 V.This work not only helps us fast screen high-performance catalysts,but also provides a low-cost way to improve the accuracy of ML models.

Antipoisoning catalysts for the selective oxygen reduction reaction at the interface between metal nanoparticles and the electrolyte

One of the primary challenges in relation to phosphoric acid fuel cells is catalyst poisoning by phosphate anions that occurs at the interface between metal nanoparticles and the electrolyte.The strong adsorption of phosphate anions on the catalyst surface limits the active sites for the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR),significantly deteriorating fuel cell performance.Here,antipoisoning catalysts consisting of Pt-based nanoparticles encapsulated in an ultrathin carbon shell that can be used as a molecular sieve layer are rationally designed.The pore structure of the carbon shells is systematically regulated at the atomic level by high-temperature gas treatment,allowing O_(2) molecules to selectively react on the active sites of the metal nanoparticles through the molecular sieves.Besides,the carbon shell,as a protective layer,effectively prevents metal dissolution from the catalyst during a long-term operation.Consequently,the defect-controlled carbon shell leads to outstanding ORR activity and durability of the hybrid catalyst even in phosphoric acid electrolytes.

Recent advances in regulating the performance of acid oxygen reduction reaction on carbon-supported non-precious metal single atom catalysts

Developing high performance and low-cost catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)in challenging acid condition is vital for proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs).Carbon-supported nonprecious metal single atom catalysts(SACs)have been identified as potential catalysts in the field.Great advance has been obtained in constructing diverse active sites of SACs for improving the performance and understanding the fundamental principles of regulating acid ORR performance.However,the ORR performance of SACs is still unsatisfactory.Importantly,microenvironment adjustment of SACs offers chance to promote the performance of acid ORR.In this review,acid ORR mechanism,attenuation mechanism and performance improvement strategies of SACs are presented.The strategies for promoting ORR activity of SACs include the adjustment of center metal and its microenvironment.The relationship of ORR performance and structure is discussed with the help of advanced experimental investigations and theoretical calculations,which will offer helpful direction for designing advanced SACs for ORR.

Structure and denitration performance of carbon-based catalysts prepared from Cu-BTC precursor

Using Cu-BTC prepared by hydrothermal method as precursor, carbon-based catalysts were obtained as model materials for low-temperature DeNO_x. These catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffractometry（XRD）, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry（EDS）. The results showed that all carbon-based catalysts held the octahedron shape of Cu-BTC in most parts, and they mainly consisted of face-centered cubic copper. CuO_x/C exhibited excellent catalytic activity, and such catalytic activity was further improved with the introduction of Ag. The catalyst with a Cu to Ag mole ratio of 6：1 and an activated temperature of 600 °C showed the best catalytic performance, and its catalytic denitration rate reached 100% at a temperature as low as 235 °C. During the catalytic reaction process, Cu~＋ mainly played a catalytic role.

Reaction Kinetics of Biodiesel Synthesis from Waste Oil Using a Carbon-based Solid Acid Catalyst

The kinetics of simultaneous transesterification and esterification with a carbon-based solid acid catalyst was studied.Two solid acid catalysts were prepared by the sulfonation of carbonized vegetable oil asphalt and petroleum asphalt.These catalysts were characterized on the basis of elemental analysis,acidity site concentration,the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller（BET）surface area and pore size.The kinetic parameters with the two catalysts were determined,and the reaction system can be described as a pseudo homogeneous catalyzed reaction.All the forward and reverse reactions follow second order kinetics.The calculated concentration values from the kinetic equations are in good agreement with experimental values.

Microbial synthesis of N, P co-doped carbon supported PtCu catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction

Developing highly efficient and stable platinum-based electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) is critical to expediting commercialization of fuel cells.Herein,several PtCu alloy nanocatalysts supported on N,P co-doped carbon(PtCu/NPC) were prepared by microbial-sorption and carbonization-reduction.Among them,PtCu/NPC-700 ℃ exhibits excellent catalytic performance for ORR with a mass activity of 0.895 A mg_(pt)^(-1)(@0.9 V) which is 8.29 folds of commercial Pt/C.Additionally,the ECSA and MA of PtCu/NPC-700℃ only decrease by 14.2% and 18.7% respectively,while Pt/C decreases by 35.2% and 52.8% after 10,000 cycles of ADT test.Moreover,the PtCu/NPC-700℃ catalyst emanates a maximum power density of 715 mW cm^(-2) and only 11.1% loss of maximum power density after 10,000 ADTs in single-cell test,indicating PtCu/NPC-700℃ also manifests higher activity and durability in actual single-cell operation than Pt/C.This research provides an easy and novel strategy for developing highly active and durable Pt-based alloy catalyst.

Manipulating oxygenate adsorption on N-doped carbon by coupling with CoSn alloy for bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst

Highly active bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts accelerate the development of high-performance Zn-air battery,but suffer from the mismatched activities of oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and oxygen reduced reaction(ORR).Herein,highly integrated bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts,cobalt-tin alloys coated by nitrogen doped carbon(CoSn@NC)are prepared by MOFs-derived method.In this hybrid catalyst,the binary CoSn nanoalloys mainly contribute to highly active OER process while the Co(or Sn)-N-C serves as ORR active sites.Rational interaction between CoSn and NC donates more rapid reaction kinetics than Pt/C(ORR)and IrO_(2)(OER).Such CoSn@NC holds a promise as air-cathode electrocatalyst in Zn-air battery,superior to Pt/C+IrO_(2)catalyst.First-principles calculations predict that CoSn alloys can upgrade charge redistribution on NC and promote the transfer to reactants,thus optimizing the adsorption strength of oxygen-containing intermediates to boost the overall reactivity.The tuning of oxygenate adsorption by interactions between alloy and heteroatom-doped carbon can guide the design of bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts.

Bimetallic In_(2)O_(3)/Bi_(2)O_(3) Catalysts Enable Highly Selective CO_(2) Electroreduction to Formate within Ultra-Broad Potential Windows

CO_(2)electrochemical reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR)to formate is a hopeful pathway for reducing CO_(2)and producing high-value chemicals,which needs highly selective catalysts with ultra-broad potential windows to meet the industrial demands.Herein,the nanorod-like bimetallic ln_(2)O_(3)/Bi_(2)O_(3)catalysts were successfully synthesized by pyrolysis of bimetallic InBi-MOF precursors.The abundant oxygen vacancies generated from the lattice mismatch of Bi_(2)O_(3)and ln_(2)O_(3)reduced the activation energy of CO_(2)to*CO_(2)·^(-)and improved the selectivity of*CO_(2)·^(-)to formate simultaneously.Meanwhile,the carbon skeleton derived from the pyrolysis of organic framework of InBi-MOF provided a conductive network to accelerate the electrons transmission.The catalyst exhibited an ultra-broad applied potential window of 1200 mV(from-0.4 to-1.6 V vs RHE),relativistic high Faradaic efficiency of formate(99.92%)and satisfactory stability after 30 h.The in situ FT-IR experiment and DFT calculation verified that the abundant oxygen vacancies on the surface of catalysts can easily absorb CO_(2)molecules,and oxygen vacancy path is dominant pathway.This work provides a convenient method to construct high-performance bimetallic catalysts for the industrial application of CO_(2)RR.