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.

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.

Recent advances and key perspectives of in-situ studies for oxygen evolution reaction in water electrolysis

Electricity-driven water splitting to produce hydrogen is one of the most efficient ways to alleviate energy crisis and environmental pollution problems,in which the anodic oxygen evolution reaction(OER)is the key half-reaction of performance-limiting in water splitting.Given the complicated reaction process and surface reconstruction of the involved catalysts under actual working conditions,unraveling the real active sites,probing multiple reaction intermediates and clarifying catalytic pathways through in-situ characterization techniques and theoretical calculations are essential.In this review,we summarize the recent advancements in understanding the catalytic process,unlocking the water oxidation active phase and elucidating catalytic mechanism of water oxidation by various in-situ characterization techniques.Firstly,we introduce conventionally proposed traditional catalytic mechanisms and novel evolutionary mechanisms of OER,and highlight the significance of optimal catalytic pathways and intrinsic stability.Next,we provide a comprehensive overview of the fundamental working principles,different detection modes,applicable scenarios,and limitations associated with the in-situ characterization techniques.Further,we exemplified the in-situ studies and discussed phase transition detection,visualization of speciation evolution,electronic structure tracking,observation of reaction active intermediates,and monitoring of catalytic products,as well as establishing catalytic structure-activity relationships and catalytic mechanism.Finally,the key challenges and future perspectives for demystifying the water oxidation process are briefly proposed.

Pd-catalyzed sequential reaction for the synthesis of fused tricyclic compounds containing a dihydrofuran or isobenzofuranone unit

A novel Pd-catalyzed sequential reaction for the synthesis of fused tricyclic compounds with a dihydrofuran or isobenzofuranone unit was developed.

Reverse water gas shift reaction over Co-precipitated Ni-CeO_2 catalysts

The Ni-CeO2 catalysts with different Ni contents were prepared by a co-precipitation method and used for Reverse Water Gas Shift （RWGS） reaction. 2wt.%Ni-CeO2 showed excellent catalytic performance in terms of activity, selectivity, and stability for RWGS reaction. Characterizations of the catalyst samples were conducted by XRD and TPR. The results indicated that, in Ni-CeO2 catalysts, there were three kinds of nickel, nickel ions in ceria lattice, highly dispersed NiO and bulk NiO. Oxygen vacancies were formed in CeO2 lattice due to the incorporation of Ni^2＋ ions into ceria lattice. Oxygen vacancies formed in ceria lattice and highly dispersed Ni were key active components for RWGS, and bulk Ni was key active component for methanation of CO2.

Experimental Study on Reaction Thrust Characteristics of Water Jet for Conical Nozzle

Water jet thruster, which is a marine system that creates a jet of water for propulsion, has several advantages such as low noise, good anti-cavitation characteristics and maneuvering characteristics. The reaction thrust characteristics of water jet for conical nozzles directly determine the speed of autonomous underwater vehicles （AUV）. Theoretical, numerical and experimental studies have been, carried out to investigate the effects of the nozzle geometries as well as inlet conditions on the reaction thrust of water jet in this paper. The experimental results show that： 1） the reaction thrust is proportional to inlet pressure, the square of flow rate and 2/3 power exponent of input power; 2） the diameter of cylinder column for conical nozzle has great influence on the reaction thrust characteristics; 3） the best values of the half cone angle and the cylinder column length exist to make the reaction thrust coefficient to reach the maximum under the same inlet conditions. Those provide a basis for nozzles design and have significant value, especially for developing high performance and efficiency water jet propulsion unit.

RESEARCH ON THE WATER-RESISTANCE OF MAGNESIUM OXYCHLORIDE CEMENT——I:THE STABILITY OF THE REACTION PRODUCTS OF MAGNESIUM OXYCHLORIDE CEMENT IN WATER

In this paper .the change of the crystalline phases in hardened magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC) paste in mater was analyzed by XRD. It was developed that the reaction products 5 phase or 3 phase of MOC are instable in water and can be changed into Mg(OH)2 by the action of water, which causes the content of 5 phase or 3 phase to be less and less,the content of Mg(OH)2 to be more and more and the strength to be the lower the lower,after hardended MOC paste was immersed in water. The change of 5 pliase and 3 phase into Mg(OH)2 is not a dissolve process, but a hydrolysis process. The hydrolysis products of 5 phase and 3 phase are Mg(OH)2 precipitation and soluble Cl-,AIg+ ions and H2O. The hydrolysis is sponta-neous thermodynamically and its chemical kinatic equation is C = C,,e-k Thus .it is suggested that only by enhancing the stability of 5 phase or 3 phase in water and preventing 5 phase or 3 phase from the hydrolyzing can the water resistance of MOC be improved well.

Recent Advances in Visible-Light-Driven Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting: Catalyst Nanostructures and Reaction Systems

Photoelectrochemical(PEC) water splitting using solar energy has attracted great attention for generation of renewable hydrogen with less carbon footprint, while there are enormous challenges that still remain for improving solar energy water splitting efficiency, due to limited light harvesting, energy loss associated to fast recombination of photogenerated charge carriers, as well as electrode degradation. This overview focuses on the recent development about catalyst nanomaterials and nanostructures in different PEC water splitting systems. As photoanode, Au nanoparticle-decorated TiO_2 nanowire electrodes exhibited enhanced photoactivity in both the UV and the visible regions due to surface plasmon resonance of Au and showed the largest photocurrent generation of up to 710 nm. Pt/Cd S/CGSe electrodes were developed as photocathode. With the role of p–n heterojunction, the photoelectrode showed high stability and evolved hydrogen continuously for more than 10 days. Further, in the Z-scheme system(Bi_2S_3/TNA as photoanode and Pt/Si PVC as photocathode at the same time), a self-bias(open-circuit voltage Voc= 0.766 V) was formed between two photoelectrodes, which could facilitate photogenerated charge transfers and enhance the photoelectrochemical performance, and which might provide new hints for PEC water splitting. Meanwhile, the existing problems and prospective solutions have also been reviewed.

Catalytic Reduction of CO2 to CO via Reverse Water Gas Shift Reaction:Recent Advances in the Design of Active and Selective Supported Metal Catalysts

The catalytic conversion of CO2 to CO via a reverse water gas shift(RWGS)reaction followed by well-established synthesis gas conversion technologies may provide a potential approach to convert CO2 to valuable chemicals and fuels.However,this reaction is mildly endothermic and competed by a strongly exothermic CO2 methanation reaction at low temperatures.Therefore,the improvement in the low-temperature activities and selectivity of the RWGS reaction is a key challenge for catalyst designs.We reviewed recent advances in the design strategies of supported metal catalysts for enhancing the activity of CO2 conversion and its selectivity to CO.These strategies include varying support,tuning metal–support interactions,adding reducible transition metal oxide promoters,forming bimetallic alloys,adding alkali metals,and enveloping metal particles.These advances suggest that enhancing CO2 adsorption and facilitating CO desorption are key factors to enhance CO2 conversion and CO selectivity.This short review may provide insights into future RWGS catalyst designs and optimization.

Recent Advances of Transition Metal Basic Salts for Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution Reaction and Overall Water Electrolysis

Electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction(OER)has been recognized as the bottleneck of overall water splitting,which is a promising approach for sustainable production of H_(2).Transition metal(TM)hydroxides are the most conventional and classical non-noble metal-based electrocatalysts for OER,while TM basic salts[M^(2+)(OH)_(2-x)(A_(m^(-))_(x/m),A=CO_(3)^(2−),NO_(3)^(−),F^(−),Cl^(−)]consisting of OH−and another anion have drawn extensive research interest due to its higher catalytic activity in the past decade.In this review,we summarize the recent advances of TM basic salts and their application in OER and further overall water splitting.We categorize TM basic salt-based OER pre-catalysts into four types(CO_(3)^(2−),NO_(3)^(−),F^(−),Cl^(−)according to the anion,which is a key factor for their outstanding performance towards OER.We highlight experimental and theoretical methods for understanding the structure evolution during OER and the effect of anion on catalytic performance.To develop bifunctional TM basic salts as catalyst for the practical electrolysis application,we also review the present strategies for enhancing its hydrogen evolution reaction activity and thereby improving its overall water splitting performance.Finally,we conclude this review with a summary and perspective about the remaining challenges and future opportunities of TM basic salts as catalysts for water electrolysis.

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

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

A Novel γ-Alumina Supported Fe-Mo Bimetallic Catalyst for Reverse Water Gas Shift Reaction

In reverse water gas shift （RWGS） reaction COa is converted to CO which in turn can be used to pro- duce beneficial chemicals such as methanol. In the present study, Mo/AlaO3, Fe/AlaO3 and Fe-Mo/Al2O3 catalysts were synthesised using impregnation method. The structures of catalysts were studied using X-ray diffraction （XRD）, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller （BET） method, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer （ICP-AES）, temperature programmed reduction （H2-TPR）, CO chemisorption, energy dispersive X-ray （EDX） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） techniques. Kinetic properties of all catalysts were investigated in a batch re- actor for RWGS reaction. The results indicated that Mo existence in structure of Fe-Mo/AlzO3 catalyst enhances its activity as compared to Fe/AlaO3. This enhancement is probably due to better Fe dispersion and smaller particle size of Fe species. Stability test of Fe-Mo/AlzO3 catalyst was carried out in a fixed bed reactor and a high CO yield for 60 h of time on stream was demonstrated. Fez（MoO4）3 phase was found in the structures of fresh and used catalysts. TPR results also indicate that Fez（MoO4）3 phase has low reducibility, therefore the Fe2（MoO4）3 phase significantly inhibits the reduction of the remaining Fe oxides in the catalyst, resulted in high stability of Fe-Mo/Al2O3 catalyst. Overall, this study introduces Fe-Mo/Al2O3 as a novel catalyst with high CO yield, almost no by-products and fairly stable for RWGS reaction.

Ultrasound assisted multicomponent reactions:A green method for the synthesis of N-substituted 1,8-dioxo-decahydroacridines usingβ-cyclodextrin as a supramolecular reusable catalyst in water

We demonstrate a superficial method for the synthesis of N-substituted 1,8-dioxo-decahydroacridines using β-cyclodextrin as a supramolecular,biodegradable,and reusable catalyst in aqueous medium.The reaction product is in excellent yield with moderate to excellent selectivity.The mechanistic transformation presumably proceeds via a one-pot,multicomponent cyclization of dimedone in the presence of aromatic aldehydes and aromatic amines/INH,undergoing a tandem Michael addition reaction.The proposed approach in this study provides a highly efficient and environmentally benign route to N-substituted 1,8-dioxo-decahydroacridines.

For more and purer hydrogen-the progress and challenges in water gas shift reaction

The water gas shift(WGS) reaction is a standard reaction that is widely used in industrial hydrogen production and removal of carbon monoxide. The improved catalytic performance of WGS reaction also contributes to ammonia synthesis and other reactions. Advanced catalysts have been developed for both high and low-temperature reactions and are widely used in industry. In recent years, supported metal nanoparticle catalysts have been researched due to their high metal utilization. Low-temperature catalysts have shown promising results, including high selectivity, high shift rates, and higher activity potential. Additionally, significant progress has been made in removing trace CO through the redox reaction in electrolytic cell. This paper reviews the development of WGS reaction catalysts, including the reaction mechanism, catalyst design, and innovative research methods. The catalyst plays a crucial role in the WGS reaction, and this paper provides an instant of catalyst design under different conditions. The progress of catalysts is closely related to the development of advanced characterization techniques.Furthermore, modifying the catalyst surface to enhance activity and significantly increase reaction kinetics is a current research direction. This review goals to stimulate a better understanding of catalyst design, performance optimization, and driving mechanisms, leading to further progress in this field.

Boosting the water gas shift reaction on Pt/CeO_(2)-based nanocatalysts by compositional modification: Support doping versus bimetallic alloying

The water gas shift reaction is of vital significance for the generation and transition of energy due to the application in hydrogen production and industries such as ammonia synthesis and fuel cells.The influence of support doping and bimetallic alloying on the catalytic performance of Pt/Ce O_(2)-based nanocatalysts in water gas shift reaction was reported in this work.Various lanthanide ions and 3d transition metals were respectively introduced into the Ce O_(2)support or Pt to form Pt/Ce O_(2):Ln(Ln=La,Nd,Gd,Tb,Yb)and Pt M/Ce O_(2)(M=Fe,Co,Ni)nanocatalysts.The sample of Pt/Ce O_(2):Tb showed the highest activity(TOF at 200℃=0.051 s^(-1))among the Pt/Ce O_(2):Ln and the undoped Pt/Ce O_(2)catalysts.Besides,the sample of Pt Fe/Ce O_(2)exhibited the highest activity(TOF at 200℃=0.12 s^(-1))among Pt M/Ce O_(2)catalysts.The results of the multiple characterizations indicated that the catalytic activity of Pt/Ce O_(2):Ln catalysts was closely correlated with the amount of oxygen vacancies in doped ceria support.However,the different activity of Pt M/Ce O_(2)bimetallic catalysts was owing to the various Pt oxidation states of the bimetals dispersed on ceria.The study of the reaction pathway indicated that both the samples of Pt/Ce O_(2)and Pt/Ce O_(2):Tb catalyzed the reaction through the formate pathway,and the enhanced activity of the latter derived from the increased concentration of oxygen vacancies along with promoted water dissociation.As for the sample of Pt Fe/Ce O_(2),its catalytic mechanism was the carboxyl route with a higher reaction rate due to the moderate valence of Pt along with improved CO activation.

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

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

Blocking backward reaction on hydrogen evolution cocatalyst in a photosystem Ⅱ hybrid Z-scheme water splitting system

Photocatalytic Z-scheme water splitting is considered as a promising approach to produce solar hydrogen.However,the forward hydrogen production reaction is often impeded by backward reactions.In the present study,in a photosystem Ⅱ-integrated hybrid Z-scheme water splitting system,the backward hydrogen oxidation reaction was significantly suppressed by loading a PtCrOx cocatalyst on a ZrO2/TaON photocatalyst.Due to the weak chemisorption and activation of molecular hydrogen on PtCrOx,where Pt is stabilized in the oxidized forms,Pt^Ⅱ and Pt^Ⅳ,hydrogen oxidation is inhibited.However,it is remarkably well-catalyzed by the metallic Pt cocatalyst,thereby rapidly consuming the produced hydrogen.This work describes an approach to inhibit the backward reaction in the photosystem Ⅱ-integrated hybrid Z-scheme water splitting system using Fe(CN)6^3-/Fe(CN)6^4-redox couple as an electron shuttle.

Theoretical Study on Reaction Mechanism of Aluminum-Water System

A theoretical study on the reaction of aluminum with water in the gas phase was performed using the hybrid density functional B3LYP and QCISD（T） methods with the 6-311＋G（d,p） and the 6-311＋＋G（d,p） basis sets. The results show that there are three possible reaction pathways that involve four isomers, seven transition structures, and two possible products for the reaction of aluminum with water. The two most favorable reaction pathways were found, whose intermediates and products agreed quite well with experimental results. The enthalpy and Gibbs free energy change of the reaction between A1 and H2O at 298 and 2000 K were calculated. Some results are also in good agreement with the previous calculations or experimental results.

Defect CTF derived Ru-based catalysts for high performance overall water splitting reaction

Research on water-splitting electrocatalysts is crucial to establishing a solution to the energy crisis.Herein,we report a facile bottom-up strategy for the preparation of high performance supported electrocatalysts for overall water-splitting reaction via a rationally designed defect covalent triazine frameworks(CTFs)support.Specifically,defect CTFs are obtained via binary-precursor polymerization,followed by loading Ru nanoparticles(Ru/D-CTFs-900)with high HER performance at a current density of 10 mA cm-2.The overpotential is only 17 mV.Calcination of the resultant Ru–RuO2/D-CTFs-300 in air,produces excellent OER performance with 190 mV overpotential(at 10 mA cm-2).Furthermore,overall water splitting measurements reveal the potential of 1.47 V,which is better than the majority of the reported Ru-based catalysts.Moreover,density functional theory calculation results show that excellent electrocatalytic properties are attributed to the synergistic effect of Ru nanoparticles and carbon support.

Reaction thrust characteristics of high-pressure submerged water jet of cylinder nozzles

The shapes and geometrical parameters of nozzles are key factors for fluidics. The relationship among the reaction thrust, flow rate pressure, diameter do and length L of a cylinder nozzle is analyzed theoretically. The simulation of the flow field characteristics was conducted via the FLUENT computational fluid dynamics package. Effects of the inlet conditions and the nozzle dimensions on the reaction thrust of a water jet were addressed particularly. The reaction thrust experiments were performed on a custom-designed test apparatus. The experimental results reveal that a） the nozzle diameter and the inlet conditions exert great influence on the water jet reaction thrust; and b） for L≤4d0, where the nozzle is treated as a thin plate-orifice, the reaction thrust is independent of nozzle length; for L〉4d0, where the nozzle is treated as a long orifice, the reaction thrust can reach maximum under the condition of a certain flow rate. These findings lay a theoretical foundation for the design of nozzles and have significant value, especially for the future development of high-oressure water-let orooulsion technology.