Recent advances and future prospects on Ni_(3)S_(2)-Based electrocatalysts for efficient alkaline water electrolysis

Green hydrogen(H_(2))produced by renewable energy powered alkaline water electrolysis is a promising alternative to fossil fuels due to its high energy density with zero-carbon emissions.However,efficient and economic H_(2) production by alkaline water electrolysis is hindered by the sluggish hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and oxygen evolution reaction(OER).Therefore,it is imperative to design and fabricate high-active and low-cost non-precious metal catalysts to improve the HER and OER performance,which affects the energy efficiency of alkaline water electrolysis.Ni_(3)S_(2) with the heazlewoodite structure is a potential electrocatalyst with near-metal conductivity due to the Ni–Ni metal network.Here,the review comprehensively presents the recent progress of Ni_(3)S_(2)-based electrocatalysts for alkaline water electrocatalysis.Herein,the HER and OER mechanisms,performance evaluation criteria,preparation methods,and strategies for performance improvement of Ni_(3)S_(2)-based electrocatalysts are discussed.The challenges and perspectives are also analyzed.

A novel multi-channel porous structure facilitating mass transport towards highly efficient alkaline water electrolysis

An advantageous porous architecture of electrodes is pivotal in significantly enhancing alkaline water electrolysis(AWE)efficiency by optimizing the mass transport mechanisms.This effect becomes even more pronounced when aiming to achieve elevated current densities.Herein,we employed a rapid and scalable laser texturing process to craft novel multi-channel porous electrodes.Particularly,the obtained electrodes exhibit the lowest Tafel slope of 79 mV dec^(-1)(HER)and 49 mV dec^(-1)(OER).As anticipated,the alkaline electrolyzer(AEL)cell incorporating multi-channel porous electrodes(NP-LT30)exhibited a remarkable improvement in cell efficiency,with voltage drops(from 2.28 to 1.97 V)exceeding 300 mV under 1 A cm^(-1),compared to conventional perforated Ni plate electrodes.This enhancement mainly stemmed from the employed multi-channel porous structure,facilitating mass transport and bubble dynamics through an innovative convection mode,surpassing the traditional convection mode.Furthermore,the NP-LT30-based AEL cell demonstrated exceptional durability for 300 h under 1.0 A cm^(-2).This study underscores the capability of the novel multi-channel porous electrodes to expedite mass transport in practical AWE applications.

Epitaxially Grown Ru Clusters-Nickel Nitride Heterostructure Advances Water Electrolysis Kinetics in Alkaline and Seawater Media

The epitaxial heterostructure can be rationally designed based on the in situ growth of two compatible phases with lattice similarity,in which the modulated electronic states and tuned adsorption behaviors are conducive to the enhancement of electrocatalytic activity.Herein,theoretical simulations first disclose the charge transfer trend and reinforced inherent electron conduction around the epitaxial heterointerface between Ru clusters and Ni_(3)N substrate(cRu-Ni_(3)N),thus leading to the optimized adsorption behaviors and reduced activation energy barriers.Subsequently,the defectrich nanosheets with the epitaxially grown cRu-Ni_(3)N heterointerface are successfully constructed.Impressively,by virtue of the superiority of intrinsic activity and reaction kinetics,such unique epitaxial heterostructure exhibits remarkable bifunctional catalytic activity toward electrocatalytic OER(226 mV@20 mA cm^(−2))and HER(32 mV@10 mA cm^(−2))in alkaline media.Furthermore,it also shows great application prospect in alkaline freshwater and seawater splitting,as well as solar-to-hydrogen integrated system.This work could provide beneficial enlightenment for the establishment of advanced electrocatalysts with epitaxial heterointerfaces.

Boosting overall saline water splitting by constructing a strain-engineered high-entropy electrocatalyst

High-entropy materials(HEMs),which are newly manufactured compounds that contain five or more metal cations,can be a platform with desired properties,including improved electrocatalytic performance owing to the inherent complexity.Here,a strain engineering methodology is proposed to design transition-metal-based HEM by Li manipulation(LiTM)with tunable lattice strain,thus tailoring the electronic structure and boosting electrocatalytic performance.As confirmed by the experiments and calculation results,tensile strain in the LiTM after Li manipulation can optimize the d-band center and increase the electrical conductivity.Accordingly,the asprepared LiTM-25 demonstrates optimized oxygen evolution reaction and hydrogen evolution reaction activity in alkaline saline water,requiring ultralow overpotentials of 265 and 42 mV at 10 mA cm−2,respectively.More strikingly,LiTM-25 retains 94.6%activity after 80 h of a durability test when assembled as an anion-exchange membrane water electrolyzer.Finally,in order to show the general efficacy of strain engineering,we incorporate Li into electrocatalysts with higher entropies as well.

Effects of Irrigation with Well Water on Chemical Characteristics of a Weakly Alkaline Soil Used as Rice Field

This paper discussed the effects of irrigation with well water on the salinity and pH of a weakly alkaline paddy soil in Fujin of Heilongjiang Province in the north-eastern part of China.It has been found that after seven years the accumulation of total soluble salts did not occur and that the pH of 0～15 cm layer fell down from 7.92～8.30 to 6.76～7.45,and that the content of anion HCO - 3 and its proportion in the total soluble anions have fallen down.Conversion from paddy soil to upland restored the pH of soil,exchangeable sodium,ESR(exchangeable sodium ratio) to their original levels of upland fields respectively.

Effect of Saline Water on Soil Acidity, Alkalinity and Nutrients Leaching in Sandy Loamy Soil in Rwamagana Bella Flower Farm, Rwanda

The necessity to saline and sodic waters is sometimes used for irrigating agricultural activities under certain circumstances, but it is important to note that the use of these waters comes with specific considerations and limitations. One way to decrease undesirable effects of sodic waters on the physical and chemical properties of soils is to apply organic and chemical amendments within the soil. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of saline water on soil acidity, alkalinity and nutrients leaching in sandy loamy soil at Bella flower farm, in Rwamagana District, Rwanda. The water used was from the Muhazi Lake which is classified as Class I (Saline water quality). Column leaching experiments using treated soils were then conducted under saturated conditions. The soil under experimental was first analyzed for its textural classification, soil properties and is classified as sandy loamy soil. The t-test was taken at 1%, 5% and 10% levels of statistical significance compared to control soil. The results indicated that the application of saline water to soils caused an increase in some soil nutrients like increase of Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K+), Magnesium (Mg2+), Sulphur (S), CN ratio and Sodium (Na+) and decreased soil texture, physical and chemical properties and remained soil nutrients. Consequently, the intensive addition of saline water leachates to soil in PVC pipes led to decreased of soil EC through leaching and a raiser Soluble Sodium Percentage (SSP). The rate of saline water application affected the increase accumulation of SAR and Na% in the top soil layers. The study indicated that saline water is an inefficient amendment for sandy soil with saline water irrigation. The study recommends further studies with similar topic with saline water irrigation, as it accentuated the alkalinity levels.

Effects of alkaline-electrolyzed and hydrogen-rich water,in a high-fat-diet nonalcoholic fatty liver disease mouse model

AIM To identify the effect of hydrogen-rich water(HRW) and electrolyzed-alkaline water(EAW) on high-fat-induced non-alcoholic fatty acid disease in mice.METHODS Mice were divided into four groups:(1) Regular diet(RD)/regular water(RW);(2) high-fat diet(HFD)/RW;(3) RD/EAW; and(4) HFD/EAW. Weight and body composition were measured. After twelve weeks, animals were sacrificed, and livers were processed for histology and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. A similar experiment was performed using HRW to determine the influence and importance of molecular hydrogen(H2) in EAW. Finally, we compared the response of hepatocytes isolated from mice drinking HRW or RW to palmitate overload.RESULTS EAW had several properties important to the study:(1) pH = 11;(2) oxidation-reduction potential of-495 mV; and(3) H2 = 0.2 mg/L. However, in contrast to other studies, there were no differences between the groups drinking EAW or RW in either the RD or HFD groups. We hypothesized that the null result was due to low H2 concentrations. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of RW and low and high HRW concentrations(L-HRW = 0.3 mg H2/L and H-HRW = 0.8 mg H2/L, respectively) in mice fed an HFD. Compared to RW and L-HRW, H-HRW resulted in a lower increase in fat mass(46% vs 61%), an increase in lean body mass(42% vs 28%), and a decrease in hepatic lipid accumulation(P < 0.01). Lastly, exposure of hepatocytes isolated from mice drinking H-HRW to palmitate overload demonstrated a protective effect from H2 by reducing hepatocyte lipid accumulation in comparison to mice drinking regular water.CONCLUSION H2 is the therapeutic agent in electrolyzed-alkaline water and attenuates HFD-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in mice.

NiCoP nanoleaves array for electrocatalytic alkaline H2 evolution and overall water splitting

The development of non-precious, high-efficient and durable electrocatalysts for H2 evolution in alkaline media is highly desirable. Herein we report NiCoP nanoleaves array vertically grown on Ni foam for H2 evolution and overall water splitting via simple hydrothermal treatment and phosphorization. The selfsupported NiCoP nanoleaves architecture contributes to more exposed active sites, the smaller contact resistance between catalyst and substrate, faster ion diffusion and electron transfer. As a result, the optimized electrode requires only overpotentials of 98 and 173 mV to achieve current densities of 10 and100 m A cm-2 in 1.0 M KOH,respectively. Besides, used as both anode and cathode simultaneously, the electrode delivers current densities of 100 and 200 m A cm-2 at cell voltages of only 1.8 and 1.87 V, respectively. Moreover, the relatively high efficiency of about 11.4% for solar-driven water splitting further illustrates the application of our catalyst to sustainable development based on green technologies.

Effect of Alkaline Electrolyzed Water on Performance Improvement of Green Concrete with High Volume of Mineral Admixtures

The strength and durability of concrete will be significantly reduced at high volume of mineral admixture,and the poor early strength of concrete also still needs to be solved.In this investigation,a highly active alkaline electrolyzed waters was used as mixing water to improve the early strength and enhance the durability of green concrete with high volume mineral admixture,the influences of alkaline electrolyzed water(AEW)on hydration activity of mineral admixture and durability of concrete were determined.The results showed that compared with natural tap water,AEW can accelerate early hydration process of cement in concrete and produce comparatively more hydrated products,leading to a 13.6%higher compressive strength than that of ordinary concrete at early age,but the improvement effect of AEW concrete was relatively reduced at long-term age.Meanwhile,the activity of mineral admixtures could be stimulated by AEW to some extent,the strength and durability performance of AEW concrete after double doping 25%slag and 25%fly ash can still reach the level of ordinary cement concrete without mineral admixtures.The SEM micromorphology of 7 d hydrated natural tap water cement paste was observed to be flaky and tabular,but the AEW cement pastes present obvious cluster and granulation phenomenon.The SEM microstructure of AEW concrete with mineral admixtures is more developed and denser than ordinary tap water concrete with mineral admixtures.Therefore,the AEW probably could realize the effective utilization of about 50%mineral admixture amount of concrete without strength loss,the cement production cost and associated CO_(2) emission reduced,which has a good economic and environmental benefit.

Effect of supercritical water on the stability and activity of alkaline carbonate catalysts in coal gasification

The stability and activity of alkaline carbonate catalysts in supercritical water coal gasification has been investigated using density functional theory method. Our calculations present that the adsorption of Na2CO3 on coal are more stable than that of K2CO3, but the stability of Na2CO3 is strongly reduced as the cluster gets larger. In supercritical water system, the dispersion and stability of Na2CO3 catalyst on coal support is strongly improved. During coal gasification process, Na2CO3 transforms with supercritical water into NaOH and NaHCO3, which is beneficial for hydrogen production. The transformation process has been studied via thermodynamics and kinetics ways. The selectively catalytic mechanism of NaOH and the intermediate form of sodium-based catalyst in water-gas shift reaction for higher hydrogen production has also been investigated. Furthermore, NaOH can transform back to Na2CO3 after catalyzing the water-gas shift reaction. Thus, the cooperative effects between supercritical water and Na2CO3 catalyst form a benignant circle which greatly enhances the reaction rate of coal gasification and promotes the production of hydrogen.

Design and operando/in situ characterization of precious-metal-free electrocatalysts for alkaline water splitting

Electrochemical water splitting has attracted considerable attention for the production of hydrogen fuel by using renewable energy resources.However,the sluggish reaction kinetics make it essential to explore precious-metal-free electrocatalysts with superior activity and long-term stability.Tremendous efforts have been made in exploring electrocatalysts to reduce the energy barriers and improve catalytic efficiency.This review summarizes different categories of precious-metal-free electrocatalysts developed in the past 5 years for alkaline water splitting.The design strategies for optimizing the electronic and geometric structures of electrocatalysts with enhanced catalytic performance are discussed,including composition modulation,defect engineering,and structural engineering.Particularly,the advancement of operando/in situ characterization techniques toward the understanding of structural evolution,reaction intermediates,and active sites during the water splitting process are summarized.Finally,current challenges and future perspectives toward achieving efficient catalyst systems for industrial applications are proposed.This review will provide insights and strategies to the design of precious-metalfree electrocatalysts and inspire future research in alkaline water splitting.

Regulating local charges of atomically dispersed Moδ+ sites by nitrogen coordination on cobalt nanosheets to trigger water dissociation for boosted hydrogen evolution in alkaline media

Now,Pt-based materials are still the best catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER).Nevertheless,the scarcity of Pt makes it impossible for the large-scale applications in industry.Although cobalt is taken as an excellent HER catalyst due to its suitable H*binding,its alkali HER catalytic property need to be improved because of the sluggish water dissociation kinetics.In this work,nitrogen with small atomic radius and metallophilicity is employed to adjust local charges of atomically dispersed Mo^(δ+)sites on Co nanosheets to trigger water dissociation.Theoretical calculations suggest that the energy barrier of water dissociation can be effectively reduced by introducing nitrogen coordinated Mo^(δ+)sites.To realize this speculation,atomically dispersed Mo^(δ+)sites with nitrogen coordination of Mo(N)/Co were prepared via reconstruction of CoMoO_(4).High angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy(HAADF-STEM)and X-ray absorption spectroscopy(XAS)demonstrate the coordination of N atoms with atomically dispersed Mo atoms,leading to the local charges of atomically dispersed Mo^(δ+)sites in Mo(N)/Co.The measurement from ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(AP-XPS)reveals that the Mo^(δ+)sites promote the adsorption and activation of water molecule.Therefore,the Mo(N)/Co exhibits an excellent activity,which need only an overpotential of 39 mV to reach the current density of 10 mA cm^(-2).The proposed strategy provides an advance pathway to design and boost alkaline HER activity at the atomic-level.

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.

Handily etching nickel foams into catalyst-substrate fusion self‐stabilized electrodes toward industrial‐level water electrolysis

The key challenge of industrial water electrolysis is to design catalytic electrodes that can stabilize high current density with low power consumption(i.e.,overpotential),while industrial harsh conditions make the balance between electrode activity and stability more difficult.Here,we develop an efficient and durable electrode for water oxidation reaction(WOR),which yields a high current density of 1000 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of only 284 mV in 1M KOH at 25°C and shows robust stability even in 6M KOH strong alkali with an elevated temperature up to 80°C.This electrode is fabricated from a cheap nickel foam(NF)substrate through a simple one-step solution etching method,resulting in the growth of ultrafine phosphorus doped nickel-iron(oxy)hydroxide[P-(Ni,Fe)O_(x)H_(y)]nanoparticles embedded into abundant micropores on the surface,featured as a self-stabilized catalyst–substrate fusion electrode.Such self-stabilizing effect fastens highly active P-(Ni,Fe)O_(x)H_(y)species on conductive NF substrates with significant contribution to catalyst fixation and charge transfer,realizing a win–win tactics for WOR activity and durability at high current densities in harsh environments.This work affords a cost-effective WOR electrode that can well work at large current densities,suggestive of the rational design of catalyst electrodes toward industrial-scale water electrolysis.

弱酸性电解水用于提升鲜切马铃薯安全品质的研究

目的探究弱酸性电解水和自来水处理的鲜切马铃薯在室温贮藏条件下不同时间段内品质的变化。方法模拟现代厨房贮存模式,经弱酸性电解水和自来水处理的鲜切马铃薯在室温(25±0.5)℃贮藏环境下,贮藏0、7、14、21、28、35h时,检测其感官、色度、质构、淀粉、蛋白质、钾、维生素C、菌落总数、大肠杆菌、沙门氏菌、金黄色葡萄球菌、霉菌、酵母菌。结果经弱酸性电解水处理的鲜切马铃薯在室温贮藏21 h内,经自来水处理的鲜切马铃薯在室温贮藏14 h内,感官正常,其营养成分淀粉、蛋白质、维生素C、钾元素下降较少,金黄色葡萄球菌、沙门氏菌、菌落总数、大肠杆菌、霉菌、酵母菌的含量均在国家标准和团体标准许可的安全范围内,可安全食用。结论弱酸性电解水可显著提升鲜切马铃薯的贮藏品质,抑制其金黄色葡萄球菌、沙门氏菌、菌落总数、大肠杆菌、霉菌、酵母菌繁殖,延长室温贮藏期。

氨型碱性水化学对690TT腐蚀特性的影响

为探索氨型碱性水化学对传热管材料690TT腐蚀行为的影响,开展传热管材料690TT合金在B-Li-NH_4OH和NH_4OH两种水质下的腐蚀特性研究,分析690TT腐蚀产物释放特性,综合评价氨型碱性水质对690TT腐蚀特性的影响。研究结果表明,690TT材料与两种氨型碱性水质均具有较好的相容性。690TT在两种水质中均形成了致密的氧化膜,氧化膜由NiFe_(2)O_(4)尖晶石氧化物和少量的铁氧化物Fe_(2)O_(3)组成,相对而言690TT在NH_(4)OH型水质条件下的总腐蚀失重量、总腐蚀产物释放量略低于在B-Li-NH_(4)OH水质下,但690TT向水质释放的Ni元素总量与上述规律相反,这可能与Ni元素和氨形成络合物[Ni(NH_(3))_(m)]^(2+)有关,Ni元素释放量增加对反应堆一回路辐照场控制有不利影响。本研究结果可为氨型碱性水化学技术的设计和应用提供数据支撑。

硫酸根、氯离子和碱度对管网金属释放的影响

针对给水管网水质变化引发的重金属释放、管网水变色以及潜在的健康风险等问题,利用静态模拟实验系统,研究了硫酸根(SO_(4)^(2-))、氯离子(Cl^(-))和碱度含量变化对给水管网铁(Fe)、锰(Mn)、砷(As)和铜(Cu)释放的影响.结果表明.随着SO_(4)^(2-)和Cl^(-)浓度的增加,钢管和铸铁管中的溶解氧(DO)含量不断降低,浊度不断升高;而随着碱度的增大,两种管道中的DO含量和浊度均逐渐降低.SO_(4)^(2-)和Cl^(-)浓度的增加能够促进Fe、Mn、As和Cu的释放.当SO_(4)^(2-)浓度为100mg/L时,钢管四种金属最大浓度分别为2.20mg/L,45.15,0.74和5.41μg/L;铸铁管内最大浓度分别为1.06mg/L,9.31,0.76和5.43μg/L.同样的.当Cl^(-)浓度达到100mg/L时.Fe、Mn、As和Cu的浓度达到最大值.而碱度的增加则对金属释放起抑制作用.静置48h后.碱度从70mg/LCaCO_(3)提高到200mg/LCaCO_(3)时.钢管内四种金属释放量分别减少了0.38mg/L,7.60,0.09和2.30μg/L;同样条件下,铸铁管分别减少了0.44mg/L,3.73,0.12和1.29μg/L.Fe和Mn释放受管材差异影响较大.而As和Cu的释放在钢管和铸铁管中差异较小.本研究可为给水管网水质二次污染控制提供理论基础和技术支持.

吉林省西部地区重要经济鱼类的肌肉营养成分比较

为了解吉林省西部地区盐碱水域重要经济鱼类的营养价值,分析比较了鲢(Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)、鳙(Aristichthys nobilis)、鲤(Cyprinus carpio)、翘嘴鲌(Culter alburnus)、大银鱼(Protosalanx hyalocranius)、鲫(Carassius auratus)等6种重要鱼类的常规营养成分和氨基酸组成。结果显示,6种鱼类肌肉(鲜样)中水分质量分数为76.53%~81.53%、粗脂肪为0.23%~1.40%、粗蛋白质为15.43%~19.63%;6种鱼类肌肉所检测的17种氨基酸中,人体必需的氨基酸总量在13.19%~17.44%(干样),不同种类鱼之间差异不显著,其必需氨基酸组成均与FAO/WHO建议的标准一致,必需氨基酸指数(EAAI)为38.55~49.63;4种鲜味氨基酸为12.76%~16.51%(干样),各组间差异不明显。总体上看,6种鱼类中,翘嘴鲌是营养组成及含量最理想的品种。试验结果表明,吉林省西部地区几种重要经济鱼类均具有低脂肪、高蛋白的特点,而且氨基酸平衡性较好。

锅炉水冷壁管失效分析

锅炉水冷壁管材料为20G钢,在320℃和10.3 MPa下使用约5年后外表面出现鼓包并泄漏。对失效的水冷壁管进行了宏观检查、化学成分分析、力学性能检测、金相检验、腐蚀产物分析及锅炉水质检测。结果表明:水冷壁管失效是由于锅炉水碱性超标从而发生高温碱腐蚀所致。

国内常用脱酸工艺、特点与脱酸对象的选择

本文论述了脱酸对象的选择原则与脱酸过程中存在的风险,并结合中国国情给出了需优先脱酸的对象、脱酸过程中可能存在风险而需要谨慎处置的对象,以及不宜脱酸的对象。对国内使用较为广泛的脱酸技术进行了分析,包括同类比较与差异性分析,并以咨询的方式给出了脱酸用户所关切的信息。