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.

Gold leaching with elemental sulfur in alkaline solutions under oxygen pressure

A gold leaching process by using oxidation products of elemental sulfur in alkaline solutions was proposed and investigated. A gold concentrate and a residue from an arsenic refractory gold concentrate by acidic oxidation leaching were tested. The residue contains 16.3% elemental sulfur and no more elemental sulfur was added in tests. For the concentrate elemental sulfur was added before leaching tests. The leaching ratio of gold depends mainly on the initial equivalent ratio of elemental sulfur to hydroxyl ions, the consumption of oxygen and the reaction temperature in the process. Analysis of the experimental results shows that thiosulfate is the majority complexing reagent for gold in the process. Over 90% gold was leached from the residue and 82%87% from the concentrate by using this process.

Electrolyte accessibility of non-precious-metal catalysts with different spherical particle sizes under alkaline conditions for oxygen reduction reaction

Fuel cells are one of the most competitive alternative energy sources because their theoretical efficiency is~15%higher than that of internal combustion engines (ICEs) and they are considered cleaner and safer.When fuel cells are used to replace ICEs in cars and energy conversion systems,the system efficiency increases;furthermore,the process becomes more environmentally-friendly because fuel cells produce electricity by using only hydrogen and oxygen,obtained by purifying atmospheric air by filtering out dust and pollutants.Hence,their final product is only water,instead of pollutants like carboFuel cells are one of the most competitive alternative energy sources because their theoretical efficiency is~15%higher than that of internal combustion engines (ICEs) and they are considered cleaner and safer.When fuel cells are used to replace ICEs in cars and energy conversion systems,the system efficiency increases;furthermore,the process becomes more environmentally-friendly because fuel cells produce electricity by using only hydrogen and oxygen,obtained by purifying atmospheric air by filtering out dust and pollutants.Hence,their final product is only water,instead of pollutants like carbon dioxide.n dioxide.

Self-assembled three-dimensional carbon networks with accessorial Lewis base sites and variational electron characteristics as efficient oxygen reduction reaction catalysts for alkaline metal-air batteries

Heteroatom-doped carbon has been demonstrated to be one of the most promising non-noble metal catalysts with high catalytic activity and stability through the modification of the electronic and geometric structures.In this study,we develop a novel solvent method to prepare interconnected N,S co-doped three-dimensional（3D）carbon networks with tunable nanopores derived from an asso-ciated complex based on melamine and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate（SDBS）.After the intro-duction of silica templates and calcination,the catalyst exhibits 3D networks with interconnected 50-nm pores and partial graphitization.With the increase of the number of Lewis base sites caused by the N doping and change of the carbon charge and spin densities caused by the S doping,the designed N,S co-doped catalyst exhibits a similar electrochemical activity to that of the commercial 20-wt%Pt/C as an oxygen reduction reaction catalyst.In addition,in an aluminum-air battery,the proposed catalyst even outperforms the commercial 5-wt%Pt/C catalyst.Both interconnected porous structures and synergistic effects of N and S contribute to the superior catalytic perfor-mance.This study paves the way for the synthesis of various other N-doped and co-doped carbon materials as efficient catalysts in electrochemical energy applications.

POLYETHER POLYURETHANE FROM MODIFIED WHEAT STRAW OXYGEN-ALKALINE LIGNIN

Polyether polyurethane was synthesized from modified wheat straw oxygen-alkaline lignin, polyethylene glycol and two different diisocyanates (diphenylemethane-4, 4’-diisocyanate, tolulene diisocyanate) by solution casting method, its properties were investigated. The results show that modified wheat straw oxygen-alkaline lignin can substitute part of polyethylene glycol to react with diisocyanate to synthesize polyurethane. The molar ratio of NCO to OH and modified wheat straw oxygen-alkaline lignin content affect the properties of lignin-based polyether polyurethane respectively. The addition of plasticizer in the polyurethane synthesis process improves the properties of synthesized polyurethane, especially the elasticity of polyurethane. The synthesized polyurethane from modified wheat straw oxygen-alkali lignin can be used as both engineering plastic and hard foam plastic in future.

Modified Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Alkaline Fuel Cells

We report modified nitrogen-doped graphene （CN） as electrocatalyst for ORR （oxygen reduction reaction） in alkaline medium. CN was synthesized by a novel procedure based on graphite oxide thermally treated with cyanamide suitable for facile N-doping and large-scale production, whereas cyanamide was used as N-precursor. The structure of the material was characterized by TEM （transmission electron microscopy）, SEM （scanning electron microscopy）, Raman spectroscopy and XPS （X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy）. Structural and electrochemical properties of CN were compared with those of non-modified graphene （TRGO （thermally reduced graphite oxide））. The electrochemical characterization of TRGO and CN in alkaline solution demonstrates enhanced electrocatalytic ORR activity and improved long-term stability for N-doped CN. Voltammetric studies confirmed that, oxygen reduction on CN rather follows four-electron pathway. Compared with commercial 20% PtC catalyst, CN is characterized by exceptional methanol crossover resistance and superb long-term operation stability. Owing to these factors, nitrogen-doped graphene has a great potential to be used as metal-free electrocatalyst in cathodes of alkaline fuel cells.

Research on Alkaline Filler Flame-Retarded Asphalt Pavement

Used as flame returdant of tunnel asphalt pavement, organic bromides produce a large amount of poisons and smoke in construction and flame retardation stage. The alkaline filler was found to replace mineral filler, and the flame- retarded asphalt mixtures were produced. Experimental results show that these asphalt mixtures are smoke restrained ; the performances and construction technology of asphalt pavement are not influenced; also the alkaline filler is of low-price. So this kind of flame-retarded asphalt mixtures is suitable for tunnel patement.

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.

Regulation of Migration, Phagocytosis and Apoptosis of Human Neutrophils by Recombinant Human Intestinal Alkaline Phosphatase

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of recombinant human intestinal alkaline phosphatase(recIAP) on human neutrophils in vitro, and the migration, phagocytosis, apoptosis in presence and absence of LPS. In this study, freshly extracted human neutrophils were used to establish an inflammatory cell model, and the control group, recIAP group, LPS group and recIAP +LPS group were set up to stimulate the model. The migration of neutrophils was detected by agarose gel drop method. Fluorescent particles and fluorescent probes were added to different treatment groups, and the phagocytic rate of neutrophils and the release of reactive oxygen species(ROS) from neutrophils were detected by flow cytometry. The apoptosis rate of neutrophils was detected by flow cytometry according to Annexin V-FITC apoptosis detection kit. The results showed that regardless of the presence or absence of LPS, recIAP could inhibit the migration of neutrophils, phagocytosis and the release of ROS. In addition, recIAP could weaken the inhibitory effect of LPS on neutrophils apoptosis.

Exciting lattice oxygen of nickel–iron bi-metal alkoxide for efficient electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction

High efficiency,cost-effective and durable electrocatalysts are of pivotal importance in energy conversion and storage systems.The electro-oxidation of water to oxygen plays a crucial role in such energy conversion technologies.Herein,we report a robust method for the synthesis of a bimetallic alkoxide for efficient oxygen evolution reaction(OER)for alkaline electrolysis,which yields current density of 10 mA cm^(-2)at an overpotential of 215 mV in 0.1 M KOH electrolyte.The catalyst demonstrates an excellent durability for more than 540 h operation with negligible degradation in activity.Raman spectra revealed that the catalyst underwent structure reconstruction during OER,evolving into oxyhydroxide,which was the active site proceeding OER in alkaline electrolyte.In-situ synchrotron X-ray absorption experiment combined with density functional theory calculation suggests a lattice oxygen involved electrocatalytic reaction mechanism for the in-situ generated nickel–iron bimetal-oxyhydroxide catalyst.This mechanism together with the synergy between nickel and iron are responsible for the enhanced catalytic activity and durability.These findings provide promising strategies for the rational design of nonnoble metal OER catalysts.

Nucleus-Encoded Thylakoid Protein,OsY3IP1,Confers Enhanced Tolerance to Saline and Alkaline Stresses in Rice

Abiotic stress confers serious damage to the photosynthetic machinery,often resulting in plant growth inhibition.Hypothetical chloroplast open reading frame 3(Ycf3)-interacting protein 1(Y3IP1)is a nucleus-encoded thylakoid protein and plays an essential role in the assembly of photosystem I.The full-length cDNA over-expresser(FOX)gene-hunting system is an approach using systemically generated gain-of-function mutants.Among the FOX-rice lines,a line CE175 overexpressing rice Y3IP1gene(Os Y3IP1)displayed less inhibition of root growth under saline(NaCl)stress.The expression of Os Y3IP1 was up-regulated under saline and alkaline(Na2CO3)stresses in the rice variety Kitaake.After saline and alkaline treatments,transgenic Kitaake overexpressing OsY3IP1-GFP(OsY3IP1-GFPox/Kit)displayed higher levels of chlorophyll content compared to Kitaake.Under the stress conditions,the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II photochemistry levels was higher in OsY3IP1-GFPox/Kit than in Kitaake.The increased tolerance conferred by OsY3IP1 overexpression correlated with reduced reactive oxygen species accumulation.Our data provide new insights into the possible role of OsY3IP1 in the pathway suppressing photooxidative damage under stress conditions.These features can be further exploited to improve saline and alkaline tolerances of rice plants in future.

Steam activation of Fe-N-C catalyst for advanced power performance of alkaline hydrazine fuel cells

Alkaline hydrazine liquid fuel cells(AHFC) have been highlighted in terms of high power performance with non-precious metal catalysts.Although Fe-N-C is a promising non-Pt electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR),the surface density of the active site is very low and the catalyst layer should be thick to acquire the necessary number of catalytic active sites.With this thick catalyst layer,it is important to have an optimum pore structure for effective reactant conveyance to active sites and an interface structure for faster charge transfer.Herein,we prepare a Fe-N-C catalyst with magnetite particles and hierarchical pore structure by steam activation.The steam activation process significantly improves the power performance of the AHFC as indicated by the lower IR and activation voltage losses.Based on a systematic characterization,we found that hierarchical pore structures improve the catalyst utilization efficiency of the AHFCs,and magnetite nanoparticles act as surface modifiers to reduce the interracial resistance between the electrode and the ion-exchange membrane.

Electrochemical deposited amorphous FeNi hydroxide electrode for oxygen evolution reaction

The electrodeposition approach is significant in electrode fabrication for practical application.Herein,the electrodeposited amorphous NiFe hydroxide species for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in water splitting reaction is demonstrated by revealing the synergistic effect influenced by the support electrode of Fe and Ni foil and the contents of Fe and Ni in the electrolyte.All the electrodeposited samples have an amorphous structure and similar profiles of binding energy and chemical states for Fe and Ni as characterized by the spectroscopic techniques.While the support effect and Fe/Ni synergistic effect are indeed observed for the varied catalytic performances observed for the different electrodes;the Ni foil supported catalyst exhibits much higher performance than that of the Fe foil supported catalyst,and the different redox potentials of Ni species in the different Fe/Ni electrode resulting from the Fe–Ni synergism are observed in the cyclic voltammetry curve analysis.The surface roughness and the electrochemical surface area are also influenced by the support effect and the Fe/Ni ratio in the plating electrolyte.The optimal electrode shows a very low overpotential of~200 mV to reach 10 mA cm^(-2),and very high catalytic stability by the consecutive cyclic voltammetry measurements and 20 h stability test.Though it has the largest electrochemical surface area,the highest catalytic efficiency for these active sites is also indicated by the specific activity and turnover frequency polarization curves.The current work shows the effective experience for the electrodeposited Fe/Ni based catalysts in large-scale fabrication,which can be more practical for hydrogen generation in the alkaline water electrolysis.

Iron-incorporated nitrogen-doped carbon materials as oxygen reduction electrocatalysts for zinc-air batteries

The application of electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) is vital in a variety of energy conversion technologies. Exploring low-cost ORR catalysts with high activity and long-term stability is highly desirable, although it still remains challenging. Herein, we report a facile and reliable route to convert ZIF-8 modified by Fe-phenanthroline into Fe-incorporated and N-doped carbon dodecahedron nanoarchitecture(Fe-NCDNA), in which carbon nanosheets are formed in situ as the building blocks with uniform Fe-N-C species decoration. Systematic electrochemical studies demonstrate that the as-synthesized Fe-NCDNA electrocatalyst possesses highly attractive catalytic features toward the ORR in terms of activity and durability in both alkaline and neutral media. The Zn-air battery with the optimal Fe-NCDNA catalyst as the cathode performs impressively, delivering a power density of 184 m W cm^–2 and a specific capacity of 801 m Ah g^–1;thus, it exhibits great competitive advantages over those of the Zn-air devices employing a Pt-based cathode electrocatalyst.

Anionic formulation of electrolyte additive towards stable electrocatalytic oxygen evolution in seawater splitting

Hydrogen generation through seawater electrolysis provides a promising,attractive pathway towards the utilization of sustainable energy.However,the catalytic activity and stability of oxygen evolution anode are severely limited by the chloride-induced corrosion and competitive oxidation reactions.In this work,we demonstrate an anion-assisted performance improvement strategy by quick and universal screening of electrolyte additive via correlating Cl-repellency with the anionic properties.Particularly,the addition of phosphate ions is found to enable highly stable alkaline seawater splitting at industry-level current density(0.5 A cm^(-2))over 500 h using transition metal hydroxides as anodic electrocatalysts.In situ experiments and theoretical simulations further reveal that the dynamic anti-corrosion behaviors of surface-adsorbed phosphate ions are attributed to three factors including repelling Cl-ions without significantly blocking OH-diffusion,preventing transition metal dissolution and acting as a local pH buffer to compensate the fast OH-consumption under high current electrolysis.

Conversion of Catalytically Inert 2D Bismuth Oxide Nanosheets for Effective Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Catalysis via Oxygen Vacancy Concentration Modulation

Oxygen vacancies(Vo)in electrocatalysts are closely correlated with the hydrogen evo-lution reaction(HER)activity.The role of vacancy defects and the effect of their concentration,how-ever,yet remains unclear.Herein,Bi2O3,an unfavorable electrocata-lyst for the HER due to a less than ideal hydrogen adsorption Gibbs free energy(ΔGH*),is utilized as a perfect model to explore the func-tion of Vo on HER performance.Through a facile plasma irradia-tion strategy,Bi2O3 nanosheets with different Vo concentrations are fabricated to evaluate the influence of defects on the HER process.Unexpectedly,while the generated oxygen vacancies contribute to the enhanced HER performance,higher Vo concentrations beyond a saturation value result in a significant drop in HER activity.By tunning the Vo concentration in the Bi_(2)O_(3)nanosheets via adjusting the treatment time,the Bi2O3 catalyst with an optimized oxygen vacancy concentration and detectable charge carrier concentration of 1.52×10^(24)cm^(−3)demonstrates enhanced HER performance with an overpotential of 174.2 mV to reach 10 mA cm^(−2),a Tafel slope of 80 mV dec−1,and an exchange current density of 316 mA cm−2 in an alkaline solution,which approaches the top-tier activity among Bi-based HER electrocatalysts.Density-functional theory calculations confirm the preferred adsorption of H*onto Bi2O3 as a function of oxygen chemical potential(ΔμO)and oxygen partial potential(PO2)and reveal that high Vo concentrations result in excessive stability of adsorbed hydrogen and hence the inferior HER activity.This study reveals the oxygen vacancy concentration-HER catalytic activity relationship and provides insights into activating catalytically inert materials into highly efficient electrocatalysts.

Leaching Gold Using Oxidation Products of Elemental Sulfur in Ca(OH)_2 Solution under Oxygen Pressure

A gold leaching process by using in situ oxidation products of added elemental sulfur in Ca(OH)2 solution was investigated. A gold concentrate containing 45 g/t Au was tested and 85%~87% of gold were leached. The leached gold depends mainly on the initial molar ratio of elemental sulfur to the hydroxyl ion, the consumption of oxygen and the reaction temperature. Adding some surfactants, such as lignosulfonic calcium, at lower concentration increased the leached Au but at higher concentration decreased it. Both of thermodynamic analysis and experimental results show that thiosulfate is the major complexing agent for gold in the process.

Noble-Metal-Free Oxygen Evolution Reaction Electrocatalysts Working at High Current Densities over 1000 mA cm^(-2):From Fundamental Understanding to Design Principles

Alkaline water electrolysis provides a promising route for"green hydrogen"generation,where anodic oxygen evolution reaction(OER)plays a crucial role in coupling with cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction.To date,the development of highly active and durable OER catalysts based on earth-abundant elements has drawn wide attention;nevertheless,their performance under high current densities(HCDs≥1000 mA cm^(-2))has been less emphasized.This situation has seriously impeded large-scale electrolysis industrialization.In this review,in order to provide a guideline for designing high-performance OER electrocatalysts,the effects of HCD on catalytic performance involving electron transfer,mass transfer,and physical/chemical stability are summarized.Furthermore,the design principles were pointed out for obtaining efficient and robust OER electrocatalysts in light of recent progress of OER electrocatalysts working above 1000 mA cm^(-2).These include the aspects of developing self-supported catalytic electrodes,enhancing intrinsic activity,enhancing the catalyst-support interaction,engineering surface wettability,and introducing protective layer.Finally,summaries and outlooks in achieving OER at industrially relevant HCDs are proposed.

准东煤半焦赤铁矿载氧体化学链燃烧及碱(土)金属迁移特性

准东煤在常规燃烧利用过程中出现严重的积灰结渣和CO_(2)排放等问题,极大地限制了其低碳清洁高效利用。采用中低温热解低阶煤生产半焦、焦油和热解气是煤炭分质分级利用的龙头技术,准东高碱煤热解半焦气化活性高,采用化学链燃烧方式有利于实现其低碳清洁高效转化。以CO_(2)为气化介质,赤铁矿石为载氧体,在固定床上开展准东煤半焦原位气化化学链燃烧特性研究,并探究了准东煤半焦中碱(土)金属(AAEMs)的迁移转化规律。研究表明,赤铁矿载氧体能够显著提高固定床反应器出口烟气中CO_(2)体积分数,然而随着载氧体与半焦质量比(mOC/mC)不断增加,CO_(2)体积分数先急剧增加而后趋于不变,最佳的mOC/mC为50:1,而700℃热解制取的准东煤半焦经酸洗脱灰处理后固定床反应器出口相应烟气中CO_(2)的选择性降低了8.95%,这表明准东煤半焦中具有催化活性的AAEMs显著影响其化学链燃烧性能。赤铁矿载氧体对准东煤半焦表面AAEMs的分布也有显著影响,与未加入时相比,Na、K元素在半焦表面呈现较为明显的团簇富集,Ca、Mg元素在空间分布上呈更为明显的依赖关系。采用原位气化化学链燃烧方式后准东煤半焦中的AAEMs向赤铁矿载氧体中发生迁移与转化,并生成霞石(NaAlSiO_(4))、钾长石(KAlSi_(3)O_(8))、钙铝黄长石(Ca_(2)Al_(2)SiO_(7))、镁橄榄石(Mg_(2)SiO_(4))等高熔点矿物质,有效抑制了准东煤半焦中AAEMs向气相的挥发。

Ce改性对CuLDH催化CO_(2)加氢制甲醇性能的影响

通过向CuMgAl水滑石(CuLDH)催化剂中添加不同量的Ce,合成了一系列Ce改性的CuLDH-Cex催化剂。采用X射线衍射(XRD)、N2吸附-脱附(BET)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)等分析手段对催化剂的理化性质进行表征。结果表明,添加Ce会改变Cu-LDH催化剂的水滑石结构,适量的Ce会增大催化剂的比表面积,改善了Cu颗粒的分散度。同时,适量的Ce有利于增加催化剂表面强碱性位点的密度和氧空位的数量,促进了CO_(2)的吸附和转化。Ce有利于调变催化剂表面的Cu^(+)/Cu^(0)比例,较高的Cu^(+)/Cu^(0)比例有利于甲醇的生成。当Ce/Cu比例为0.3时,在空速为9000 mL/(g·h),温度为240℃,压力为2.5 MPa的条件下,催化剂的CO_(2)的转化率为7.5%,甲醇选择性为78.4%,甲醇的时空收率最高可达362.8 g/(kg·h)。通过原位红外光谱(in-situ DRIFTS)证明CuLDH-Ce0.3催化剂在CO_(2)加氢合成甲醇过程中遵循HCOO*反应路径。