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.

Cu-Co bi-metal catalyst prepared by perovskite CuO/LaCoO_3 used for higher alcohol synthesis from syngas

Cu-Co bi-metal catalysts derived from CuO/LaCoO3 perovskite structure were prepared by one-step citrate complexing method, and the structure evolution reaction from CuO/LaCoO3 to Cu-Co2C/La202CO3 under 1-12 pretreatment was investigated by techniques of XRD, TPR and TEM. The results suggest that a much higher dispersion of copper significantly enhanced the reduction of cobalt, and a stronger interaction between copper and cobalt ions in LaCoO3 particles led to the formation of bi-metallic Cu-Co particles in the reduced catalysts and the enrichment of Co on the surface of bimetallic particles. The prepared catalysts were highly active and selective for the alcohol synthesis from syngas due to the presence of copper-modified C02C species.

Recent update on electrochemical CO_(2)reduction catalyzed by metal sulfide materials

Seeking and developing efficient CO_(2)reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR)electrocatalysts is a hot topic in this era of global warming.Among material candidates for sustainable and cost-effective applications,metal sulfides have attracted attention as promising nature-inspired materials due to multiple adsorption sites which are enhanced by the covalent character of sulfur.This article summarizes the current status regarding the utilization and development of metal sulfide materials as CO_(2)RR electrocatalysts.First,the research background and basic principles of electrochemical CO_(2)RR are introduced.Next,an overview of the main obstacles to developing efficient CO_(2)RR electrocatalysts is presented.The section is followed by a summary of the empirical evidence supporting the application of metal sulfides as CO_(2)RR electrocatalysts beside nature-inspired motivation.The summary of synthesis methods of various metal sulfides is also presented.Furthermore,the paper also highlights the recent works on metal sulfide as efficient CO_(2)RR including the undertaking strategy on the activity enhancement,and finally,discusses the challenges and prospect of metal sulfides-based CO_(2)RR electrocatalysts.Despite recent efforts,metal sulfides remain relatively unexplored as materials for CO_(2)RR electrocatalytic applications.Therefore,this review aims to stimulate novel ideas and research for improved catalyst designs and functionality.

Effect of Ca Addition and Heat Treatment on the A390(S)/AM60(L) Interface Microstructure

Overcasting is a new kind of dissimilar joining technique used to produce the aluminum（solid）/magnesium（liquid） bonding bi-metallic material in this study. For the Al/Mg（A390/AM60） bi-metallic samples, the interface microstructures are the research points, which directly influence the mechanical properties. It is, therefore, of vital importance to find a method to improve the interface microstructures. This research focused on the effect of the calcium（Ca） addition in the liquid Mg alloys and the heat treatment on the A390/AM60 interface microstructures of the bi-metallic samples. The testing results showed that, with Ca addition in AM60, owing to two possible reasons, the interface microstructure and the shear strength of the A390/AM60 bi-metallic samples could be improved. The heat treatment could further improve the interface microstructure and the mechanical properties by dissolving β-Mg_（17）Al_（12） into α-Mg and destroying the Mg_2Si layer structure.

Parallel Deformation of the Metals

The metal goes into the plastic deformation after the application of external load. Most of the metal forming industries work on this principle of plastic deformation. Thus the understanding of plastic deformation in the metal forming industry is important. The research on the single material plastic deformation has been carried out from many centuries before the era of Tresca. In this study the two metals 0.05% C steel annealed (soft metal) and 0.6% C steel quenched and tempered (hard metal) were deformed plastically in the parallel combination in the composite form. This study has been carried out with simple mathematical theory and simulated numerical model. The comparison shows the exact match between the mathematical and numerical results. It is also observed that the individual metal thickness affects the deformation flow curve.

Catalytic depolymerization/degradation of alkali lignin by dual-component catalysts in supercritical ethanol

Depolymerization of lignin is an important step to obtain lignin monomer for the synthesis of functional bio-polymers.In this paper,catalytic degradation/depolymerization of an alkali lignin was investigated in a supercritical ethanol system.The process conditions were optimized in terms of lignin monomer yield,and the liquid products and solid residue were characterized.Results show that the conversion rate of the alkali lignin was improved in both the Ni7Au3 catalyzed and Nickel-catalyzed systems with supercritical ethanol as the solvent.The maximum lignin conversion rate was 69.57%and 68%respectively for the Ni7Au3 and Nickel-based catalysis systems.Gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy(GC/MS)analysis indicated that the catalytic depolymerization products of alkali lignin were mainly monomeric phenolic compounds such as 2-methoxyphenol.The highest yield of 2-methoxyphenol(84.72%)was achieved with Ni7Au3 as the catalyst.