Effect of nickel phosphide nanoparticles crystallization on hydrogen evolution reaction catalytic performance

In order to investigate the effect of nickel phosphide nanoparticles’ （Ni-P NPs） crystallization on hydrogen evolution reaction （HER） catalytic performance, amorphous Ni-P NPs and crystalline Ni12P5 were synthesized by a simple and low-cost autocatalytic reduction method and heat treatment process. The result of electrochemical tests shows that crystalline Ni12P5 has much higher HER catalytic activity than the amorphous one. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that Ni？P bond formed during crystallization, making Ni positively charged and P negatively charged. This charged nature of Ni12P5 is similar to [NiFe] hydrogenase and its analogous, which make the removal of H2 less energy-cost.

Nickel nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes are a highly active,selective and stable CO_(2) methanation catalyst

CO_(2) methanation using nickel-based catalysts has attracted large interest as a promising power-to-gas route.Ni nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped CNTs with Ni loadings in the range from 10 wt% to 50 wt% were synthesized by impregnation,calcination and reduction and characterized by elemental analysis,X-ray powder diffraction,H_(2) temperature-programmed reduction,CO pulse chemisorption and transmission electron microscopy.The Ni/NCNT catalysts were highly active in CO_(2) methanation at atmospheric pressure,reaching over 50% CO_(2) conversion and over 95% CH_(4) selectivity at 340℃ and a GHSV of50,000 mL g^(-1) h^(-1) under kinetically controlled conditions.The small Ni particle sizes below 10 nm despite the high Ni loading is ascribed to the efficient anchoring on the N-doped CNTs.The optimum loading of 30 wt%-40 wt% Ni was found to result in the highest Ni surface area,the highest degree of conversion and the highest selectivity to methane.A constant TOF of 0.3 s^(-1) was obtained indicating similar catalytic properties of the Ni nanoparticles in the range from 10 wt%to 50 wt% Ni loading.Long-term experiments showed that the Ni/NCNT catalyst with 30 wt% Ni was highly stable for 100 h time on stream.

Graphene-nickel nitride hybrids supporting palladium nanoparticles for enhanced ethanol electrooxidation

Electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation reaction(EOR)are generally limited by their poor durability because of the catalyst poisoning induced by the reaction intermediate carbon monoxide(CO).Therefore,the rapid oxidation removal of CO intermediates is crucial to the durability of EOR-based catalysts.Herein,in order to effectively avoiding the catalyst CO poisoning and improve the durability,the graphene-nickel nitride hybrids(AG-Ni_(3)N)were designed for supporting palladium nanoparticles(Pd/AG-Ni_(3)N)and then used for ethanol electrooxidation.The density functional theory(DFT)calculations demonstrated the introduction of AG-Ni_(3)N depresses the CO absorption and simultaneously promotes the adsorption of OH species for CO oxidation removal.The fabricated Pd/AG-Ni_(3)N catalyst distinctively exhibits excellent electroactivity with the mass catalytic activity of 3499.5 m A mg^(-1) on EOR in alkaline media,which is around 5.24 times higher than Pd/C(commercial catalyst).Notably,the Pd/AG-Ni_(3)N hybrids display excellent stability and durability after chronoamperometric measurements with a total operation time of 150,000 s.

Sulfidation and selenidation of nickel nanoparticles

NPs using elemental sulfur,1-hexadecanthiol,thiourea,trioctylphosphine sulfide,elemental selenium,and selenourea.While maintaining mole ratios of 2 mmol sulfur/selenium precursor:mmol Ni,products with phases of Ni_(3)S_(2),Ni_(9)S_(8),NiS,NiSO_(4)·6H_(2)O,Ni_(3)S_(4),Ni_(3)Se_(2),and NiSe have been obtained.The products have voids that form through the Kirkendall effect during interdiffusion.Trends relating the chemical properties of the precursors to the phases of the products have been identified.While some precursors contained phosphorus,there was no significant incorporation of phosphorus in any of the products.An increase of the NP size during sulfidation and selenidation is consistent with ripening.The application of Ni sulfide and selenide NPs as electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction is also demonstrated.

Preparation and UV property of size-controlled monodisperse nickel nanoparticles (<10 nm) by reductive method

Nickel nanoparticles （〈10 nm） were success fully synthesized using a reductive method of nickel chloride with sodium borohydride in the ethanol/poly vinylpyrrolidone （PVP） system. The effects of three fac tors, such as the concentration of the nickel ions, the time of reaction, and the amount of PVP （surfactant）, were discussed. The possible growth process of the particles and optimum reactive conditions was also investigated. The result of transmission electron microscopy （TEM） reveals that these nickel nanoparticles are spherical. The average diameter could be controlled as 25 nm under selected conditions. Highresolution TEM and energydispersive spectroscopy results indicates that the nickel nanoparticles are pure. The UVvisible light absorption spectrum shows that the peaks of nickel nanoparticles moves toward the short wavelength along with the decrease of sizes.

Tuning catalytic selectivity of propane oxidative dehydrogenation via surface polymeric phosphate modification on nickel oxide nanoparticles

Thermal stability has long been recognized as a major limitation for the application of ligand modification in high-temperature reactions. Herein, we demonstrate polymeric phosphate as an efficient and stable ligand to tune the selectivity of propane oxidative dehydrogenation. Beneficial from the weakened affinity of propene, NiO modified with polymeric phosphate shows a selectivity 2–3 times higher than NiO towards the production of propene. The success of this regulation verifies the feasibility of ligand modification in high-temperature gas-phase reactions and shines a light on its applications in other important industrial reactions.

Green synthesis of nickel nanoparticles using Ocimum sanctum and their application in dye and pollutant adsorption

Nickel nanoparticles as an eco-friendly adsorbent was biosynthesized using Ocimum sanctum leaf extract. The physiochemical properties of green synthesized nickel nanoparticles(Ni Gs) were characterized by UV–Vis spectroscopy(UV–Vis), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy(FTIR), X-ray diffraction(XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscope(TEM). Ni Gs were used as adsorbent for the removal of dyes such as crystal violet(CV), eosin Y(EY), orange II(OR) and anionic pollutant nitrate(NO3-), sulfate(SO42-) from aqueous solution. Adsorption capacity of Ni Gs was examined in batch modes at different p H, contact time, Ni G dosage, initial dye and pollutant concentration. The adsorption process was p H dependent and the adsorption capacity increased with increase in contact time and with that of Ni G dosage, whereas the adsorption capacity decreased at higher concentrations of dyes and pollutants. Maximum percentage removal of dyes and pollutants were observed at 40, 20,30, 10 and 10 mg·L-1initial concentration of CV, EY, OR, NO3-and SO42-respectively. The maximum adsorption capacities in Langmuir isotherm were found to be 0.454, 0.615, 0.273, 0.795 and 0.645 mg·g-1at p H 8, 3, 3, 7and 7 for CV, EY, OR, NO3-and SO42-respectively. The higher coef ficients of correlation in Langmuir isotherm suggested monolayer adsorption. The mean energies(E), 2.23, 3.53, 2.50, 5.00 and 3.16 k J·mol-1for CV, EY, OR, NO3-and SO42-respectively, calculated from the Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherm showed physical adsorption of adsorbate onto Ni Gs. Adsorption kinetics data was better fitted to pseudo-second-order kinetics with R2 N 0.870 for all dyes and pollutants. Ni Gs were found to be an effective adsorbent for the removal of dyes and pollutants from aqueous solution and can be applied to treat textile and tannery ef fluents.

Urea electrooxidation-boosted hydrogen production on nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanorod-supported nickel phosphide nanoparticles

Urea electro-oxidation reaction(UEOR)-boosted water electrolysis can supplant the kinetics-restricted oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and provide an energy-saving method of hydrogen generation.However,low UEOR activity and the poisoning issue of the catalyst limit its practical application.Herein,a simple coordination reaction is used to synthesize the dimethylglyoxime-NiⅡcomplex(DMGNiⅡ),which efficiently serves as the initial precursor to synthesize nitrogen-doped carbon nanorodsupported nickel phosphide nanoparticle(Ni_(2)P/N-C)nanocomposites.The density functional theory calculations and electrochemical results reveal that nitrogen doping can weaken the adsorption of hydrogen and the generated CO_(2)resulting in an enhancement of hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and UEOR activity.In addition,N-doping can also promote the generation of Ni,which can further promote the UEOR and HER performance.Concretely,the overpotential for the HER on Ni_(2)P/N-C-2h nanocomposites is only 201 m V at 10 mA cm,and the onset potential of the UEOR on NiP/NC-2h nanocomposites is only 1.34 V.Additionally,the Ni_(2)P/N-Cnanocomposites also show excellent long-term stability due to the introduction of nitrogen-doped carbon material.Consequently,the symmetric Ni_(2)P/N-C-2h||Ni_(2)P/N-C-2h urea electrolyzer requires 1.41 V of electrolysis voltage for urea electrolysis,which can be applied in energy-saving H_(2) production and environment purification.

Electrochemical study of the effect of functionalized nickel nanoparticles on cellular uptake of leukemia cancer cells in vitro

In this study, we have fabricated the functionalized nickel nanoparticles and investigated their effects on cellular uptake of quercetin in leukemia K562 cancer cells by using electrochemical assay. The results indicate that nickel nanoparticles could efficiently enhance the quercetin uptake and increase the intracellular accumulation in cancer cells, implying the great potential of functionalized nickel nanoparticles in target cancer therapy.

Field emission properties of a-C and a-C：H films deposited on silicon surfaces modified with nickel nanoparticles

The a-C and a-C：H films are deposited on silicon surfaces modified with and without nickel nanoparticles by using mid-frequency magnetron sputtering. The microstructures and morphologies of the films are analyzed by Raman spec- troscopy and atomic force microscopy. Field emission behaviors of the deposited films with and without nickel nanopar- ticles modification are comparatively investigated. It is found that the hydrogen-free carbon film exhibits a high field emission current density and low turn-on electric field compared with the hydrogenated carbon film. Nickel modifying could increase the current density, whereas it has no significant effect on the turn-on electric field. The mechanism of field electron emission of a sample is discussed from the surface morphologies of the films and nickel nanoparticle roles in the interface between film and substrate.

Selected gas response measurements using reduced graphene oxide decorated with nickel nanoparticles

The work reports the synthesis of nickel nanoparticles supported on thermally reduced graphene oxides(rGO)in the ionic liquid[BMIm][NTf_(2)]through microwave decomposition reaction.Ni@rGO with the polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate)(PEDOT:PSS)as binder was positively tested for its response towards the oxidizing gas nitrogen dioxide(10 ppm in air),the reducing gas carbon monoxide(3000 ppm in N_(2))and the volatile organic compound(VOC)acetone(35,000 ppm in air).The results from different gases were compared at different temperatures with the best results for NO_(2) at 200℃.Additionally,it is shown for NO_(2) gas that the Ni@rGO-PEDOT:PSS polymer composite gives better results than the rGO-PEDOT:PSS polymer composite.After the heat treatment the oxidation state of pure nickel nanoparticles were confirmed by powder diffraction.

Preparation of nickel nanoparticles in emulsion

The nickel nanoparticles with different sizes and spherical shape were prepared by the reduction of nickel sulfate with sodium borohydride in the water-in-oil emulsions of water/SDBS(sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate)/n-pentanol/n-heptane.The effects of aging time,molar ratio of water to SDBS(R)and the concentration of nickel sulfate on the size of particles were studied.The samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy(TEM)and inductively coupled plasma spectrometry(ICP).The results show that the average particle size changes from 20 to 40 nm by adjusting aging time(15-30 min)and R(9-11.5).The concentration of nickel sulfate of 1.0 mol/L is the favorite condition.

Ni@Pd core-shell nanoparticles supported on a metal-organic framework as highly efficient catalysts for nitroarenes reduction

Ni@Pd core-shell nanoparticles with a mean particle size of 8–9 nm were prepared by solvothermal reduction of bivalent nickel and palladium in oleylamine and trioctylphosphine.Subsequently,the first-ever deposition of Ni@Pd core-shell nanoparticles having different compositions on a metal-organic framework（MIL-101）was accomplished by wet impregnation in n-hexane.The Ni@Pd/MIL-101 materials were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,transmission electron microscopy,and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and also investigated as catalysts for the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene under mild reaction conditions.At 30 °C and 0.1 MPa of H2 pressure,the Ni@Pd/MIL-101 gives a TOF as high as 375 h–1 for the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene and is applicable to a wide range of substituted nitroarenes.The exceptional performance of this catalyst is believed to result from the significant Ni-Pd interaction in the core-shell structure,together with promotion of the conversions of aromatics by uncoordinated Lewis acidic Cr sites on the MIL-101 support.

Tribological properties and tribomechanism of nickel nanoparticles in-situ synthesized in rapeseed oil

Nickel(Ni)nanoparticles can be enriched on the surface of iron-based frictional pairs,which provides the possibility to get rid of the competitive adsorption between the polar species of vegetable oil and the surface-active nano-additives thereon.In this paper,nickel acetylacetonate was used as a precursor to in-situ synthesize nickel nanoparticles with an average diameter of about 12 nm in rapeseed oil(RO)as the reducing agent,surface modifier,and solvent as well.The tribological properties of the as-synthesized Ni nanoparticles were evaluated with a four-ball tribometer,and their tribomechanism was investigated based on the characterizations of the tribofilm on rubbed steel surfaces by the scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).It was found that the Ni nanoparticles in-situ prepared in the RO with a mass fraction of 0.3%can reduce the wear scar diameter(WSD)of the steel ball by 36%.This is because,on the one hand,the Ni nanoparticles are adsorbed on the rubbed steel surfaces to repair or fill up the micro-pits and grooves thereon.On the other hand,Ni nanoparticles participate in tribochemical reactions with atmospheric O and steel substrate to form the tribochemical reaction film on the rubbed steel surfaces with the assistance of friction-induced heat and applied normal load.In addition,an amorphous carbon film is formed on the rubbed surface via the carbonization of base oil under the catalysis of Ni nanoparticles.The adsorbed Ni layer,the tribochemical reaction film,and the carbon layer comprise a composite tribofilm composed of amorphous carbon,polar fatty acid,metallic nickel,iron oxides,and nickel oxides on the rubbed steel surfaces,which contributes to significantly improving the antiwear ability and load-carrying capacity of the RO for the steel-steel sliding pair.

Improved light extraction of GaN-based light-emitting diodes with surface-textured indium tin oxide electrodes by nickel nanoparticle mask dry-etching

GaN-based light-emitting diodes （LEDs） with surface-textured indium tin oxide （ITO） as a transparent current spreading layer were fabricated. The ITO surface was textured by inductively coupled plasma （ICP） etching technology using a monolayer of nickel （Ni） nanoparticles as the etching mask. The luminance intensity of ITO surface-textured GaN-based LEDs was enhanced by about 34% compared to that of conventional LED without textured ITO layer. In addition, the fabricated ITO surface-textured GaN-based LEDs would present a quite good performance in electrical characteristics. The results indicate that the scattering of photons emitted in the active layer was greatly enhanced via the textured ITO surface, and the ITO surface-textured technique could have a potential application in improving photoelectric characteristics for manufacturing GaN-based LEDs of higher brightness.

Selective suppression of toluene formation in solvent-free benzyl alcohol oxidation using supported Pd-Ni bimetallic nanoparticles

The solvent‐free oxidation of benzyl alcohol was studied using supported Pd‐Ni bimetallic nanoparticles.Compared with monometallic Pd,the addition of Ni to Pd was found to be effective in suppressing the nondesired product toluene,thereby enhancing the selectivity towards benzaldehyde.This result was attributed to a dual effect of Ni addition:the weakening of dissociative adsorption of benzyl alcohol and the promotion of oxygen species involved in the oxidation pathway.

CNT modified by mesoporous carbon anchored by Ni nanoparticles for CO_(2) electrochemical reduction

The design of novel catalysts for efficient electroreduction of CO_(2) into valueadded chemicals is a promising approach to alleviate the energy crisis.Herein,we successfully modify the carbon nanotube by a layer of mesoporous carbon shell anchored by nickel(Ni)nanoparticles.Ni species effectively enable carbon deposition derived from pyrolysis of surfactant 1-hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide to form a mesoporous carbon shell.At the same time,Ni nanoparticles can be embedded in the mesoporous carbon shell due to the confinement effect.Owing to the dispersive Ni nanoparticles and N-doping active sites of mesoporous carbon,the as-prepared electrocatalyst exhibits exciting catalytic performance for the selective reduction of CO_(2) to carbon monoxide(CO)with a maximum Faradaic efficiency of 98%at a moderate overpotential of−0.81 V(vs.reversible hydrogen electrode)and a high partial current density of 60 mA cm^(−2) in H-cell with an aqueous electrolyte.

Improving sulfur transformation of lean electrolyte lithium-sulfur battery using nickel nanoparticles encapsulated in N-doped carbon nanotubes

Efficient redox reactions of lean electrolyte lithium-sulfur(Li-S)batteries highly rely on rational catalyst design.Herein,we report an electrocatalyst based on N-doped carbon nanotubes(CNT)-encapsulated Ni nanoparticles(Ni@NCNT)as kinetics regulators for Li-S batteries to propel the polysulfide-involving multiphase transformation.Moreover,such a CNT-encapsulation strategy greatly prevents the aggregation of Ni nanoparticles and enables the extraordinary structural stability of the hybrid electrocatalyst,which guarantees its persistent catalytic activity on sulfur redox reactions.When used as a modified layer on a commercial separator,the Ni@NCNT interlayer contributes to stabilizing S cathode and Li anode by significantly retarding the shuttle effect.The corresponding batteries with a 3.5 mg cm^(−2)sulfur loading achieve the promising cycle stability with~85%capacity retention at the electrolyte/sulfur ratios of 5 and 3μL mg^(−1).Even at a high loading of 12.2 mg cm^(−2),the battery affords an areal capacity of 7.5 mA h cm^(−2).

Stabilization of nickel nanoparticle suspensions with the aid of polymer and surfactant: static bottle tests and dynamic micromodel flow tests

Nickel nanoparticles can work as catalyst for the aquathermolysis reactions between water and heavy oil.A homogeneous and stable suspension is needed to carry the nickel nanoparticles into deeper reservoirs.This study conducts a detailed investigation on how to achieve stabilized nickel nanoparticle suspensions with the use of surfactant and polymer.To stabilize the nickel nanoparticle suspension,three surfactants including sodium dodecyl sulfate,cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and polyoxyalkalene amine derivative(Hypermer) along with xanthan gum polymer were introduced into the nickel nanoparticle suspension.Static stability tests and zeta potential measurements were conducted to determine the polymer/surfactant recipes yielding the most stable nickel nanoparticle suspensions.Dynamic micromodel flow tests were also conducted on three suspensions to reveal how the nickel nanoparticles would travel and distribute in porous media.Test results showed that when the injection was initiated,most nickel nanoparticles were able to pass through the gaps between the sand grains and produced in the outlet of the micromodel;only a small number of the nickel nanoparticles were attached to the grain surface.A higher nickel concentration in the suspension may lead to agglomeration of nickel nanoparticles in porous media,while a lower concentration can mitigate this agglomeration.Moreover,clusters tended to form when the nickel nanoparticle suspension carried an electrical charge opposite to that of the porous media.Follow-up waterflood was initiated after the nanofluid injection.It was found that the waterflood could not flush away the nanoparticles that were remaining in the micromodel.

Preparation of NiO nanoparticles from Ni(OH)_2·NiCO_3·4H_2O precursor by mechanical activation

A mechanical activation process was introduced as a facile method for producing nickel oxide nanopowders. The precursor compound Ni（OH）2-NiCO3-4H2O was synthesized by chemical precipitation. The precursor was milled with NaCl diluent. A high-energy ball milling process led to decomposition of the precursor and subsequent dispersal in NaCl media. Nickel oxide nanocrystalline powders were produced by subsequent heat treatment and water washing. Milling rotation speed, milling time, ball-to-powder ratio （BPR）, and nickel chlo-ride-to-precursor ratio were introduced as influential parameters on the wavelength of maximum absorption （λmax）. The effects of these pa-rameters were investigated by the Taguchi method. The optimum conditions for this study were a milling rotation speed of 150 r/min, a mill-ing time of 20 h, a BPR of 15/1, and a NaCl-to-powder weight ratio （NPR） of 6/1. In these conditions,λmax was predicted to be 292 nm. The structural properties of the samples were determined by field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy dispersive spectrometry.