Role of methoxy and C_(α)-based substituents in electrochemical oxidation mechanisms and bond cleavage selectivity of β-O-4 lignin model compounds

In order to better understand the specific substituent effects on the electrochemical oxidation process of β-O-4 bond, a series of methoxyphenyl type β-O-4 dimer model compounds with different localized methoxyl groups, including 2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-1-phenylethanone, 2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-1-phenylethanol, 2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanone, 2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanol, 2-(2,6-dimethoxyphenoxy)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanone, 2-(2,6-dimethoxyphenoxy)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanol have been selected and their electrochemical properties have been studied experimentally by cyclic voltammetry, and FT-IR spectroelectrochemistry. Combining with electrolysis products distribution analysis and density functional theory calculations, oxidation mechanisms of all six model dimers have been explored. In particular, a total effect from substituents of both para-methoxy(on the aryl ring closing to Cα) and Cα-OH on the oxidation mechanisms has been clearly observed, showing a significant selectivity on the Cα-Cβbond cleavage induced by electrochemical oxidations.

Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to produce formic acid coupled with oxidative conversion of biomass

Electrochemical reduction of CO_(2)(CO_(2)RR)has become a research hot spot in recent years in the context of carbon neutrality.HCOOH is one of the most promising products obtained by electrochemical reduction of CO_(2) due to its high energy value as estimated by market price per energy unit and wide application in chemical industry.Biomass is the most abundant renewable resource in the natural world.Coupling biomass oxidative conversion with CO_(2)RR driven by renewable electricity would well achieve carbon negativity.In this work,we comprehensively reviewed the current research progress on CO_(2)RR to produce HCOOH and coupled system for conversion of biomass and its derivatives to produce value-added products.Sn-and Bi-based electrocatalysts are discussed for CO_(2)RR with regards to the structure of the catalyst and reaction mechanisms.Electro-oxidation reactions of biomass derived sugars,alcohols,furan aldehydes and even polymeric components of lignocellulose were reviewed as alternatives to replace oxygen evolution reaction(OER)in the conventional electrolysis process.It was recommended that to further improve the efficiency of the coupled system,future work should be focused on the development of more efficient and stable catalysts,careful design of the electrolytic cells for improving the mass transfer and development of environment-friendly processes for recovering the formed formate and biomass oxidation products.

In-situ oriented oxygen-defect-rich Mn-N-O via nitridation and electrochemical oxidation based on industrial-scale Mn_(2)O_(3) to achieve high-performance aqueous zinc ion battery

As a general problem in the field of batteries,materials produced on a large industrial scale usually possess unsatisfactory electrochemical performances.Among them,manganese-based aqueous rechargeable zinc-ion batteries(ARZBs)have been emerging as promising large-scale energy storage systems owing to their high energy densities,low manufacturing cost and intrinsic high safety.However,the direct application of industrial-scale Mn2O3(MO)cathode exhibits poor electrochemical performance especially at high current rates.Herein,a highly reversible Mn-based cathode is developed from the industrial-scale MO by nitridation and following electrochemical oxidation,which triples the ion diffusion rate and greatly promotes the charge transfer.Notably,the cathode delivers a capacity of 161 m Ah g^(-1) at a high current density of 10 A g^(-1),nearly-three times the capacity of pristine MO(60 m Ah g^(-1)).Impressive specific capacity(243.4 m Ah g^(-1))is obtained without Mn^(2+) additive added in the electrolyte,much superior to the pristine MO(124.5 m Ah g^(-1)),suggesting its enhanced reaction kinetics and structural stability.In addition,it possesses an outstanding energy output of 368.4 Wh kg^(-1) at 387.8 W kg^(-1),which exceeds many of reported cathodes in ARZBs,providing new opportunities for the large-scale application of highperformance and low-cost ARZBs.

Electrochemical oxidation of aniline by a novel Ti/TiO_xH_y/Sb-SnO_2 electrode

Electrochemical oxidation of aniline in aqueous solution was investigated over a novel Ti/TiOxHy/Sb-SnO2 electrode prepared by the electrodeposition method.Scanning electron microscopy,X-ray diffraction,and electrochemical measurements were used to characterize its morphology,crystal structure,and electrochemical properties.Removal of aniline by the Ti/TiOxHy/Sb-SnO2electrode was investigated by ultraviolet-Visible spectroscopy and chemical oxygen demand（COD）analysis under different conditions,including current densities,initial concentrations of aniline,pH values,concentrations of chloride ions,and types of reactor.It was found that a higher current density,a lower initial concentration of aniline,an acidic solution,the presence of chloride ions（0.2wt%NaCl）,and a three-dimensional（3D） reactor promoted the removal efficiency of aniline.Electrochemical degradation of aniline followed pseudo-first-order kinetics.The aniline（200 mL of 100mg·L-（-1）） and COD removal efficiencies reached 100%and 73.5%,respectively,at a current density of 20 mA·cm-（-2）,pH of 7.0,and supporting electrolyte of 0.5 wt%Na2SO4 after 2 h electrolysis in a 3D reactor.These results show that aniline can be significantly removed on the Ti/TiOxHy/Sb-SnO2electrode,which provides an efficient way for elimination of aniline from aqueous solution.

Study on Methanol Oxidation at Pt and PtRu Electrodes by Combining in situ Infrared Spectroscopy and Differential Electrochemical Mass Spectrometry

Methanol oxidation reaction （MOR） at Pt and Pt electrode surface deposited with various amounts of Ru （denoted as PtxRuy, nominal coverage y is 0.17, 0.27, and 0.44 ML） in 0.1 mol/L HClO4＋0.5 mol/L MeOH has been studied under potentiostatic conditions by in situ FTIR spectroscopy in attenuated-total-reflection con guration and di erential electro-chemical mass spectrometry under controlled flow conditions. Results reveal that （i） CO is the only methanol-related adsorbate observed by IR spectroscopy at all the Pt and PtRu electrodes examined at potentials from 0.3 V to 0.6 V （vs. RHE）; （ii） at Pt0.56Ru0.44, two IR bands, one from CO adsorbed at Ru islands and the other from COL at Pt substrate are detected, while at other electrodes, only a single band for COL adsorbed at Pt is observed; （iii） MOR activity decreases in the order of Pt0.73Ru0.27〉Pt0.56Ru0.44〉Pt0.83Ru0.17〉Pt; （iv） at 0.5 V, MOR at Pt0.73Ru0.27 reaches a current e ciency of 50% for CO2 production, the turn-over frequency from CH3OH to CO2 is ca. 0.1 molecule/（site sec）. Suggestions for further improving of PtRu catalysts for MOR are provided.

Sustainable Furfural Biomass Feedstocks Electrooxidation toward Value-Added Furoic Acid with Energy-Saving H_(2) Fuel Production Using Pt-Decorated Co_(3)O_(4) Nanospheres

Here,furfural oxidation was performed to replace the kinetically sluggish O_(2)evolution reaction(OER).Pt-Co_(3)O_(4)nanospheres were developed via pulsed laser ablation in liquid(PLAL)in a single step for the paired electrocatalysis of an H_(2)evolution reaction(HER)and furfural oxidation reaction(FOR).The FOR afforded a high furfural conversion(44.2%)with a major product of 2-furoic acid after a 2-h electrolysis at 1.55 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode in a 1.0-M KOH/50-mM furfural electrolyte.The Pt-Co_(3)O_(4)electrode exhibited a small overpotential of 290 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2).As an anode and cathode in an electrolyzer system,the Pt-Co_(3)O_(4)electrocatalyst required only a small applied cell voltage of~1.83 V to deliver 10 mA cm^(-2),compared with that of the pure water electrolyzer(OER||HER,~1.99 V).This study simultaneously realized the integrated production of energy-saving H_(2)fuel at the cathode and 2-furoic acid at the anode.

Tuning the reactivity of TiO_(2)layer with uniform distribution of Sub-5 nm Fe_(2)O_(3)particles via in situ voltage-assisted oxidation for robust catalytic reduction

The trade-off between efficiency and stability has limited the application of TiO_(2)as a catalyst due to its poor surface reactivity.Here,we present a modification of a TiO_(2)layer with highly stable Sub-5 nm Fe_(2)O_(3)nanoparticles(NP)by modulating its structure-surface reactivity relationship to attain efficiency-stability balance via a voltage-assisted oxidation approach.In situ simultaneous oxidation of the Ti substrate and Fe precursor using high-energy plasma driven by high voltage resulted in uniform distribution of Fe_(2)O_(3)NP embedded within porous TiO_(2)layer.Comprehensive surface characterizations with density functional theory demonstrated an improved electronic transition in TiO_(2)due to the presence of surface defects from reactive oxygen species and possible charge transfer from Ti to Fe;it also unexpectedly increased the active site in the TiO_(2)layer due to uncoordinated electrons in Sub-5 nm Fe_(2)O_(3)NP/TiO_(2)catalyst,thereby enhancing the adsorption of chemical functional groups on the catalyst.This unique embedded structure exhibited remarkable improvement in reducing 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol,achieving approximately 99%efficiency in 20 min without stability decay after 20 consecutive cycles,outperforming previously reported TiO_(2)-based catalysts.This finding proposes a modified-electrochemical strategy enabling facile construction of TiO_(2)with nanoscale oxides extandable to other metal oxide systems.

Identification of optimal composition with superior electrochemical properties along the zero Mn^(3+)line in Na_(0.75)(Mn-Al-Ni)O_(2)pseudo ternary system

Biphasic layered oxide cathodes,known for their superior electrochemical performance,are prime candidates for commercializing in Na-ion batteries.Herein,we unveil a series of P3/P2 monophasic and biphasic Al-substituted Na_(3/4)Mn_(5-x/8)Al_(2x/8)Ni_(3-x/8)O_(2)layered oxide cathodes that lie along the‘zero Mn^(3+)line’in the Na_(3/4)(Mn-Al-Ni)O_(2)pseudo-ternary system.The structural analysis showed a larger Na^(+)conduction bottleneck area in both P3 and P2 structures with a higher Al3+content,which enhanced their rate performance.In each composition,the P3/P2 biphasic compound with nearly equal fractions of P3 and P2 phases outperformed their monophasic counterparts in almost all electrochemical performance parameters.Operando synchrotron XRD measurements obtained for the monophasic P3 and biphasic P2/P3 samples revealed the absence of the O3 phase during cycling.The high structure stability and faster Na^(+)transport kinetics in the biphasic samples underpins the enhancement of electrochemical properties in the Al-substituted P3/P2 cathodes.These results highlight fixed oxidation state lines as a novel tool to identify and design layered oxide cathodes for Na-ion batteries in pseudo-ternary diagrams involving Jahn-Teller active cations.

Antagonism effect of residual S triggers the dual-path mechanism for water oxidation

Transition metal chalcogenides(TMCs)are recognized as pre-catalysts,and their(oxy)hydroxides derived from electrochemical reconstruction are the active species in the water oxidation.However,understanding the role of the residual chalcogen in the reconstructed layer is lacking in detail,and the corresponding catalytic mechanism remains controversial.Here,taking Cu_(1-x)Co_(x)S as a platform,we explore the regulating effect and existence form of the residual S doped into the reconstructive layer for oxygen evolution reaction(OER),where a dual-path OER mechanism is proposed.First-principles calculations and operando~(18)O isotopic labeling experiments jointly reveal that the residual S in the reconstructive layer of Cu_(1-x)Co_(x)S can wisely balance the adsorbate evolution mechanism(AEM)and lattice oxygen oxidation mechanism(LOM)by activating lattice oxygen and optimizing the adsorption/desorption behaviors at metal active sites,rather than change the reaction mechanism from AEM to LOM.Following such a dual-path OER mechanism,Cu_(0.4)Co_(0.6)S-derived Cu_(0.4)Co_(0.6)OSH not only overcomes the restriction of linear scaling relationship in AEM,but also avoids the structural collapse caused by lattice oxygen migration in LOM,so as to greatly reduce the OER potential and improved stability.

Electrochemical behavior of Fe(Ⅲ)in Na_(2)SiO_(3)-SiO_(2)-Fe_(2)O_(3)molten salt

The high-temperature requirement for liquid iron smelting via molten oxide electrolysis presents significant challenges.This study investigates the electrochemical reduction of Fe(Ⅲ)in a novel low-temperature electrolyte,Na_(2)SiO_(3)-SiO_(2)-Fe_(2)O_(3),utilizing cyclic voltammetry and square wave voltammetry techniques.The results show that Fe(Ⅲ)reduction occurs in two steps:Fe(Ⅲ)+e^(−)→Fe(Ⅱ),Fe(Ⅱ)+2e^(−)→Fe,and that the redox process of Fe(Ⅲ)/Fe(Ⅱ)at the tungsten electrode is an irreversible reaction controlled by diffusion.The diffusion coefficients of Fe(Ⅲ)in the molten Na_(2)SiO_(3)-SiO_(2)-Fe_(2)O_(3)in the temperature range of 1248–1278 K are between 1.86×10^(−6)cm^(2)/s and 1.58×10^(−4)cm^(2)/s.The diffusion activation energy of Fe(Ⅲ)in the molten salt is 1825.41 kJ/mol.As confirmed by XRD analysis,potentiostatic electrolysis at−0.857 V(vs.O_(2)/O_(complex)^(2-))for 6 h produces metallic iron on the cathode.

Layer by Layer Self-assembly Fiber-based Flexible Electrochemical Transistor

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxyethiophene)-polystyrene sulfonic acid(PEDOT:PSS)/polyallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride modified reduced graphene oxide(PDDA-rGO)was layer by layer self-assembled on the cotton fiber.The surface morphology and electric property was investigated.The results confirmed the dense membrane of PEDOT:PSS and the lamellar structure of PDDA-rGO on the fibers.It has excellent electrical conductivity and mechanical properties.The fiber based electrochemical transistor(FECTs)prepared by the composite conductive fiber has a maximum output current of 8.7 mA,a transconductance peak of 10 mS,an on time of 1.37 s,an off time of 1.6 s and excellent switching stability.Most importantly,the devices by layer by layer self-assembly technology opens a path for the true integration of organic electronics with traditional textile technologies and materials,laying the foundation for their later widespread application.

Comparative structural and electrochemical properties of mixed P2/O′3-layered sodium nickel manganese oxide prepared by sol-gel and electrospinning methods:Effect of Na-excess content

The effect of Na-excess content in the precursor on the structural and electrochemical performances of sodium nickel manganese oxide(NNMO)prepared by sol-gel and electrospinning methods is investigated in this paper.X-ray diffraction results of the prepared NNMO without adding Na-excess content indicate sodium loss,while the mixed phase of P2/O′3-type layered NNMO presented after adding Na-excess content.Compared with the sol-gel method,the secondary phase of NiO is more suppressed by using the electrospinning method,which is further confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscope images.N_(2) adsorption-desorption isotherms show no remarkably difference in specific surface areas between different preparation methods and Na-excess contents.The analysis of X-ray absorption near edge structure indicates that the oxidation states of Ni and Mn are+2 and+4,respectively.For the electrochemical properties,superior electrochemical performance is observed in the NNMO electrode with a low Na-excess content of 5wt%.The highest specific capacitance is 36.07 F·g^(-1)at0.1 A·g^(-1)in the NNMO electrode prepared by using the sol-gel method.By contrast,the NNMO electrode prepared using the electrospinning method with decreased Na-excess content shows excellent cycling stability of 100%after charge-discharge measurements for 300 cycles.Therefore,controlling the Na excess in the precursor together with the preparation method is important for improving the electrochemical performance of Na-based electrode materials in supercapacitors.

Synthesis of phosphonated graphene oxide by electrochemical exfoliation to enhance the performance and durability of high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells

The doping of functionalized graphene oxide(GO)in the membranes becomes a promising method for improving the performance of high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells(HT-PEMFC).Phosphonated graphene oxide(PGO)with a P/O ratio of 8.5%was quickly synthesised by one-step electrochemical exfoliation based on a three-dimensiaonal(3D)printed reactor and natural graphite flakes.Compared with the GO prepared by the two-step electrochemical exfoliation method,the PGO synthesized by the one-step electrochemical exfoliation can better improve the performance of the membrane-electrode-assembly(MEA)based on the polybenzimidazole(PBI)membrane in the HTPEMFC.The doping of 1.5 wt%GO synthesised by electrochemical exfoliation with the 2-step method or reactor method in PBI increased the peak power density by 17.4%or 35.4%compared to MEA based on pure PBI membrane at 150℃,respectively.In addition,the doping of PGO in PBI improves its durability under accelerated stress test(AST).

Facet-dependent Thermal and Electrochemical Degradation of Lithium-rich Layered Oxides

Lithium-rich layered oxides(LLOs)are promising candidate cathode materials for safe and inexpensive high-energy-density Li-ion batteries.However,oxygen dimers are formed from the cathode material through oxygen redox activity,which can result in morphological changes and structural transitions that cause performance deterioration and safety concerns.Herein,a flake-like LLO is prepared and aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy(STEM),in situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction(HT-XRD),and soft X-ray absorption spectrum(sXAS)are used to explore its crystal facet degradation behavior in terms of both thermal and electrochemical processes.Void-induced degradation behavior of LLO in different facet reveals significant anisotropy at high voltage.Particle degradation originates from side facets,such as the(010)facet,while the close(003)facet is stable.These results are further understood through ab initio molecular dynamics calculations,which show that oxygen atoms are lost from the{010}facets.Therefore,the facet degradation process is that oxygen molecular formed in the interlayer and accumulated in the ab plane during heating,which result in crevice-voids in the ab plane facets.The study reveals important aspects of the mechanism responsible for oxygen-anionic activity-based degradation of LLO cathode materials used in lithium-ion batteries.In particular,this study provides insight that enables precise and efficient measures to be taken to improve the thermal and electrochemical stability of an LLO.

Colour and organic removal of biologically treated coffee curing wastewater by electrochemical oxidation method

The treatment of biologically treated wastewater of coffee-curing industry by the electrochemical oxidation using steel anode was investigated. Bench-scale experiments were conducted for activated sludge process on raw wastewater and the treated effluents were further treated by electrochemical oxidation method for its colour and organic content removal. The efficiency of the process was determined in terms of removal percentage of COD, BOD and colour during the course of reaction. Several operating parameters like time, pH and current density were examined to ascertain their effects on the treatment efficiency. Steel anode was found to be effective for the COD and colour removal with anode efficiency of 0.118 kgCOD\5h -1\5A -1\5m -2 and energy consumption 20.61 kWh\5kg -1 of COD at pH 9. The decrease in pH from 9 to 3 found to increase the anode efficiency from 0.118 kgCOD\5h -1\5A -1\5m -2 to 0.144 kWh\5kg -1 of COD while decrease the energy consumption from 20.61 kWh\5kg -1 of COD to 12.86 kWh\5kg -1 of COD. The pH of 5 was considered an ideal from the present treatment process as it avoids the addition of chemicals for neutralization of treated effluents and also economical with respect to energy consumption. An empirical relation developed for relationship between applied current density and COD removal efficiency showed strong predictive capability with coefficient of determination of 96.5%.

Indirect Electrochemical Oxidation of 4-Amino-dimethyl-aniline Hydrochloride

The indirect dectrechemical oxidation of 4-amino-dimethyl-aniline hydrochloride containing wastewater generated from vanillin production is presented. Experiments were conducted at a constant current density of 30 rnA/cm^2 via a Ti/Bu-Ti-Sn ternary oxide coated anode and an undivided reactor. During the various stages of the electrolysis, parameters such as the values of chemical oxygen demand（COD） and total organic carbon（TOC） were determined in order to evaluate the feasibility of the electrochemical treatment. The energy consumption and the current efficiency during the electrolysis were calculated. The present study proves the effectiveness of the electrochemical treatment for wastewater resulted from vanillin production.

Study on superoxide and hydroxyl radicals generated in indirect electrochemical oxidation by chemiluminescence and UV-Visible spectra

The generation and transformation of radicals on the cathode of indirect electrochemical oxidation were studied by chemilumines- cence(CL)and UV-Visible spectra in the reactor with a salt bridge that connected the separated chambers.The CL intensity of 4×10^(-9)mol/L luminol on the cathode with bubbling oxygen was about seven times that of the intensity without it,which was because of the generation of reactive oxygen species(ROS).The existence of ROS,especially the generation of the superoxide radical,coul...

Electrochemical oxidation of rhodamine B by PbO_2/Sb-SnO_2/TiO_2 nanotube arrays electrode

A PbO2/Sb-SnO2/TiO2 nanotube array composite electrode was successfully synthesized and its electrochemical oxidation properties were investigated.Field-emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM)and X-ray diffraction(XRD)results showed that the PbO2 coating was composed of anα-PbO2 inner layer and aβ-PbO2 outer layer.Accelerated life measurement indicated that the composite electrode had a lifetime of 815 h.Rhodamine B(RhB)was employed as a model pollutant to analyze the electrocatalytic activity of the electrode.The effects of initial RhB concentration,current density,initial pH,temperature,and chloride ion concentration on the electrochemical oxidation were investigated in detail.Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy(ICP-AES)results suggested that the concentration of leached Pb^2+in the electrolyte during the electrocatalytic oxidation process can be neglected.Finally,the degradation mechanism during the electrocatalytic oxidation process was proposed based on the results of solid-phase micro-extraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(SPME-GC-MS).The high electrocatalytic performance of the composite electrode makes it a promising anode for the treatment of organic pollutants in aqueous solution.

Electrochemical Oxidation of L-Cystenine in SDS/BA/H_2O Microemulsion

The electrochemical oxidation of L-cysteine in an SDS/BA/H_2O microemulsion system was studied with the methods of ultramicroelectrode cyclic voltammetry and AC impedance. The catalytic efficiency of the microemulsion on the electrochemical oxidation increases with the increase of BA or SDS content, but decreases with the increase of the water content because of the effects of BA, SDS and water on the solubilization of L-cysteine in the microemulsion. Furthermore, the catalytic efficiency of the bicontinuous structure is greater than that of an O/W microemulsion system. The results derived from both the rate constant k0 and Gibbs free energy ΔG≠ accord with those from the catalytic efficiency.

Mechanism study of electrochemical oxidation in the terylene diaphragm cell

By using a self-made carbon/polytetrafluoroethylene （C/PTFE） O2-fed as cathode and Ti/IrO2/RuO2 as anode, the effects of electrochemical oxidation of phenol and the coal-gas wastewater containing phenol were studied. The terylene diaphragm which kept pH〉12 in cathodic compartment and pH〈1 in the anodic compartment was selected in the experiment in comparison with the other types of diaphragm. Furthermore, hydroxyl radical （HO·） was determined in the cathodic compartment of the diaphragm cell by electron spin resonance spectrum（ESR） and the fluorescence spectra. Compared with pH, the accumulated HzO2 and the COD removal of the no-diaphragm cell, the mechanism of electrochemical oxidation in the terylene diaphragm cell was supposed. The degradation of phenol was supposed to be cooperative oxidation by direct or indirect electrochemical oxidation at the anode and H2O2, HO· produced by oxygen reduction at the cathode. The mineralization of phenol in the diaphragm cell was better than that in the no-diaphragm cell. When the coal-gas wastewater was treated by the electrolysis system with terylene diaphragm, the average removal efficiency of the volatile phenol and COD were 100% and 79.6%, respectively.