Supramolecular Macrocycle Regulated Single-Atom MoS_(2)@Co Catalysts for Enhanced Oxygen Evolution Reaction

The development of active water oxidation catalysts for water splitting has stimulated considerable interest.Herein,the design and building of single atom Co sites using a supramolecular tailoring strategy are reported,that is,the introduction of pillar[4]arene[1]quinone(P4A1Q)permits mononuclear Co species stereoelectronically assembled on MoS_(2)matrix to construct an atomically dispersed MoS_(2)@Co catalyst with modulated local electronic structure,definite chemical environment and enhanced oxygen evolution reaction performance.Theoretical calculations indicate that immsobilized single-Co sites exhibit an optimized adsorption capability of oxygen-containing intermediates,endowing the catalyst an excellent electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction activity,with a low overpotential of 370 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2)and a small Tafel slope of 90 mV dec^(-1).The extendable potential of this strategy to other electrocatalysts such as MoS_(2)@Ni and MoS_(2)@Zn,and other applications such as the hydrogen evolution reaction was also demonstrated.This study affords new insights into the rational design of single metal atom systems with enhanced electrocatalytic performance.

Optimizing high-coordination shell of Co-based single-atom catalysts for efficient ORR and zinc-air batteries

Atom-level modulation of the coordination environment for single-atom catalysts(SACs)is considered as an effective strategy for elevating the catalytic performance.For the MNxsite,breaking the symmetrical geometry and charge distribution by introducing relatively weak electronegative atoms into the first/second shell is an efficient way,but it remains challenging for elucidating the underlying mechanism of interaction.Herein,a practical strategy was reported to rationally design single cobalt atoms coordinated with both phosphorus and nitrogen atoms in a hierarchically porous carbon derived from metal-organic frameworks.X-ray absorption spectrum reveals that atomically dispersed Co sites are coordinated with four N atoms in the first shell and varying numbers of P atoms in the second shell(denoted as Co-N/P-C).The prepared catalyst exhibits excellent oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)activity as well as zinc-air battery performance.The introduction of P atoms in the Co-SACs weakens the interaction between Co and N,significantly promoting the adsorption process of ^(*)OOH,resulting in the acceleration of reaction kinetics and reduction of thermodynamic barrier,responsible for the increased intrinsic activity.Our discovery provides insights into an ultimate design of single-atom catalysts with adjustable electrocatalytic activities for efficient electrochemical energy conversion.

A general bimetal-ion adsorption strategy to prepare nickel single atom catalysts anchored on graphene for efficient oxygen evolution reaction

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) supported on two-dimensional (2D) materials are highly attractive for maximizing their catalytic activity.However,graphene based SACs are primarily bonded with nitrogen and carbon sites,resulting in poor performance for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER).Herein,we develop a general bimetal-ion adsorption strategy for the synthesis of individually dispersed Ni SACs anchored on the oxygenated sites of ultrathin reduced graphene oxide as efficient OER electrocatalysts.The resultant Ni SACs for OER in alkaline electrolyte exhibit a highly stable overpotential of 328 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm^-2,and Tafel slope of 84 mV dec^-1 together with long-term durability and negligible degradation for 50 h,which is greatly outperform its counterparts of nitrogen bonded Ni SACs (564 mV,364 mV dec^-1) and Ni(OH)2 nanoparticles anchored on graphene (450 mV,142 mV dec^-1),and most reported Ni based OER electrocatalysts.Furthermore,the extended X-ray absorption fine structure at the Ni K-edge and theoretical simulation reveal that the nickel-oxygen coordination significantly boost OER performance.Therefore,this work will open numerous opportunities for creating novel-type 2D SACs via oxygen-metal bonding as highly robust OER catalysts.

Precise construction of RuPt dual single-atomic sites to optimize oxygen electrocatalytic behaviors for high-performance Zn-air batteries

The development of redox bifunctional electrocatalysts with high performance,low cost,and long lifetimes is essential for achieving clean energy goals.This study proposed an atom capture strategy for anchoring dual single atoms(DSAs)in a zinc-zeolitic imidazolate framework(Zn-ZIF),followed by calcination under an N_(2) atmosphere to synthesize ruthenium-platinum DSAs supported on a nitrogendoped carbon substrate(RuPt DSAs-NC).Theoretical calculations showed that the degree of Ru 5dxz-~*O 2p_x orbital hybridization was high when^(*)O was adsorbed at the Ru site,indicating enhanced covalent hybridization of metal sites and oxygen ligands,which benefited the adsorption of intermediate species.The presence of the RuPtN_6 active center optimized the absorption-desorption behavior of intermediates,improving the electrocatalytic performance of the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)and the oxygen evolution reaction(DER),RuPt DSAs-NC exhibited a 0.87 V high half-wave potential and a 268 mV low overpotential at 10 mA cm^(-2)in an alkaline environment.Furthermore,rechargeable zinc-air batteries(ZABs)achieved a peak power density of 171 MW cm^(-2).The RuPt DSAs-NC demonstrated long-term cycling for up to 500 h with superior round-trip efficiency.This study provided an effective structural design strategy to construct DSAs active sites for enhanced electrocata lytic performance.

Achieving Negatively Charged Pt Single Atoms on Amorphous Ni(OH)_(2)Nanosheets with Promoted Hydrogen Absorption in Hydrogen Evolution

Single-atom(SA)catalysts with nearly 100%atom utilization have been widely employed in electrolysis for decades,due to the outperforming catalytic activity and selectivity.However,most of the reported SA catalysts are fixed through the strong bonding between the dispersed single metallic atoms with nonmetallic atoms of the substrates,which greatly limits the controllable regulation of electrocatalytic activity of SA catalysts.In this work,Pt-Ni bonded Pt SA catalyst with adjustable electronic states was successfully constructed through a controllable electrochemical reduction on the coordination unsaturated amorphous Ni(OH)_(2)nanosheet arrays.Based on the X-ray absorption fine structure analysis and first-principles calculations,Pt SA was bonded with Ni sites of amorphous Ni(OH)_(2),rather than conventional O sites,resulting in negatively charged Pt^(δ-).In situ Raman spectroscopy revealed that the changed configuration and electronic states greatly enhanced absorbability for activated hydrogen atoms,which were the essential intermediate for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction.The hydrogen spillover process was revealed from amorphous Ni(OH)_(2)that effectively cleave the H-O-H bond of H_(2)O and produce H atom to the Pt SA sites,leading to a low overpotential of 48 mV in alkaline electrolyte at-1000 mA cm^(-2)mg^(-1)_(Pt),evidently better than commercial Pt/C catalysts.This work provided new strategy for the control-lable modulation of the local structure of SA catalysts and the systematic regulation of the electronic states.

Oxygen reduction reaction on single Pt nanoparticle

Nanocollision electrochemistry is employed to evaluate the ORR’s activity of one single Pt nanoparticle,the effect of the size and ligand is investigated.The size-normalized activity of the Pt nanoparticle of 4 nm is two times higher than that of 25 nm,confirming that the intrinsic activity does depend on the size of the nanoparticles.It is further found that the adsorbed ligand does yield effect on electrocatalysis,and the adsorption strength follows the order of PVP>CTAB>citrate.This work is of significance to understand the nature of the ORR’s electrocatalysis at the level of an individual entity,which makes the structure-activity correlation in a more reliable way.

Lattice strain induced by trace Pt single atoms in nickel for accelerating industrial hydrogen evolution

Strategically designing the electrocatalytic system and cleverly inducing strain is an effective approach to balance the cost and activity of Pt-based electrocatalysts for industrial-scale hydrogen production.Herein,we present a unipolar pulsed electrodeposition(UPED) strategy to induce strain in the Ni lattice by introducing trace amounts of Pt single atoms(SAs)(0.22 wt%).The overpotential decreased by 183 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2) in 1.0 M KOH after introducing trace amounts of Pt_(SAs).The industrial electrolyzer,assembled with Pt_(SAs)Ni cathode and a commercial NiFeO_(x) anode,requires a cell voltage of 1.90 V to attain 1 A cm^(-2) of current density and remains stable for 280 h,demonstrating significant potential for practical applications.Spherical aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy(AC-STEM),X-ray absorption(XAS),and geometric phase analysis(GPA) indicate that the introduction of trace amounts of Pt SAs induces tensile strain in the Ni lattice,thereby altering the local electronic structure and coordination environment around cubic Ni for enhancing the water decomposition kinetics and fundamentally changing the reaction pathway.The doping-strain strategy showcases conformational relationships that could offer new ideas to construct efficient hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) electrocatalysts for industrial hydrogen production in the future.

Single-atom Pt promoted Mo_(2)C for electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction

Hydrogen generation from electrochemical water splitting powered by renewable energy is important to the sustainable society,but the prohibitive cost of current Pt electrocatalyst has impeded the large-scale production of hydrogen by water electrolysis.In this contribution,a new low-Pt electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) has been fabricated by a facile one-pot synthesis approach,in which Pt^(2+)cations and phosphomolybdic acid confined in the metal-organic frameworks(MOFs) were submitted to pyrolysis to yield Pt single atoms dispersed into Mo_(2)C nanocrystals in 3 D porous carbon matrix.The as-synthesized Pt_(1)-Mo_(2)C-C catalyst with Pt content of only 0.7 wt% exhibited remarkably enhanced activity for HER in 1 M KOH,with overpotential at 10 mA/cm^(2) lowered from 211 mV to 155 mV and 7-fold higher mass activity(7.14 A/mgpt) than the benchmark 20 wt% Pt/C.The promoted activity can be attributed to the electronic interaction between Pt single atoms and Mo2C surface,which not only improved water activation but also strengthened hydrogen adsorption,as indicated by FTIR and microcalorimetric characterizations.

D-band frontier: A new hydrogen evolution reaction activity descriptor of Pt single-atom catalysts

Hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) is crucial for achieving sustainable development and carbon neutrality, and thus demands efficient catalysts, which necessitates fundamental theory to relieve trial-and-error experiment. To fast screen HER candidates, most studies focus on d-band center(ε)associated with the Gibbs energy of H* adsorption(ΔG). Unfortunately, εrule is not applicable to Pt single atoms on transition metal disulfides(Pt_(1)/TMDs) because of the additional contributions from p states of S atom. Here, we propose a new HER descriptor — d-band frontier(d) by defining the weight of d-band in the energy range of [-1.0 eV, 1.0 eV] of Pt single atoms. This dis exactly correlated with the ΔGof Pt_(1)/TMDs, and thus perfectly describes the structure–activity relationship, as validated by systematical experimental evidences. Moreover, this ddescriptor can be extended to Pt single atoms anchored on other supports(e.g., CN, C, MoO, and CoO), indicating its promising generality.

Bimetallic CoNi single atoms supported on three-dimensionally ordered mesoporous chromia:highly active catalysts for n-hexane combustion

Developing the alternative supported noble metal catalysts with low cost,high catalytic efficiency,and good resistance toward carbon dioxide and water vapor is critically demanded for the oxidative removal of volatile organic compounds(VOCs).In this work,we prepared the mesoporous chromia-supported bimetallic Co and Ni single-atom(Co_(1)Ni_(1)/meso-Cr_(2)O_(3))and bimetallic Co and Ni nanoparticle(Co_(NP)Ni_(NP)/mesoCr_(2)O_(3))catalysts adopting the one-pot polyvinyl pyrrolidone(PVP)-and polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)-protecting approaches,respectively.The results indicate that the Co_(1)Ni_(1)/meso-Cr_(2)O_(3)catalyst exhibited the best catalytic activity for n-hexane(C_(6)H_(14))combustion(T_(50%)and T_(90%)were 239 and 263℃ at a space velocity of 40,000 mL g^(-1)h^(-1);apparent activation energy and specific reaction rate at 260℃ were 54.7 kJ mol^(-1)and 4.3×10^(-7)mol g^(-1)_(cat)s^(-1),respectively),which was associated with its higher(Cr^(5+)+Cr^(6+))amount,large n-hexane adsorption capacity,and good lattice oxygen mobility that could enhance the deep oxidation of n-hexane,in which Ni_(1) was beneficial for the enhancements in surface lattice oxygen mobility and low-temperature reducibility,while Co_(1) preferred to generate higher contents of the high-valence states of chromium and surface oxygen species as well as adsorption and activation of n-hexane.n-Hexane combustion takes place via the Mars van Krevelen(MvK)mechanism,and its reaction pathways are as follows:n-hexane→olefins or 3-hexyl hydroperoxide→3-hexanone,2-hexanone or 2,5-dimethyltetrahydrofuran→2-methyloxirane or 2-ethyl-oxetane→acrylic acid→CO_x→CO_(2)and H_(2)O.

CO_(2) reduction reaction pathways on single‐atom Co sites:Impacts of local coordination environment

Single‐atom catalysts have been proposed as promising electrocatalysts for CO_(2) reduction reactions(CO_(2)RR).Co‐N_(4) active sites have attracted wide attention owing to their excellent CO selectivity and activity.However,the effect of the local coordination environment of Co sites on CO_(2) reduction reaction pathways is still unclear.In this study,we investigated the CO_(2) reduction reaction pathways on Co‐N_(4) sites supported on conjugated N_(4)‐macrocyclic ligands with 1,10‐phenanthroline subunits(Co‐N_(4)‐CPY)by density functional theory calculations.The local coordination environment of single‐atom Co sites with N substituted by O(Co‐N_(3)O‐CPY)and C(Co‐N_(3)C‐CPY)was studied for comparison.The calculation results revealed that both C and O coordination break the symmetry of the primary CoN_(4) ligand field and induce charge redistribution of the Co atom.For Co‐N_(4)‐CPY,CO was confirmed to be the main product of CO_(2)RR.HCOOH is the primary product of Co‐N_(3)O‐CPY because of the greatly increased energy barrier of CO_(2) to*COOH.Although the energy barrier of CO_(2) to*COOH is reduced on Co‐N_(3)C‐CPY,the desorption process of*CO becomes more difficult.CH3OH(or CH_(4))are obtained by further*CO hydrogenation reduction when using Co‐N_(3)C‐CPY.This work provides new insight into the effect of the local coordination environment of single‐atom sites on CO_(2) reduction reaction pathways.

Rapid synthesis of Pd single‐atom/cluster as highly active catalysts for Suzuki coupling reactions

Palladium(Pd)‐based catalysts are essential to drive high‐performance Suzuki coupling reactions,which are powerful tools for the synthesis of functional organic compounds.Herein,we developed a solution‐rapid‐annealing process to stabilize nitrogen‐mesoporous carbon supported Pd single‐atom/cluster(Pd/NMC)material,which provided a catalyst with superior performance for Suzuki coupling reactions.In comparison with commercial palladium/carbon(Pd/C)catalysts,the Pd/NMC catalyst exhibited significantly boosted activity(100%selectivity and 95%yield)and excellent stability(almost no decay in activity after 10 reuse cycles)for the Suzuki coupling reactions of chlorobenzenes,together with superior yield and excellent selectivity in the fields of the board scope of the reactants.Moreover,our newly developed rapid annealing process of precursor solutions is applied as a generalized method to stabilize metal clusters(e.g.Pd,Pt,Ru),opening new possibilities in the construction of efficient highly dispersed metal atom and sub‐nanometer cluster catalysts with high performance.

Single-atom catalysts based on polarization switching of ferroelectric In_(2)Se_(3) for N_(2) reduction

The polarization switching plays a crucial role in controlling the final products in the catalytic pro-cess.The effect of polarization orientation on nitrogen reduction was investigated by anchoring transition metal atoms to form active centers on ferroelectric material In_(2)Se_(3).During the polariza-tion switching process,the difference in surface electrostatic potential leads to a redistribution of electronic states.This affects the interaction strength between the adsorbed small molecules and the catalyst substrate,thereby altering the reaction barrier.In addition,the surface states must be considered to prevent the adsorption of other small molecules(such as *O,*OH,and *H).Further-more,the V@↓-In_(2)Se_(3) possesses excellent catalytic properties,high electrochemical and thermody-namic stability,which facilitates the catalytic process.Machine learning also helps us further ex-plore the underlying mechanisms.The systematic investigation provides novel insights into the design and application of two-dimensional switchable ferroelectric catalysts for various chemical processes.

In situ surface-confined fabrication of single atomic Fe-N_(4) on N-doped carbon nanoleaves for oxygen reduction reaction

Controllable fabrication of Fe-N-C based single-atom catalysts(SACs)for enhanced electrocatalytic performance is highly desirable but still challenging.Here,an in situ surface-confined strategy was demonstrated for the synthesis of single atomic Fe-N_(4))on N-doped carbon nanoleaves(L-FeNC).The in situ generated Zn3[Fe(CN)6]2 could not only serve as a protection layer against collapse of nanoleaves but also provide abundant Fe source for the formation of Fe-N moieties during pyrolysis,leading to high surface area and high graphitization degree of L-FeNC simultaneously.Benefiting from abundant Fe-N_(4))active sites,enhanced mass and charge transfer,the as-prepared L-FeNC manifested a half-wave potential of 0.89 V for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)in 0.1 M KOH.A maximum power density of 140 m W cm^(-2)and stable discharge voltage even after operation for 50,000 s have been demonstrated when the L-FeNC was used as air cathode for Zn-air battery.This work not only provided a unique surfaceconfined strategy for the synthesis of two-dimensional nanocarbons,but also demonstrated the significant benefit from rational design and engineering of Fe-N-C SACs,thus offering great opportunities for fabrication of efficient energy conversion and storage devices.

Research progress of precise structural regulation of single atom catalyst for accelerating electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction

The development and utilization of renewable clean energy can effectively solve the two major problems of energy and environment. As an efficient power generation device that converts hydrogen energy into electric energy, fuel cell has attracted more and more attention. For fuel cells, the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) at the cathode is the core reaction, and the design and development of high-performance ORR catalysts remain quite challenging. Since the microenvironment of the active center of single atom catalysts(SACs) has an important influence on its catalytic performance, it has been a research focus to improve the ORR activity and stability of electrocatalysts by adjusting the structure of the active center through reasonable structural regulation methods. In this review, we reviewed the preparation and structure–activity relationship of SACs for ORR. Then, the structural precision regulation methods for improving the activity and stability of ORR electrocatalysts are discussed. And the advanced in-situ characterization techniques for revealing the changes of active sites in the electrocatalytic ORR process are summarized. Finally, the challenges and future design directions of SACs for ORR are discussed. This work will provide important reference value for the design and synthesis of SACs with high activity and stability for ORR.

Orbital symmetry matching:Achieving superior nitrogen reduction reaction over single-atom catalysts anchored on Mxene substrates

The nitrogen reduction reaction(NRR)under ambient conditions is still challenging due to the inertness of N2.Herein,we report a series of superior NRR catalysts identified by examining Ti2NO2 MXenes embedded with 28 different single-atom catalysts using first-principles calculations.The stability of this system was first verified using formation energies,and it is discovered that N2 can be effectively adsorbed due to the synergistic effect between single atom catalysis and the Ti atoms.Examination of the electronic structure demonstrated that this design satisfies orbital symmetry matching where“acceptor-donor”interaction scenario can be realized.A new“enzymatic-distal”reaction mechanism that is a mixture of the enzymatic and distal pathways was also discovered.Among all of the candidates,Ni anchored on MXene system achieves an onset potential as low as–0.13 V,which to the best of our knowledge is the lowest onset potential value reported to date.This work elucidates the significance of orbital symmetry matching and provides theoretical guidance for future studies.

Recent advances in regulating the performance of acid oxygen reduction reaction on carbon-supported non-precious metal single atom catalysts

Developing high performance and low-cost catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)in challenging acid condition is vital for proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs).Carbon-supported nonprecious metal single atom catalysts(SACs)have been identified as potential catalysts in the field.Great advance has been obtained in constructing diverse active sites of SACs for improving the performance and understanding the fundamental principles of regulating acid ORR performance.However,the ORR performance of SACs is still unsatisfactory.Importantly,microenvironment adjustment of SACs offers chance to promote the performance of acid ORR.In this review,acid ORR mechanism,attenuation mechanism and performance improvement strategies of SACs are presented.The strategies for promoting ORR activity of SACs include the adjustment of center metal and its microenvironment.The relationship of ORR performance and structure is discussed with the help of advanced experimental investigations and theoretical calculations,which will offer helpful direction for designing advanced SACs for ORR.

Single-Atom Catalysts for Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution Reaction: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives

Hydrogen,a renewable and outstanding energy carrier with zero carbon dioxide emission,is regarded as the best alternative to fossil fuels.The most preferred route to large-scale production of hydrogen is by water electrolysis from the intermittent sources(e.g.,wind,solar,hydro,and tidal energy).However,the efficiency of water electrolysis is very much dependent on the activity of electrocatalysts.Thus,designing high-effective,stable,and cheap materials for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)could have a substantial impact on renewable energy technologies.Recently,single-atom catalysts(SACs)have emerged as a new frontier in catalysis science,because SACs have maximum atom-utilization efficiency and excellent catalytic reaction activity.Various synthesis methods and analytical techniques have been adopted to prepare and characterize these SACs.In this review,we discuss recent progress on SACs synthesis,characterization methods,and their catalytic applications.Particularly,we highlight their unique electrochemical characteristics toward HER.Finally,the current key challenges in SACs for HER are pointed out and some potential directions are proposed as well.

Enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction over molybdenum carbide nanoparticles confined inside single-walled carbon nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes(CNTs) have shown as unique nanoreactors to tune the catalytic activity of confined nano-catalysts. Here we report that the catalytic performance of molybdenum carbide nanoparticles(MoC_x NPs) for the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) process can be enhanced by encapsulation within single-walled carbon nanotubes(SWNTs) with a diameter of 1–2 nm. The catalyst with MoC_x NPs located on the interior surface of SWNTs(MoCx@SWNTs) exhibits a lower onset over-potential and a smaller Tafel slope than the one with MoC_x NPs attached on the exterior surface(MoCx/SWNTs). This is likely attributed to the much smaller particle size and the more reduced states of the confined MoC_x NPs, as well as the larger specific surface area of MoCx@SWNTs compared with Mo Cx/SWNTs. In addition, the electronic structure of the confined MoC_x NPs might be modified by the confinement effects of SWNTs, and hence the adsorption free energy of H atoms on the confined MoC_x NPs, which could also contribute to their higher performance. These results suggest that the SWNTs can be further explored for constructing novel catalysts with beneficial catalytic performance.

Experimental study of intruder components in light neutron-rich nuclei via single-nucleon transfer reaction

With the development of radioactive beam facilities,studies concerning the shell evolution of unstable nuclei have recently gained prominence.Intruder components,particularly s-wave intrusion,in the low-lying states of light neutron-rich nuclei near N=8 are of importance in the study of shell evolution.The use of single-nucleon transfer reactions in inverse kinematics has been a sensitive tool that can be used to quantitatively investigate the single-particle orbital component of selectively populated states.The spin-parity,spectroscopic factor(or single-particle strength),and effective singleparticle energy can all be extracted from such reactions.These observables are often useful to explain the nature of shell evolution,and to constrain,check,and test the parameters used in nuclear structure models.In this article,the experimental studies of the intruder components in lowlying states of neutron-rich nuclei of He,Li,Be,B,and C isotopes using various single-nucleon transfer reactions are reviewed.The focus is laid on the precise determination of the intruder s-wave strength in low-lying states.