Preparation of palladium-based catalyst by plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition and its applications in CO_(2) hydrogenation reduction

Supported Pd catalyst is an important noble metal material in recent years due to its high catalytic performance in CO_(2)hydrogenation.A fluidized-bed plasma assisted atomic layer deposition(FP-ALD) process is reported to fabricate Pd nanoparticle catalyst over γ-Al_(2)O_(3)or Fe_(2)O_(3)/γ-Al_(2)O_(3)support,using palladium hexafluoroacetylacetonate as the Pd precursor and H_(2)plasma as counter-reactant.Scanning transmission electron microscopy exhibits that highdensity Pd nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed over Fe_(2)O_(3)/γ-Al_(2)O_(3)support with an average diameter of 4.4 nm.The deposited Pd-Fe_(2)O_(3)/γ-Al_(2)O_(3)shows excellent catalytic performance for CO_(2)hydrogenation in a dielectric barrier discharge reactor.Under a typical condition of H_(2)to CO_(2)ratio of 4 in the feed gas,the discharge power of 19.6 W,and gas hourly space velocity of10000 h^(-1),the conversion of CO_(2)is as high as 16.3% with CH_(3)OH and CH4selectivities of 26.5%and 3.9%,respectively.

Ca_(2)MnO_(4)-layered perovskite modified by NaNO_(3)for chemical-looping oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene

Chemical-looping oxidative dehydrogenation(CL-ODH)is a process designed for the conversion of alkanes into olefins through cyclic redox reactions,eliminating the need for gaseous O_(2).In this work,we investigated the use of Ca_(2)MnO_(4)-layered perovskites modified with NaNO_(3) dopants,serving as redox catalysts(also known as oxygen carriers),for the CL-ODH of ethane within a temperature range of 700-780℃.Our findings revealed that the incorporation of NaNO_(3) as a modifier significantly-nhanced the selectivity for-thylene generation from Ca_(2)MnO_(4).At 750℃and a gas hourly space velocity of 1300 h^(-1),we achieved an-thane conversion up to 68.17%,accompanied by a corresponding-thylene yield of 57.39%.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis unveiled that the doping NaNO_(3) onto Ca_(2)MnO_(4) not only played a role in reducing the oxidation state of Mn ions but also increased the lattice oxygen content of the redox catalyst.Furthermore,formation of NaNO_(3) shell on the surface of Ca_(2)MnO_(4) led to a reduction in the concentration of manganese sites and modulated the oxygen-releasing behavior in a step-wise manner.This modulation contributed significantly to the enhanced selectivity for ethylene of the NaNO_(3)-doped Ca_(2)MnO_(4) catalyst.These findings provide compelling evidence for the potential of Ca_(2)MnO_(4)-layered perovskites as promising redox catalysts in the context of CL-ODH reactions.

Room temperature synthesis of two-dimensional multi layer magnets based on α-Co^(Ⅱ) layered hydroxides

Research on two-dimensional(2D) materials is one of the most active fields in materials science and nanotechnology. Among the members of the 2D family, layered hydroxides(LHs) represent an exceptional case of study due to their unparalleled chemical versatility which allows the modulation of their physicochemical properties at will. Nowadays, LHs based on earth-abundant metals are key materials in the areas of energy storage and conversion, hybrid materials or magnetism. α-Co hydroxides(Simonkolleite-like structures) are promising phases with tuneable electronic and magnetic properties by ligand modification. However, even in the simple case of α-Co^(Ⅱ) hydroxychlorides, the preparation of well-defined large 2D crystals is not straightforward, hindering the development of fundamental studies. Herein, we present the synthesis of 2D hexagonal crystals with outstanding sizethickness relationship(diameter > 5 μm and thickness of 20 ± 7 nm) by a simple homogeneous synthesis taking place at room temperature. In structural terms, no differences are observed between our layered materials and those obtained hydrothermally. However, dynamic susceptibility measurements alert about different arrangements of the magnetic sublattices, which have been rationalized with structural DFT calculations. This work provides an extremely easy bottom-up method to obtain high-quality 2D crystals based on α-CoIIhydroxides,paving the way for the development of fundamental studies and applications.

Transforming a Two-Dimensional Layered Insulator into a Semiconductor or a Highly Conductive Metal through Transition Metal Ion Intercalation

Atomically thin two-dimensional(2D) materials are the building bricks for next-generation electronics and optoelectronics, which demand plentiful functional properties in mechanics, transport, magnetism and photoresponse.For electronic devices, not only metals and high-performance semiconductors but also insulators and dielectric materials are highly desirable. Layered structures composed of 2D materials of different properties can be delicately designed as various useful heterojunction or homojunction devices, in which the designs on the same material(namely homojunction) are of special interest because preparation techniques can be greatly simplified and atomically seamless interfaces can be achieved. We demonstrate that the insulating pristine ZnPS_3, a ternary transition-metal phosphorus trichalcogenide, can be transformed into a highly conductive metal and an n-type semiconductor by intercalating Co and Cu atoms, respectively. The field-effect-transistor(FET) devices are prepared via an ultraviolet exposure lithography technique. The Co-ZnPS_3 device exhibits an electrical conductivity of 8 × 10^(4) S/m, which is comparable to the conductivity of graphene. The Cu-ZnPS_3 FET reveals a current ON/OFF ratio of 1-05 and a mobility of 3 × 10^(-2 )cm^(2)·V^(-1)·s^(-1). The realization of an insulator, a typical semiconductor and a metallic state in the same 2D material provides an opportunity to fabricate n-metal homojunctions and other in-plane electronic functional devices.

Synergistic cerium doping and MXene coupling in layered double hydroxides as efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution

Oxygen evolution reaction(OER) is a bottle-neck process in many sustainable energy conversion systems due to its sluggish kinetics.The development of cost-effective yet efficient electrocatalysts towards OER is highly desirable but still a great challenge at current stage.Herein,a new type of hybrid nanostructure,consisting of two-dimensional(2D) Cerium-doped NiFe-layered double hydroxide nanoflakes directly grown on the 2D Ti3C2Tx MXene surface(denoted as NiFeCe-LDH/MXene),is designed using a facile insitu coprecipitation method.The resultant NiFeCe-LDH/MXene hybrid presents a hierarchical nanoporous structure,high electrical conductivity and strong interfacial junction because of the synergistic effect of Ce doping and MXene coupling.As a result,the hybrid catalyst exhibits an excellent catalytic activity for OER,delivering a low onset overpotential of 197 mV and an overpotential of 260 mV at a current density of 10 mA·cm-2 in the alkaline medium,much lower than its pure LDH counterparts and IrO2 catalyst.Besides,the hybrid catalyst also displays a fast reaction kinetics and a remarkable stable durability.Further theoretic studies using density function theory(DFT) methods reveal that Ce doping could effectively narrow the bandgap of NiFe-LDH and reduce the overpotential in OER process.This work may shed light on the exploration of advanced electrocatalysts for renewable energy conversion and storage systems.

Layered double hydroxide-like Mg_3Al_(1–x)Fe_x materials as supports for Ir catalysts: Promotional effects of Fe doping in selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde

Supported Ir catalysts were prepared using layered double hydrotalcite‐like materials,such as Mg3Al1-xFex,containing Fe and Al species in varying amounts as supports.These Ir catalysts were applied for the selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde(CAL).When x was changed from 0(Ir/Mg3Al)to 1(Ir/Mg3Fe),the rate of CAL hydrogenation reached a maximum at approximately x=0.25,while the selectivity to unsaturated alcohol,i.e.,cinnamyl alcohol,monotonously increased from 44.9%to 80.3%.Meanwhile,the size of the supported Ir particles did not change significantly with x,remaining at 1.7-0.2 nm,as determined by transmission electron microscopy.The chemical state of Ir and Fe species in the Ir/Mg3Al1-xFex catalysts was examined by temperature programmed reduction by H2 and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy.The surface of the supported Ir particles was also examined through the in‐situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier‐transform of a probe molecule of CO.On the basis of these characterization results,the effects of Fe doping to Mg3Al on the structural and catalytic properties of Ir particles in selective CAL hydrogenation were discussed.The significant factors are the electron transfer from Fe2+in the Mg3Al1–xFex support to the dispersed Ir particles and the surface geometry.

Fast design of catalyst layer with optimal electrical-thermal-water performance for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

The catalyst layer(CL)is the core component in determining the electrical-thermal-water performance and cost of proton exchange membrane fuel cell(PEMFC).Systemic analysis and rapid prediction tools are required to improve the design efficiency of CL.In this study,a 3D multi-phase model integrated with the multi-level agglomerate model for CL is developed to describe the heat and mass transfer processes inside PEMFC.Moreover,a research framework combining the response surface method(RSM)and artificial neural network(ANN)model is proposed to conduct a quantitative analysis,and further a rapid and accurate prediction.With the help of this research framework,the effects of CL composition on the electrical-thermal-water performance of PEMFC are investigated.The results show that the mass of platinum,the mass of carbon,and the volume fraction of dry ionomer has a significant impact on the electrical-thermal-water performance.At the selected points,the sensitivity of the decision variables is ranked:volume fraction of dry ionomer>mass of platinum>mass of carbon>agglomerate radius.In particular,the sensitivity of the volume fraction of dry ionomer is over 50%at these points.Besides,the comparison results show that the ANN model could implement a more rapid and accurate prediction than the RSM model based on the same sample set.This in-depth study is beneficial to provide feasible guidance for high-performance CL design.

Ultralow-weight loading Ni catalyst supported on two-dimensional vermiculite for carbon monoxide methanation

Nickel-based catalysts represent the most commonly used systems for CO methanation.We have successfully prepared a Ni catalyst system supported on two-dimensional plasma-treated vermiculite（2D-PVMT）with a very low Ni loading（0.5 wt%）.The catalyst precursor was subjected to heat treatment via either conventional heat treatment（CHT）or the plasma irradiation method（PIM）.The as-obtained CHT-Ni/PVMT and PIM-Ni/PVMT catalysts were characterized with scanning electron microscopy（SEM）,energy dispersive X-ray（EDX）,X-ray diffraction（XRD）,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS）,inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy（ICP-AES）and high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy（HAADF-STEM）.Additionally,CHT-NiO/PVMT and PIM-NiO/PVMT catalysts were characterized with hydrogen temperature programmed reduction（H2-TPR）.Compared with CHT-Ni/PVMT,PIM-Ni/PVMT exhibited superior catalytic performance.The plasma treated catalyst PIM-Ni/PVMT achieved a CO conversion of93.5%and a turnover frequency（TOF）of 0.8537 s^-1,at a temperature of 450℃,a gas hourly space velocity of 6000 ml·g^-1·h^-1,a synthesis gas flow rate of 65 ml·min^-1,and a pressure of 1.5 MPa.Plasma irradiation may provide a successful strategy for the preparation of catalysts with very low metal loadings which exhibit excellent properties.

Structured NiFe catalysts derived from in-situ grown layered double hydroxides on ceramic monolith for CO_(2) methanation

Monolithic catalysts for CO_(2) methanation have become an active research area for the industrial development of Power-to-Gas technology.In this study,we developed a facile and reproducible synthesis strategy for the preparation of structured NiFe catalysts on washcoated cordierite monoliths for CO_(2) methanation.The NiFe catalysts were derived from in-situ grown layered double hydroxides(LDHs)via urea hydrolysis.The influence of different washcoat materials,i.e.,alumina and silica colloidal suspensions on the formation of LDHs layer was investigated,together with the impact of total metal concentration.NiFe LDHs were precipitated on the exterior surface of cordierite washcoated with alumina,while it was found to deposit further inside the channel wall of monolith washcoated with silica due to different intrinsic properties of the colloidal solutions.On the other hand,the thickness of in-situ grown LDHs layers and the catalyst loading could be increased by high metal concentration.The best monolithic catalyst(COR-AluCC-0.5M)was robust,having a thin and well-adhered catalytic layer on the cordierite substrate.As a result,high methane yield was obtained from CO_(2) methanation at high flow rate on this structured NiFe catalysts.The monolithic catalysts appeared as promising structured catalysts for the development of industrial methanation reactor.

Development and Challenges of Electrode Ionomers Used in the Catalyst Layer of Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells:A Review

The electrode ionomer plays a crucial role in the catalyst layer(CL) of a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell(PEMFC) and is closely associated with the proton conduction and gas transport properties,structural stability,and water management capability.In this review,we discuss the CL structural characteristics and highlight the latest advancements in ionomer material research.Additionally,we comprehensively introduce the design concepts and exceptional performances of porous electrode ionomers,elaborate on their structural properties and functions within the fuel cell CL,and investigate their effect on the CL microstructure and performance.Finally,we present a prospective evaluation of the developments in the electrode ionomer for fabricating CL,offering valuable insights for designing and synthesizing more efficient electrode ionomer materials.By addressing these facets,this review contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the role and potential of electrode ionomers for enhancing PEMFC performance.

Colloid of Delaminated Layered Double Hydroxides:a Novel Type of LDH-based Catalyst

The colloid of delaminated layered double hydroxides(LDHs), a new LDH-based catalyst, is described. The semi-heterogeneous delaminated colloidal MgPdA1-LDH, in which the total surface of catalytic site-bearing lamellae was rendered accessible for chemical reactivity, showed excellent catalysis toward Suzuki reaction. The turnover frequency of this catalyst for Suzuki reaction between bromobenzene and phenylboronic acid is about 8000 h^-1.

Electronic modulation of two-dimensional bismuth-based nanosheets for electrocatalytic CO_(2) reduction to formate: A review

Electrocatalytic CO_(2) reduction reaction(eCO_(2) RR)has significant relevance to settle the global energy crisis and abnormal climate problem via mitigating the excess emission of waste CO_(2) and producing high-value-added chemicals.Currently,eCO_(2) RR to formic acid or formate is one of the most technologically and economically viable approaches to realize high-efficiency CO_(2) utilization,and the development of efficient electrocatalysts is very urgent to achieve efficient and stable catalytic performance.In this review,the recent advances for two-dimensional bismuth-based nanosheets(2D Bi-based NSs)electrocatalysts are concluded from both theoretical and experimental perspectives.Firstly,the preparation strategies of 2D Bi-based NSs in aspects to precisely control the thickness and uniformity are summarized.In addition,the electronic regulation strategies of 2D Bi-based NSs are highlighted to gain insight into the effects of the structure-property relationship on facilitating CO_(2) activation,improving product selectivity,and optimizing carrier transport dynamics.Finally,the considerable challenges and opportunities of 2D Bi-based NSs are discussed to lighten new directions for future research of eCO_(2) RR.

MgFe hydrotalcites-derived layered structure iron molybdenum sulfide catalysts for eugenol hydrodeoxygenation to produce phenolic chemicals

Hydrodeoxygenation（HDO） is an effective alternative to produce value-added chemicals and liquid fuels by removing oxygen from lignin-derived compounds. Sulfide catalysts have been proved to have good activity for the HDO and particularly high selectivity to phenolic products. Herein, we presented a novel way to prepare the layered structure sulfide catalysts（MgFeMo-S） derived from MgFe hydrotalcites via the intercalation of Mo in consideration of the memory effect of the calcined hydrotalcite. By varying the Mg/Fe mole ratio, a series of MgFeMo-S catalysts were successfully prepared and characterized by nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms, X-ray diffraction（XRD）, transmission electron microscopy（TEM）,and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer（ICP-OES）. The characterization results indicated that the MgFeMo-S catalyst has retained the unique layered structure, which can facilitate uniform dispersion of the MoS2 species on both the surface and interlayer of the catalysts. For the HDO of eugenol, the Mg1Fe2Mo-S catalysts exhibited the best HDO activity among all the catalysts due to its higher active metal contents and larger pore size. The HDO conversion was 99.6% and the yield of phenolics was 63.7%, under 5 MPa initial H2 pressure（measured at RT） at 300 ℃ for 3 h. More importantly,MoS2 species deposited on the interlayer galleries in the MgFeMo-S catalysts resulted in dramatically superior HDO activity to MoS2/Mg1Fe2-S catalyst. Based on the mechanism investigation for eugenol, the HDO reaction route of eugenol under sulfide catalytic system has been proposed for the first time. Further applicability of the catalyst on HDO of more lignin-derived compounds was operated, which showed good HDO activity and selectivity to produce aromatic products.

Vertical two-dimensional non-hydrostatic pressure model with single layer

The vertical two-dimensional non-hydrostatic pressure models with multiple layers can make prediction more accurate than those obtained by the hydrostatic pres- sure assumption. However, they are time-consuming and unstable, which makes them unsuitable for wider application. In this study, an efficient model with a single layer is developed. Decomposing the pressure into the hydrostatic and dynamic components and integrating the x-momentum equation from the bottom to the free surface can yield a horizontal momentum equation, in which the terms relevant to the dynamic pressure are discretized semi-implicitly. The convective terms in the vertical momentum equation are ignored, and the rest of the equation is approximated with the Keller-box scheme. The velocities expressed as the unknown dynamic pressure are substituted into the continuity equation, resulting in a tri-diagonal linear system solved by the Thomas algorithm. The validation of solitary and sinusoidal waves indicates that the present model can provide comparable results to the models with multiple layers but at much lower computation cost.

Two-Dimensional Organometallic TM3–C12S12 Monolayers for Electrocatalytic Reduction of CO2

Organometallic nanosheets are a versatile platform for design of efficient electrocatalyst materials due to their high surface area and uniform dispersion of metal active sites.In this paper,we systematically investigate the electrocatalytic performance of the first transition metal series TM3–C12S12 monolayers on CO2 using spin-polarized density functional theory.The calculations show that M3–C12S12 exhibits excellent catalytic activity and selectivity in the catalytic reduction in CO2.The main reduction products of Sc,Ti,and Cr are CH4.V,Mn,Fe and Zn mainly produce HCOOH,and Co produces HCHO,while CO is the main product for Ni and Cu.For Sc,Ti,and Cr,the overpotentials are>0.7 V,while for V,Mn,Fe,Co,Ni,Cu,Zn,the overpotentials are very low and range from 0.27 to 0.47 V.Therefore,our results indicate that many of the M3–C12S12 monolayers are expected to be excellent and efficient CO2 reduction catalysts.

Nanostructured ultrathin catalyst layer with ordered platinum nanotube arrays for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Fabrication of novel electrode architectures with nanostructured ultrathin catalyst layers is an effective strategy to improve catalyst utilization and enhance mass transport for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs).Herein,we report the design and construction of a nanostructured ultrathin catalyst layer with ordered Pt nanotube arrays,which were obtained by a hard-template strategy based on ZnO,via hydrothermal synthesis and magnetron sputtering for PEMFC application.Because of the crystallographically preferential growth of Pt (111) facets,which was attributed to the structural effects of ZnO nanoarrays on the Pt nanotubes,the catalyst layers exhibit obviously higher electrochemical activity with remarkable enhancement of specific activity and mass transport compared with the state-of-the-art randomly distributed Pt/C catalyst layer.The PEMFC fabricated with the as-prepared catalyst layer composed of optimized Pt nanotubes with an average diameter of 90(±10) nm shows excellent performance with a peak power density of 6.0W/mgPt at 1 A/cm^2,which is 11.6%greater than that of the conventional Pt/C electrode.

Ultrathin two-dimensional medium-entropy oxide as a highly efficient and stable electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction

Medium-entropy oxides(MEOs)with broad compositional tunability and entropy-driven structural stability,are receiving booming attention as a promising candidate for oxygen evolution reaction(OER)electrocatalysts.Meanwhile,ultrathin two-dimensional(2D)nanostructure offers extremely large specific surface area and is therefore considered to be an ideal catalyst structure.However,it remains a grant challenge to synthesize ultrathin 2D MEOs due to distinct nucleation and growth kinetics of constituent multimetallic elements in 2D anisotropic systems.In this work,an ultrathin 2D MEO(MnFeCoNi)O was successfully synthesized by a facile and low-temperature ionic layer epitaxy method.Benefiting from multi-metal synergistic effects within ultrathin 2D nanostructure,this 2D MEO(MnFeCoNi)O revealed excellent OER electrocatalytic performance with a quite low overpotential of 117 mV at 10 mA·cm^(-2) and an impressive stability for 120 h continuous operation with only 6.9%decay.Especially,the extremely high mass activity(5584.3 A·g^(-1))was three orders of magnitude higher than benchmark RuO_(2)(3.4 A·g^(-1))at the same overpotential of 117 mV.This work opens up a new avenue for developing highly efficient and stable electrocatalysts by creating 2D nanostructured MEOs.

2D Layered Double Hydroxide Nanosheets and Their Derivatives Toward E cient Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Layered double hydroxides(LDHs)have attracted tremendous research interest in widely spreading applications.Most notably,transition-metal-bearing LDHs are expected to serve as highly active electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction(OER)due to their layered structure combined with versatile com-positions.Furthermore,reducing the thickness of platelet LDH crystals to nanometer or even molecular scale via cleavage or delamination provides an important clue to enhance the activity.In this review,recent progresses on rational design of LDH nanosheets are reviewed,including direct synthesis via traditional coprecipitation,homogeneous precipitation,and newly developed topochemical oxidation as well as chemical exfoliation of parent LDH crystals.In addition,diverse strategies are introduced to modulate their electrochemical activity by tuning the composition of host metal cations and intercalated counter-anions,and incorporating dopants,cavi-ties,and single atoms.In particular,hybridizing LDHs with conductive components or in situ growing them on conductive substrates to produce freestanding electrodes can further enhance their intrinsic catalytic activity.A brief discussion on future research directions and prospects is also summarized.

Application of atomic layer deposition in fabricating high-efficiency electrocatalysts

Electrocatalysis is a promising approach to clean energy conversion due to its high efficiency and low environmental pollution. Noble metal materials have been studied to show high activity toward electrocatalyltic reactions, although such applications remain restricted by the high cost and poor durability of the noble metals. By precisely adjusting the catalyst composition, size, and structure, electrocatalysts with excellent performance can be obtained. Atomic layer deposition(ALD) is a technique used to produce ultrathin films and ultrafine nanoparticles at the atomic level. It possesses unique advantages for the controllable design and synthesis of electrocatalysts. Furthermore, the homogenous composition and structure of the electrocatalysts prepared by ALD favor the exploration of structure-reactivity relationships and catalytic mechanisms. In this review, the mechanism, characteristics, and advantages of ALD in fabricating nanostructures are introduced first. Subsequently, the problems associated with existing electrocatalysts and a series of recently developed ALD strategies to enhance the activity and durability of electrocatalysts are presented. For example, the deposition of ultrafine Pt nanoparticles to increase the utilization and activity of Pt, fabrication of core–shell, overcoat, nanotrap, and other novel structures to protect the noble-metal nanoparticles and enhance the catalyst stability. In addition, ALD developments in synthesizing non-noble metallic electrocatalysts are summarized and discussed. Finally, based on the current studies, an outlook for the ALD application in the design and synthesis of electrocatalysts is presented.