Developing Cu single-atom catalysts(SACs)with well-defined active sites is highly desirable for producing CH4 in the electrochemical CO_(2)reduction reaction and understanding the structure-property relationship.Herei...Developing Cu single-atom catalysts(SACs)with well-defined active sites is highly desirable for producing CH4 in the electrochemical CO_(2)reduction reaction and understanding the structure-property relationship.Herein,a new graphdiyne analogue with uniformly distributed N2-bidentate(note that N2-bidentate site=N^N-bidentate site;N2¹dinitrogen gas in this work)sites are synthesized.Due to the strong interaction between Cu and the N2-bidentate site,a Cu SAC with isolated undercoordinated Cu-N2 sites(Cu1.0/N2-GDY)is obtained,with the Cu loading of 1.0 wt%.Cu1.0/N2-GDY exhibits the highest Faradaic efficiency(FE)of 80.6%for CH4 in electrocatalytic reduction of CO_(2)at-0.96 V vs.RHE,and the partial current density of CH4 is 160 mA cm^(-2).The selectivity for CH4 is maintained above 70%when the total current density is 100 to 300 mA cm^(-2).More remarkably,the Cu1.0/N2-GDY achieves a mass activity of 53.2 A/mgCu toward CH4 under-1.18 V vs.RHE.In situ electrochemical spectroscopic studies reveal that undercoordinated Cu-N2 sites are more favorable in generating key*COOH and*CHO intermediate than Cu nanoparticle counterparts.This work provides an effective pathway to produce SACs with undercoordinated Metal-N2 sites toward efficient electrocatalysis.展开更多
Exploring highly efficient electrochemical water splitting catalysts has recently attracted extensive research interest from both fundamental researches and practical applications.Transition metal‐based layered doubl...Exploring highly efficient electrochemical water splitting catalysts has recently attracted extensive research interest from both fundamental researches and practical applications.Transition metal‐based layered double hydroxides(LDHs)have been proved to be one of the most efficient materials for oxygen evolution reaction(OER),however,still suffered from low conductivity and sluggish kinetics for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER),which largely inhibited the overall water splitting efficiency.To address this dilemma,enormous approaches including doping regulation,intercalation tuning and defect engineering are therefore rationally designed and developed.Herein,we focus on the recent exciting progress of LDHs hybridization with other two‐dimensional(2D)materials for water splitting reactions,not barely for enhancing OER efficiency but also for boosting HER activity.Particularly,the structural features,morphologies,charge transfer and synergistic effects for the heterostructure/heterointerface that influence the electrocatalytic performance are discussed in details.The hybrid 2D building blocks not only serve as additional conductivity and structural supported but also promote electron transfer at the interfaces and further enhance the electrocatalytic performance.The construction and application of the nanohybrid materials will guide a new direction in developing multifunctional materials based on LDHs,which will contribute to energy conversion and storage.展开更多
A possible mechanism for boosting the visible-light photoactivities of graphitic carbon nitride(g-C3N4)nanosheets for CO2 reduction via coupling with the electron donor Co-metal-organic framework(MOF)is proposed in th...A possible mechanism for boosting the visible-light photoactivities of graphitic carbon nitride(g-C3N4)nanosheets for CO2 reduction via coupling with the electron donor Co-metal-organic framework(MOF)is proposed in this study.Specifically,Co-MOF as an electron donor is capable of transferring the photogenerated electrons in the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital(LUMO)to the conduction band of g-C3N4 to facilitate charge separation.As expected,the prepared Co-MOF/g-C3N4 nanocomposites display excellent visible-light-driven photocatalytic CO2 reduction activities.The CO production rate of 6.75μmol g–1 h–1 and CH4 evolution rate of 5.47μmol g–1 h–1 are obtained,which are approximately 2 times those obtained with the original g-C3N4 under the same conditions.Based on a series of analyses,it is shown that the introduction of Co-MOF not only broadens the range of visible-light absorption but also enhances the charge separation,which improves the photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4 to a higher level.In particular,the hydroxyl radical(·OH)experiment was operated under 590 nm(single-wavelength)irradiation,which further proved that the photogenerated electrons in the LUMO of Co-MOF can successfully migrate to g-C3N4.This work may provide an important strategy for the design of highly efficient g-C3N4-based photocatalysts for CO2 reduction.展开更多
To enhance sulfur adsorption and reactive activity, ordered mesoporous Cu-ZnO-Al2O3 adsorbents were prepared by a novel one-pot evaporation-induced self-assembly strategy using P123 as a structure-directing agent and ...To enhance sulfur adsorption and reactive activity, ordered mesoporous Cu-ZnO-Al2O3 adsorbents were prepared by a novel one-pot evaporation-induced self-assembly strategy using P123 as a structure-directing agent and ethanol as the solvent for reactive adsorption desulfurization. The metal oxide precursor molecules around P123 micellized, and self-assembly simultaneously occurred during evaporation from an ethanol solution at 60 °C, leading to the formation of the p6 mm hexagonal symmetry mesoporous structure. Characterization results prove that the Cu-ZnO-Al2O3 adsorbents possess an ordered mesoporous structure with high thermal stability, large surface area(386–226 m2/g), large pore volume(0.60–0.46 cm3/g), and good dispersion of ZnO and Cu, which is beneficial for transforming S-compounds to ZnO. The sulfur saturation capacity of the ordered-mesoporous-structure Cu-ZnO-Al2O3 adsorbents is larger(49.4 mg/g) than that of the unordered mesoporous structure(13.5 mg/g).展开更多
Oxidized nanoporous g-C3N4(PCNO)decorated with graphene oxide quantum dots(ox-GQDs)was successfully prepared by a facile self-assembly method.As co-catalysts,the ultrasmall zero-dimensional(0 D)ox-GQDs can achieve uni...Oxidized nanoporous g-C3N4(PCNO)decorated with graphene oxide quantum dots(ox-GQDs)was successfully prepared by a facile self-assembly method.As co-catalysts,the ultrasmall zero-dimensional(0 D)ox-GQDs can achieve uniform dispersion on the surface/inner channels of PCNO,as well as intimate contact with PCNO through hydrogen bonding,π-π,and chemical bonding interactions.In contrast with PCNO,the ox-GQDs/PCNO composite photocatalysts possessed improved light-harvesting ability,higher charge-transfer efficiency,enhanced photooxidation capacity,and increased amounts of reactive species due to the upconversion properties,strong electron capturing ability,and peroxidase-like activity of the ox-GQDs.Therefore,the visible-light photocatalytic degradation and disinfection performances of the ox-GQDs/PCNO composite were significantly enhanced.Remarkably,the composite with a 0.2 wt.% deposited amount of ox-GQDs(ox-GQDs-0.2%/PCNO)exhibited optimum amaranth photodegradation activity,with a corresponding rate about 3.1 times as high as that of PCNO.In addition,ox-GQDs-0.2%/PCNO could inactivate about 99.6%of Escherichia coli(E.coli)cells after 4 h of visible light irradiation,whereas only^31.9% of E.coli cells were killed by PCNO.Furthermore,h+,·O2-,and·OH were determined to be the reactive species generated in the photocatalytic process of the ox-GQDs/PCNO system;these species can thoroughly mineralize azo dyes and effectively inactivate pathogenic bacteria.展开更多
Nano‐catalysis plays a vital role in the chemical transformations and significantly impacts the booming modern chemical industry.The rapid technological enhancements have resulted in serious energy and environmental ...Nano‐catalysis plays a vital role in the chemical transformations and significantly impacts the booming modern chemical industry.The rapid technological enhancements have resulted in serious energy and environmental issues,which are currently spurring the exploration of the novel nano‐catalysts in diverse fields.In order to develop the efficient nano‐catalysts,it is essential to understand their fundamental physicochemical properties,including the coordination structures of the active centers and substrate‐adsorbate interactions.Subsequently,the nano‐catalyst design with precise manipulation at the atomic level can be attained.In this account,we have summarized our extensive investigation of the factors impacting nano‐catalysis,along with the synthetic strategies developed to prepare the nano‐catalysts for applications in electrocatalysis,photocatalysis and thermocatalysis.Finally,a brief conclusion and future research directions on nano‐catalysis have also been presented.展开更多
MXenes have attracted considerable attention owing to their versatile and excellent physicochemi‐cal properties.Especially,they have potential applications as robust support for single atom cata‐lysts.Here,quantum c...MXenes have attracted considerable attention owing to their versatile and excellent physicochemi‐cal properties.Especially,they have potential applications as robust support for single atom cata‐lysts.Here,quantum chemical studies with density functional theory are carried out to systemati‐cally investigate the geometries,stability,electronic properties of oxygen functionalized Ti_(2)C(Ti_(2)CO_(2))supported single‐atom catalysts M_(1)/Ti_(2)CO_(2)(M=Fe,Co,Ni,Cu Ru,Rh,Pd,Ag Os,Ir,Pt,Au).A new non‐noble metal SAC Fe_(1)/Ti_(2)CO_(2) has been found to show excellent catalytic performance for low‐temperature CO oxidation after screening the group 8‐11 transition metals.We find that O_(2) and CO adsorption on Fe_(1) atom of Fe_(1)/Ti_(2)CO_(2) is favorable.Accordingly,five possible mechanisms for CO oxidation on this catalyst are evaluated,including Eley‐Rideal,Langmuir‐Hinshelwood,Mars-van Krevelen,Termolecular Eley‐Rideal,and Termolecular Langmuir‐Hinshelwood(TLH)mechanisms.Based on the calculated reaction energies for different pathways,Fe_(1)/Ti_(2)CO_(2) shows excellent kinet‐ics for CO oxidation via TLH mechanism,with distinct low‐energy barrier(0.20 eV)for the rate‐determining step.These results demonstrate that Fe_(1)/Ti_(2)CO_(2) MXene is highly promising 2D materials for building robust non‐noble metal catalysts.展开更多
Photo-thermal CO_(2) reduction with methane(CRM)is beneficial for solar energy harvesting and energy storage.The search for efficient photo-thermal catalysts is of great significance.Here,we reveal that group Ⅷ metal...Photo-thermal CO_(2) reduction with methane(CRM)is beneficial for solar energy harvesting and energy storage.The search for efficient photo-thermal catalysts is of great significance.Here,we reveal that group Ⅷ metal catalysts supported by optical material WO_(3) are more effective for photo-thermal CRM,giving catalytic activities with visible light assistance that are 1.4-2.4 times higher than that achieved under thermal conditions.The activity enhancement(1.4-2.4 times)was comparable to that achieved with plasmonic-Au-promoted catalysts(1.7 times).Characterization results indicated that WO_(3) was partially reduced to WO_(3-x) in situ under the reductive CRM reaction atmosphere,and that WO_(3-x) rather than WO_(3) enhanced the activities with visible light assistance.Our method provides a promising approach for improving the activity of catalysts under light irradiation.展开更多
Water oxidation is the bottleneck of artificial photosynthesis.Since the first ruthenium-based molecular water oxidation catalyst,the blue dimer,was reported by Meyer’ s group in 1982,catalysts based on transition me...Water oxidation is the bottleneck of artificial photosynthesis.Since the first ruthenium-based molecular water oxidation catalyst,the blue dimer,was reported by Meyer’ s group in 1982,catalysts based on transition metals have been widely employed to explore the mechanism of water oxidation.Because the oxidation of water requires harsh oxidative conditions,the stability of transition complexes under the relevant catalytic conditions has always been a challenge.In this work,we report the redox properties of a CuⅢ complex(TAML-CuⅢ] with a redox-active macrocyclic ligand(TAML) and its reactivity toward catalytic water oxidation.TAML-CuⅢ displayed a completely different electrochemical behavior from that of the TAML-CoⅢ complex previously reported by our group.TAML-CuⅢ can only be oxidized by one-electron oxidation of the ligand to form TAML·+-CuⅢand cannot achieve water activation through the ligand-centered proton-coupled electron transfer that takes place in the case of TAML-CoⅢ.The generated TAML·+-CuⅢ intermediate can undergo further oxidation and ligand hydrolysis with the assistance of borate anions,triggering the formation of a heterogeneous B/CuOx nanocatalyst Therefore,the choice of the buffer solution has a significant influence on the electrochemical behavior and stability of molecular water oxidation catalysts.展开更多
Electrochemical water splitting requires efficient water oxidation catalysts to accelerate the sluggish kinetics of water oxidation reaction. Here, we designed an efficient Co304 electrocatalyst using a pyrolysis stra...Electrochemical water splitting requires efficient water oxidation catalysts to accelerate the sluggish kinetics of water oxidation reaction. Here, we designed an efficient Co304 electrocatalyst using a pyrolysis strategy for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Morphological characterization confirmed the ultra-thin structure of nanosheet. Further, the existence of oxygen vacancies was obviously evidenced by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and elec- tron spin resonance spectroscopy. The increased surface area of Co3O4 ensures more exposed sites, whereas generated oxygen vacancies on Co3O4 surface create more active defects. The two scenarios were beneficial for accelerating the OER across the interface between the anode and electrolyte. As expected, the optimized Co3O4 nanosheets can catalyze the OER eftciently with a low overpotential of 310 mV at current density of 10 mA/cm2 and remarkable long-term stability in 1.0 mol/L KOH.展开更多
Owing to the atomic dispersion of active sites via electronic interaction with supports,single-atom catalysts(SACs)grant maximum utilization of metals with unique activity and/or selectivity in various catalytic proce...Owing to the atomic dispersion of active sites via electronic interaction with supports,single-atom catalysts(SACs)grant maximum utilization of metals with unique activity and/or selectivity in various catalytic processes.However,the stability of single atoms under oxygen-poor conditions,and the mechanism of hydrogen activation on SACs remain elusive.Here,through a combination of theoretical calculation and experiments,the stabilization of metal single atoms on tungsten oxide and its catalytic properties in H2 activation are investigated.Our calculation results indicate that the oxygen defects on the WO3(001)surface play a vital role in the stabilization of single metal atoms through electron transfer from the oxygen vacancies to the metal atoms.In comparison with Pd and Au,Pt single atoms possess greatly enhanced stability on the WOx(001)surface and carry negative charge,facilitating the dissociation of H-2 to metal-H species(Hδ-)via homolytic cleavage of H2 similar to that occurring in metal ensembles.More importantly,the facile diffusion of Pt-H to the WOx support results in the formation of Bronsted acid sites(Hδ+),imparting bifunctionality to Pt1/WOx.The dynamic formation of Br?nsted acid sites in hydrogen atmosphere proved to be the key to chemoselective hydrogenolysis of glycerol into 1,3-propanediol,which was experimentally demonstrated on the Pt1/WOx catalyst.展开更多
An FeOx‐based Pt single‐atom catalyst(SAC),Pt1/FeOx,has stimulated significant recent interest owing to its extraordinary activity toward CO oxidation.The concept of SAC has also been successfully extended to other ...An FeOx‐based Pt single‐atom catalyst(SAC),Pt1/FeOx,has stimulated significant recent interest owing to its extraordinary activity toward CO oxidation.The concept of SAC has also been successfully extended to other FeOx supported transition metal systems both experimentally and theoretically.However,the FeOx substrate itself(denoted by Fe1/FeOx following the same nomenclature of Pt1/FeOx)as a typical transition metal oxide possesses a very low catalytic activity toward CO oxidation,although it can be viewed as Fe1/FeOx SAC.Here,to understand the catalytic mechanism of FeOx‐based SACs for CO oxidation,we have performed density functional theory calculations on Pt1/FeOx and Fe1/FeOx for CO oxidation to address the differences between these two SACs in terms of the catalytic mechanism of CO oxidation and the chemical behavior of the catalysts.Our calculation results indicated that the catalytic cycle of Fe1/FeOx is much more difficult to accomplish than that of SAC Pt1/FeOx because of a high activation barrier(1.09eV)for regeneration of the oxygen vacancy formed when the second CO2molecule desorbs from the surface.Moreover,density of states and Bader charge analysis revealed differences in the catalytic performance for CO oxidation by the SACs Fe1/FeOx and Pt1/FeOx.This work provides insights into the fundamental interactions between the single‐atom Pt1and FeOx substrate,and the exceptional catalytic performance of this system for CO oxidation.展开更多
Photocatalytic water splitting based on semiconductor photocatalysts is a promising approach for producing carbon‐neutral,sustainable,and clean H_(2) fuel.Cocatalyst loading,which is an appealing strategy,has been ex...Photocatalytic water splitting based on semiconductor photocatalysts is a promising approach for producing carbon‐neutral,sustainable,and clean H_(2) fuel.Cocatalyst loading,which is an appealing strategy,has been extensively employed to improve the photocatalytic efficiency semiconductors.In view of the high cost and rare preservation of noble metal cocatalysts that significantly hinder their utilization for large‐scale energy production,various cocatalysts comprising earth‐abundant ele‐ments have been developed as noble‐metal‐free candidates using different methods to boost pho‐tocatalytic water splitting.Among these preparation strategies,photodeposition has attracted tre‐mendous attention in the deposition of earth‐abundant cocatalysts owing to its simplicity and mod‐erate availability,improved interfacial charge separation and transfer,and abundant active sites on the surface.In this review,we first summarize the deposition principles,deposition advantages,categories of cocatalysts,roles of cocatalysts,influencing factors,modification strategies,and design considerations in the photodeposition of earth‐abundant cocatalysts.The photodeposited earth‐abundant cocatalysts for the photocatalytic H_(2) evolution half reaction,photocatalytic O_(2) evo‐lution half reaction,and overall photocatalytic water splitting are discussed.Finally,some perspec‐tives on the challenges and possible future directions for the photodeposition of earth‐abundant cocatalysts in photocatalytic water splitting are presented.展开更多
The design of optimal heterogeneous catalysts for N_(2)-to-NH_(3) conversion is often dictated by the scaling relations,which result in a volcano curve that poses a limit on the catalytic performance.Herein,we reveal ...The design of optimal heterogeneous catalysts for N_(2)-to-NH_(3) conversion is often dictated by the scaling relations,which result in a volcano curve that poses a limit on the catalytic performance.Herein,we reveal a bowl active site that can break the scaling relations,through investigating the catalytic mechanisms of N_(2)-to-NH_(3) conversion on the lanthanide intermetallic electride catalyst LaRuSi by first-principles modeling.This bowl active site,composed of four surface La cations and one subsurface Si atom rich in electrons,plays the key role in enabling efficient catalysis.With adaptive electrostatic and orbital interactions,the bowl active site promotes the adsorption and activation of N_(2) that delivers facile cleavage of N-N bond,while destabilizes the adsorptions of ^(*)NH_(x)(x=1,2,3)species,which facilitates the release of the final NH_(3) product.By comparison with other electride catalysts isostructural to LaRuSi,we confirm the breaking of scaling relations between the adsorptions of ^(*)NH_(x) species and that of^(*)N on the bowl active site.Thus,this bowl active site presents a design concept that breaks the scaling relations for highly efficient heterogeneous catalysis of N_(2)-to-NH_(3) conversion.展开更多
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‐annea...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.展开更多
Since the discovery of the first drum-like CoB16- complex, metal-doped drum-like boron nanotubular structures have been investigated with various metal dopants and different tubular size, forming a new class of novel ...Since the discovery of the first drum-like CoB16- complex, metal-doped drum-like boron nanotubular structures have been investigated with various metal dopants and different tubular size, forming a new class of novel nanostructures. The CoB16- cluster was found to be composed of a central Co atom coordinated by two fused B8 rings in a tubular structure, representing the potential embryo of metal-filled boron nanotubes and providing opportunities to design one-dimensional metal-boron nanostructures. Here we report improved photoelectron spectroscopy and a more in-depth electronic structure analysis of CoB16-, providing further insight into the chemical bonding and stability of the drum-like doped boron tubular structures. Most interestingly, we find that the central Co atom has an unusually low oxidation state of ?1 and neutral CoB16 can be viewed as a charge transfer complex (Co-@BB16+), suggesting both covalent and electrostatic interactions between the dopant and the boron drum.展开更多
Microbial electrolysis cells(MECs)present an attractive route for energy-saving hydrogen(H2)production along with treatment of various wastewaters,which can convert organic matter into H2 with the assistance of microb...Microbial electrolysis cells(MECs)present an attractive route for energy-saving hydrogen(H2)production along with treatment of various wastewaters,which can convert organic matter into H2 with the assistance of microbial electrocatalysis.However,the development of such renewable technologies for H2 production still faces considerable challenges regarding how to enhance the H2 production rate and to lower the energy and the system cost.In this review,we will focus on the recent research progress of MEC for H2 production.First,we present a brief introduction of MEC technology and the operating mechanism for H2 production.Then,the electrode materials including some typical electrocatalysts for hydrogen production are summarized and discussed.We also highlight how various substrates used in MEC affect the associated performance of hydrogen generation.Finally we presents several key scientific challenges and our perspectives on how to enhance the electrochemical performance.展开更多
Converting sunlight directly to fuels and chemicals is a great latent capacity for storing renewable energy.Due to the advantages of large surface area,short diffusion paths for electrons,and more exposed active sites...Converting sunlight directly to fuels and chemicals is a great latent capacity for storing renewable energy.Due to the advantages of large surface area,short diffusion paths for electrons,and more exposed active sites,few‐layer carbon nitride(FLCN)materials present great potential for production of solar fuels and chemicals and set off a new wave of research in the last few years.Herein,the recent progress in synthesis and regulation of FLCN‐based photocatalysts,and their applications in the conversion of sunlight into fuels and chemicals,is summarized.More importantly,the regulation strategies from chemical modification to microstructure control toward the production of solar fuels and chemicals has been deeply analyzed,aiming to inspire critical thinking about the effective approaches for photocatalyst modification rather than developing new materials.At the end,the key scientific challenges and some future trend of FLCN‐based materials as advanced photocatalysts are also discussed.展开更多
文摘Developing Cu single-atom catalysts(SACs)with well-defined active sites is highly desirable for producing CH4 in the electrochemical CO_(2)reduction reaction and understanding the structure-property relationship.Herein,a new graphdiyne analogue with uniformly distributed N2-bidentate(note that N2-bidentate site=N^N-bidentate site;N2¹dinitrogen gas in this work)sites are synthesized.Due to the strong interaction between Cu and the N2-bidentate site,a Cu SAC with isolated undercoordinated Cu-N2 sites(Cu1.0/N2-GDY)is obtained,with the Cu loading of 1.0 wt%.Cu1.0/N2-GDY exhibits the highest Faradaic efficiency(FE)of 80.6%for CH4 in electrocatalytic reduction of CO_(2)at-0.96 V vs.RHE,and the partial current density of CH4 is 160 mA cm^(-2).The selectivity for CH4 is maintained above 70%when the total current density is 100 to 300 mA cm^(-2).More remarkably,the Cu1.0/N2-GDY achieves a mass activity of 53.2 A/mgCu toward CH4 under-1.18 V vs.RHE.In situ electrochemical spectroscopic studies reveal that undercoordinated Cu-N2 sites are more favorable in generating key*COOH and*CHO intermediate than Cu nanoparticle counterparts.This work provides an effective pathway to produce SACs with undercoordinated Metal-N2 sites toward efficient electrocatalysis.
文摘Exploring highly efficient electrochemical water splitting catalysts has recently attracted extensive research interest from both fundamental researches and practical applications.Transition metal‐based layered double hydroxides(LDHs)have been proved to be one of the most efficient materials for oxygen evolution reaction(OER),however,still suffered from low conductivity and sluggish kinetics for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER),which largely inhibited the overall water splitting efficiency.To address this dilemma,enormous approaches including doping regulation,intercalation tuning and defect engineering are therefore rationally designed and developed.Herein,we focus on the recent exciting progress of LDHs hybridization with other two‐dimensional(2D)materials for water splitting reactions,not barely for enhancing OER efficiency but also for boosting HER activity.Particularly,the structural features,morphologies,charge transfer and synergistic effects for the heterostructure/heterointerface that influence the electrocatalytic performance are discussed in details.The hybrid 2D building blocks not only serve as additional conductivity and structural supported but also promote electron transfer at the interfaces and further enhance the electrocatalytic performance.The construction and application of the nanohybrid materials will guide a new direction in developing multifunctional materials based on LDHs,which will contribute to energy conversion and storage.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21871079,21501052)the Outstanding Youth Project of Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province(YQ2019B006)~~
文摘A possible mechanism for boosting the visible-light photoactivities of graphitic carbon nitride(g-C3N4)nanosheets for CO2 reduction via coupling with the electron donor Co-metal-organic framework(MOF)is proposed in this study.Specifically,Co-MOF as an electron donor is capable of transferring the photogenerated electrons in the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital(LUMO)to the conduction band of g-C3N4 to facilitate charge separation.As expected,the prepared Co-MOF/g-C3N4 nanocomposites display excellent visible-light-driven photocatalytic CO2 reduction activities.The CO production rate of 6.75μmol g–1 h–1 and CH4 evolution rate of 5.47μmol g–1 h–1 are obtained,which are approximately 2 times those obtained with the original g-C3N4 under the same conditions.Based on a series of analyses,it is shown that the introduction of Co-MOF not only broadens the range of visible-light absorption but also enhances the charge separation,which improves the photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4 to a higher level.In particular,the hydroxyl radical(·OH)experiment was operated under 590 nm(single-wavelength)irradiation,which further proved that the photogenerated electrons in the LUMO of Co-MOF can successfully migrate to g-C3N4.This work may provide an important strategy for the design of highly efficient g-C3N4-based photocatalysts for CO2 reduction.
基金support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21676300)~~
文摘To enhance sulfur adsorption and reactive activity, ordered mesoporous Cu-ZnO-Al2O3 adsorbents were prepared by a novel one-pot evaporation-induced self-assembly strategy using P123 as a structure-directing agent and ethanol as the solvent for reactive adsorption desulfurization. The metal oxide precursor molecules around P123 micellized, and self-assembly simultaneously occurred during evaporation from an ethanol solution at 60 °C, leading to the formation of the p6 mm hexagonal symmetry mesoporous structure. Characterization results prove that the Cu-ZnO-Al2O3 adsorbents possess an ordered mesoporous structure with high thermal stability, large surface area(386–226 m2/g), large pore volume(0.60–0.46 cm3/g), and good dispersion of ZnO and Cu, which is beneficial for transforming S-compounds to ZnO. The sulfur saturation capacity of the ordered-mesoporous-structure Cu-ZnO-Al2O3 adsorbents is larger(49.4 mg/g) than that of the unordered mesoporous structure(13.5 mg/g).
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21707052)Jiangsu Agriculture Science and Technology Innovation Fund(CX(18)2025)+1 种基金Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(JUSRP11905 and JUSRP51714B)Key Research and Development Program of Jiangsu Province(BE2017623)~~
文摘Oxidized nanoporous g-C3N4(PCNO)decorated with graphene oxide quantum dots(ox-GQDs)was successfully prepared by a facile self-assembly method.As co-catalysts,the ultrasmall zero-dimensional(0 D)ox-GQDs can achieve uniform dispersion on the surface/inner channels of PCNO,as well as intimate contact with PCNO through hydrogen bonding,π-π,and chemical bonding interactions.In contrast with PCNO,the ox-GQDs/PCNO composite photocatalysts possessed improved light-harvesting ability,higher charge-transfer efficiency,enhanced photooxidation capacity,and increased amounts of reactive species due to the upconversion properties,strong electron capturing ability,and peroxidase-like activity of the ox-GQDs.Therefore,the visible-light photocatalytic degradation and disinfection performances of the ox-GQDs/PCNO composite were significantly enhanced.Remarkably,the composite with a 0.2 wt.% deposited amount of ox-GQDs(ox-GQDs-0.2%/PCNO)exhibited optimum amaranth photodegradation activity,with a corresponding rate about 3.1 times as high as that of PCNO.In addition,ox-GQDs-0.2%/PCNO could inactivate about 99.6%of Escherichia coli(E.coli)cells after 4 h of visible light irradiation,whereas only^31.9% of E.coli cells were killed by PCNO.Furthermore,h+,·O2-,and·OH were determined to be the reactive species generated in the photocatalytic process of the ox-GQDs/PCNO system;these species can thoroughly mineralize azo dyes and effectively inactivate pathogenic bacteria.
文摘Nano‐catalysis plays a vital role in the chemical transformations and significantly impacts the booming modern chemical industry.The rapid technological enhancements have resulted in serious energy and environmental issues,which are currently spurring the exploration of the novel nano‐catalysts in diverse fields.In order to develop the efficient nano‐catalysts,it is essential to understand their fundamental physicochemical properties,including the coordination structures of the active centers and substrate‐adsorbate interactions.Subsequently,the nano‐catalyst design with precise manipulation at the atomic level can be attained.In this account,we have summarized our extensive investigation of the factors impacting nano‐catalysis,along with the synthetic strategies developed to prepare the nano‐catalysts for applications in electrocatalysis,photocatalysis and thermocatalysis.Finally,a brief conclusion and future research directions on nano‐catalysis have also been presented.
文摘MXenes have attracted considerable attention owing to their versatile and excellent physicochemi‐cal properties.Especially,they have potential applications as robust support for single atom cata‐lysts.Here,quantum chemical studies with density functional theory are carried out to systemati‐cally investigate the geometries,stability,electronic properties of oxygen functionalized Ti_(2)C(Ti_(2)CO_(2))supported single‐atom catalysts M_(1)/Ti_(2)CO_(2)(M=Fe,Co,Ni,Cu Ru,Rh,Pd,Ag Os,Ir,Pt,Au).A new non‐noble metal SAC Fe_(1)/Ti_(2)CO_(2) has been found to show excellent catalytic performance for low‐temperature CO oxidation after screening the group 8‐11 transition metals.We find that O_(2) and CO adsorption on Fe_(1) atom of Fe_(1)/Ti_(2)CO_(2) is favorable.Accordingly,five possible mechanisms for CO oxidation on this catalyst are evaluated,including Eley‐Rideal,Langmuir‐Hinshelwood,Mars-van Krevelen,Termolecular Eley‐Rideal,and Termolecular Langmuir‐Hinshelwood(TLH)mechanisms.Based on the calculated reaction energies for different pathways,Fe_(1)/Ti_(2)CO_(2) shows excellent kinet‐ics for CO oxidation via TLH mechanism,with distinct low‐energy barrier(0.20 eV)for the rate‐determining step.These results demonstrate that Fe_(1)/Ti_(2)CO_(2) MXene is highly promising 2D materials for building robust non‐noble metal catalysts.
文摘Photo-thermal CO_(2) reduction with methane(CRM)is beneficial for solar energy harvesting and energy storage.The search for efficient photo-thermal catalysts is of great significance.Here,we reveal that group Ⅷ metal catalysts supported by optical material WO_(3) are more effective for photo-thermal CRM,giving catalytic activities with visible light assistance that are 1.4-2.4 times higher than that achieved under thermal conditions.The activity enhancement(1.4-2.4 times)was comparable to that achieved with plasmonic-Au-promoted catalysts(1.7 times).Characterization results indicated that WO_(3) was partially reduced to WO_(3-x) in situ under the reductive CRM reaction atmosphere,and that WO_(3-x) rather than WO_(3) enhanced the activities with visible light assistance.Our method provides a promising approach for improving the activity of catalysts under light irradiation.
文摘Water oxidation is the bottleneck of artificial photosynthesis.Since the first ruthenium-based molecular water oxidation catalyst,the blue dimer,was reported by Meyer’ s group in 1982,catalysts based on transition metals have been widely employed to explore the mechanism of water oxidation.Because the oxidation of water requires harsh oxidative conditions,the stability of transition complexes under the relevant catalytic conditions has always been a challenge.In this work,we report the redox properties of a CuⅢ complex(TAML-CuⅢ] with a redox-active macrocyclic ligand(TAML) and its reactivity toward catalytic water oxidation.TAML-CuⅢ displayed a completely different electrochemical behavior from that of the TAML-CoⅢ complex previously reported by our group.TAML-CuⅢ can only be oxidized by one-electron oxidation of the ligand to form TAML·+-CuⅢand cannot achieve water activation through the ligand-centered proton-coupled electron transfer that takes place in the case of TAML-CoⅢ.The generated TAML·+-CuⅢ intermediate can undergo further oxidation and ligand hydrolysis with the assistance of borate anions,triggering the formation of a heterogeneous B/CuOx nanocatalyst Therefore,the choice of the buffer solution has a significant influence on the electrochemical behavior and stability of molecular water oxidation catalysts.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.21621003,No.21327806)National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2016YFA0203101)Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Program
文摘Electrochemical water splitting requires efficient water oxidation catalysts to accelerate the sluggish kinetics of water oxidation reaction. Here, we designed an efficient Co304 electrocatalyst using a pyrolysis strategy for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Morphological characterization confirmed the ultra-thin structure of nanosheet. Further, the existence of oxygen vacancies was obviously evidenced by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and elec- tron spin resonance spectroscopy. The increased surface area of Co3O4 ensures more exposed sites, whereas generated oxygen vacancies on Co3O4 surface create more active defects. The two scenarios were beneficial for accelerating the OER across the interface between the anode and electrolyte. As expected, the optimized Co3O4 nanosheets can catalyze the OER eftciently with a low overpotential of 310 mV at current density of 10 mA/cm2 and remarkable long-term stability in 1.0 mol/L KOH.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(2018YFB1501602 and 2016YFA0202801)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21690080,21690084,21673228,21721004,21776269,and 21606227)+1 种基金the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDB17020100)Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy(DNL180303)~~
文摘Owing to the atomic dispersion of active sites via electronic interaction with supports,single-atom catalysts(SACs)grant maximum utilization of metals with unique activity and/or selectivity in various catalytic processes.However,the stability of single atoms under oxygen-poor conditions,and the mechanism of hydrogen activation on SACs remain elusive.Here,through a combination of theoretical calculation and experiments,the stabilization of metal single atoms on tungsten oxide and its catalytic properties in H2 activation are investigated.Our calculation results indicate that the oxygen defects on the WO3(001)surface play a vital role in the stabilization of single metal atoms through electron transfer from the oxygen vacancies to the metal atoms.In comparison with Pd and Au,Pt single atoms possess greatly enhanced stability on the WOx(001)surface and carry negative charge,facilitating the dissociation of H-2 to metal-H species(Hδ-)via homolytic cleavage of H2 similar to that occurring in metal ensembles.More importantly,the facile diffusion of Pt-H to the WOx support results in the formation of Bronsted acid sites(Hδ+),imparting bifunctionality to Pt1/WOx.The dynamic formation of Br?nsted acid sites in hydrogen atmosphere proved to be the key to chemoselective hydrogenolysis of glycerol into 1,3-propanediol,which was experimentally demonstrated on the Pt1/WOx catalyst.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21503046,21373206,21203182)the National Basic Research Program of China(2013CB834603)+3 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Guizhou Province of China(QKJ(2015)2122)Natural Science foundation of Department of Education of Guizhou Province(QJTD(2015)55 and ZDXK(2014)18)the GZEU startup packagethe Open Fund of Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Catalysis to JXL(SXKLC-2017-01)~~
文摘An FeOx‐based Pt single‐atom catalyst(SAC),Pt1/FeOx,has stimulated significant recent interest owing to its extraordinary activity toward CO oxidation.The concept of SAC has also been successfully extended to other FeOx supported transition metal systems both experimentally and theoretically.However,the FeOx substrate itself(denoted by Fe1/FeOx following the same nomenclature of Pt1/FeOx)as a typical transition metal oxide possesses a very low catalytic activity toward CO oxidation,although it can be viewed as Fe1/FeOx SAC.Here,to understand the catalytic mechanism of FeOx‐based SACs for CO oxidation,we have performed density functional theory calculations on Pt1/FeOx and Fe1/FeOx for CO oxidation to address the differences between these two SACs in terms of the catalytic mechanism of CO oxidation and the chemical behavior of the catalysts.Our calculation results indicated that the catalytic cycle of Fe1/FeOx is much more difficult to accomplish than that of SAC Pt1/FeOx because of a high activation barrier(1.09eV)for regeneration of the oxygen vacancy formed when the second CO2molecule desorbs from the surface.Moreover,density of states and Bader charge analysis revealed differences in the catalytic performance for CO oxidation by the SACs Fe1/FeOx and Pt1/FeOx.This work provides insights into the fundamental interactions between the single‐atom Pt1and FeOx substrate,and the exceptional catalytic performance of this system for CO oxidation.
文摘Photocatalytic water splitting based on semiconductor photocatalysts is a promising approach for producing carbon‐neutral,sustainable,and clean H_(2) fuel.Cocatalyst loading,which is an appealing strategy,has been extensively employed to improve the photocatalytic efficiency semiconductors.In view of the high cost and rare preservation of noble metal cocatalysts that significantly hinder their utilization for large‐scale energy production,various cocatalysts comprising earth‐abundant ele‐ments have been developed as noble‐metal‐free candidates using different methods to boost pho‐tocatalytic water splitting.Among these preparation strategies,photodeposition has attracted tre‐mendous attention in the deposition of earth‐abundant cocatalysts owing to its simplicity and mod‐erate availability,improved interfacial charge separation and transfer,and abundant active sites on the surface.In this review,we first summarize the deposition principles,deposition advantages,categories of cocatalysts,roles of cocatalysts,influencing factors,modification strategies,and design considerations in the photodeposition of earth‐abundant cocatalysts.The photodeposited earth‐abundant cocatalysts for the photocatalytic H_(2) evolution half reaction,photocatalytic O_(2) evo‐lution half reaction,and overall photocatalytic water splitting are discussed.Finally,some perspec‐tives on the challenges and possible future directions for the photodeposition of earth‐abundant cocatalysts in photocatalytic water splitting are presented.
文摘The design of optimal heterogeneous catalysts for N_(2)-to-NH_(3) conversion is often dictated by the scaling relations,which result in a volcano curve that poses a limit on the catalytic performance.Herein,we reveal a bowl active site that can break the scaling relations,through investigating the catalytic mechanisms of N_(2)-to-NH_(3) conversion on the lanthanide intermetallic electride catalyst LaRuSi by first-principles modeling.This bowl active site,composed of four surface La cations and one subsurface Si atom rich in electrons,plays the key role in enabling efficient catalysis.With adaptive electrostatic and orbital interactions,the bowl active site promotes the adsorption and activation of N_(2) that delivers facile cleavage of N-N bond,while destabilizes the adsorptions of ^(*)NH_(x)(x=1,2,3)species,which facilitates the release of the final NH_(3) product.By comparison with other electride catalysts isostructural to LaRuSi,we confirm the breaking of scaling relations between the adsorptions of ^(*)NH_(x) species and that of^(*)N on the bowl active site.Thus,this bowl active site presents a design concept that breaks the scaling relations for highly efficient heterogeneous catalysis of N_(2)-to-NH_(3) conversion.
文摘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.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.21590792, No.91426302, and No.21433005)supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (CHE-1763380)
文摘Since the discovery of the first drum-like CoB16- complex, metal-doped drum-like boron nanotubular structures have been investigated with various metal dopants and different tubular size, forming a new class of novel nanostructures. The CoB16- cluster was found to be composed of a central Co atom coordinated by two fused B8 rings in a tubular structure, representing the potential embryo of metal-filled boron nanotubes and providing opportunities to design one-dimensional metal-boron nanostructures. Here we report improved photoelectron spectroscopy and a more in-depth electronic structure analysis of CoB16-, providing further insight into the chemical bonding and stability of the drum-like doped boron tubular structures. Most interestingly, we find that the central Co atom has an unusually low oxidation state of ?1 and neutral CoB16 can be viewed as a charge transfer complex (Co-@BB16+), suggesting both covalent and electrostatic interactions between the dopant and the boron drum.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.21566025 and No.21875253)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province(No.20152ACB21019 and No.20162BCB23044)。
文摘Microbial electrolysis cells(MECs)present an attractive route for energy-saving hydrogen(H2)production along with treatment of various wastewaters,which can convert organic matter into H2 with the assistance of microbial electrocatalysis.However,the development of such renewable technologies for H2 production still faces considerable challenges regarding how to enhance the H2 production rate and to lower the energy and the system cost.In this review,we will focus on the recent research progress of MEC for H2 production.First,we present a brief introduction of MEC technology and the operating mechanism for H2 production.Then,the electrode materials including some typical electrocatalysts for hydrogen production are summarized and discussed.We also highlight how various substrates used in MEC affect the associated performance of hydrogen generation.Finally we presents several key scientific challenges and our perspectives on how to enhance the electrochemical performance.
文摘Converting sunlight directly to fuels and chemicals is a great latent capacity for storing renewable energy.Due to the advantages of large surface area,short diffusion paths for electrons,and more exposed active sites,few‐layer carbon nitride(FLCN)materials present great potential for production of solar fuels and chemicals and set off a new wave of research in the last few years.Herein,the recent progress in synthesis and regulation of FLCN‐based photocatalysts,and their applications in the conversion of sunlight into fuels and chemicals,is summarized.More importantly,the regulation strategies from chemical modification to microstructure control toward the production of solar fuels and chemicals has been deeply analyzed,aiming to inspire critical thinking about the effective approaches for photocatalyst modification rather than developing new materials.At the end,the key scientific challenges and some future trend of FLCN‐based materials as advanced photocatalysts are also discussed.