Comprehensive understanding and rational regulation of microenvironment for gas-involving electrochemical reactions

Substantial progress has been made in the understanding of gas-involving electrochemical reactions recently for the sake of clean,renewable,and efficient energy technologies.However,the specific influence mechanism of the microenvironment at the reaction interface on the electrocatalytic performance(activity,selectivity,and durability)remains unclear.Here,we provide a comprehensive understanding of the interfacial microenvironment of gas-involving electrocatalysis,including carbon dioxide reduction reaction and nitrogen reduction reaction,and classify the factors affecting the reaction thermodynamics and kinetics into gas diffusion,proton supply,and electron transfer.This categorization allows a systematic survey of the literature focusing on electrolyzer-level(optimization of the device,control of the experimental condition,and design of the working electrode),electrolytelevel(increase of gas solubility,regulation of proton supply,and substitution of anodic reaction),and electrocatalyst-level strategies(promotion of gas affinity,adjustment of hydrophobicity,and enhancement of conductivity),aiming to retrieve the correlations between the microenvironment and electrochemical performance.Finally,priorities for future studies are suggested to support the comprehensive improvement of next-generation gas-involving electrochemical reactions.

Deciphering engineering principle of three-phase interface for advanced gas-involved electrochemical reactions

As an alternative to conventional energy conversion and storage reactions,gas-involved electrochemical reactions,including the carbon dioxide reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR),nitrogen reduction reaction(NRR)and hydrogen evolution reaction(HER),have become an emerging research direction and have gained increasing attention due to their advantages of environmental friendliness and sustainability.Various studies have been designed to accelerate sluggish kinetics but with limited results.Most of them promote the reaction by modulating the intrinsic properties of the catalyst,ignoring the synergistic effect of the reaction as a whole.Due to the introduction of gas,traditional liquid-solid two-phase reactions are no longer applicable to future research.Since gas-involved electrochemical reactions mostly occur at the junctions of gaseous reactants,liquid electrolytes and solid catalysts,the focus of future research on reaction kinetics should gradually shift to three-phase reaction interfaces.In this review,we briefly introduce the formation and constraints of the three-phase interface and propose three criteria to judge its merit,namely,the active site,mass diffusion and electron mass transfer.Subsequently,a series of modulation methods and relevant works are discussed in detail from the three improvement directions of‘exposing more active sites,promoting mass diffusion and accelerating electron transfer’.Definitively,we provide farsighted insights into the understanding and research of three-phase interfaces in the future and point out the possible development direction of future regulatory methods,hoping that this review can broaden the future applications of the three-phase interface,including but not limited to gas-involved electrochemical reactions.

Advanced In Situ Characterization Techniques for Direct Observation of Gas-Involved Electrochemical Reactions

Gas-involved electrochemical reactions provide feasible solutions to the worldwide energy crisis and environmental pollution.It has been recognized that various elements of the reaction system,including catalysts,intermediates,and products,will undergo real-time variations during the reaction process,which are of significant meaning to the in-depth understanding of reaction mechanisms,material structure,and active sites.As judicious tools for real-time monitoring of the changes in these complex elements,in situ techniques have been exposed to the spotlight in recent years.This review aims to highlight significant progress of various advanced in situ characterization techniques,such as in situ X-ray based technologies,in situ spectrum technologies,and in situ scanning probe technologies,that enhance our understanding of heterogeneous electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction reaction,nitrogen reduction reaction,and hydrogen evolution reaction.We provide a summary of recent advances in the development and applications of these in situ characterization techniques,from the working principle and detection modes to detailed applications in different reactions,along with key questions that need to be addressed.Finally,in view of the unique application and limitation of different in situ characterization techniques,we conclude by putting forward some insights and perspectives on the development direction and emerging combinations in the future.

Li^(+)-ion bound crown ether functionalization enables dual promotion of dynamics and thermodynamics for ambient ammonia synthesis

Electrosynthesis of ammonia from the reduction of nitrogen is still confronted with the limited supply of gas reactant in dynamics as well as high activation barrier in thermodynamics.Unfortunately,despite tremendous efforts devoted to electrocatalysts themselves,they still fail to tackle the above two challenges simultaneously.Herein,we employ a heterogeneous catalyst adlayer-composed of crown ethers associated with Li^(+)ions-to achieve the dual promotion of dynamics and thermodynamics for ambient ammonia synthesis.Dynamically,the bound Li^(+)ions interact with the strong quadrupole moment of nitrogen,and trigger considerable reactant flux toward the catalyst.Thermodynamically,Li^(+)associated with the oxygen of crown ether achieves a higher density of states at the Fermi level for the catalyst,enabling effortless electron transfer from the catalysts to nitrogen and thus greatly reducing the activation barrier.As expected,the proof-of-concept system achieves an ammonia yield rate of 168.5μg h^(-1)mg^(-1)and a Faradaic efficiency of 75.3%at-0.3 V vs.RHE.This system-level approach opens up pathways for tackling the two key challenges that have limited the field of ammonia synthesis.

Electrode properties and phase composition of Ti_(0.5)Ni_(0.25)Al_(0.25) hydrogen storage alloys and theoretical simulation

Ti0.5Al0.25Ni0.25 alloy prepared by vacuum induction melting was studied.The phase composition was analyzed with X-ray technique and EDS analysis,and its electrochemical properties were investigated at various temperatures.Electrochemical reaction kinetic parameters were also studied with proper electrochemical techniques.The influence of the secondary corrosion reaction on the anodic linear polarization measurement was also analyzed by theoretical simulation.The results show that,proper ball-milling with nickel powders is beneficial to electrochemical performance.The theoretical simulation proves that,the existence of the side reaction can disturb the measurement of electrochemical reaction kinetic parameters.

Ordered lithium ion channels of covalent organic frameworks with lithiophilic groups enable uniform and efficient Li plating/stripping

Covalent organic frameworks(COFs)are a kind of materials composed of organic blocks linked through robust covalent bonds[1,2].In these materials,the organic blocks are integrated into symmetric structures that extend infinitely under the guidance of topological diagram,founded by periodic skeletons and nanopores[3-5].On account of the extensive building blocks,variety of topology design diagram and the variety of linkages,various COFs with different functionalities can be designed and synthesized for versatile applications.

Effect of alloying on the carrier dynamics in high-performance perovskite solar cells

High-efficiency solar cells often require light absorbers prepared from alloys, such as Cd Te_(1-x)Se_(x),CuIn_(x)Ga_(1-x)Se_(2), Cu_(2)ZnSnS_(4-x)Se_(x), and(Cs_(x)FA_(1-x))Pb(I_(1-y)Br_(y))_(3). However, how alloying affects solar cell performance is poorly understood, and determining common features associated with alloying is of significant interest. Herein, we studied the correlation between the A/X site compositional ratio and the photogenerated carrier dynamics using mixed halide perovskites(Cs_(x)FA_(1-x))Pb(I_(1-y)Br_(y))_(3)as examples.Nonadiabatic molecular dynamics calculations demonstrated that charge carrier recombination is highly sensitive to the compositional ratio at the A/X-site. The enhanced lifetime is attributable to the suppression of atomic fluctuations, the weakening of electron-phonon coupling, and a reduction in the electrontransition probability between band edges. The optimal Br concentration was determined to be ~18%, in agreement with experimental observations. This study not only advances our understanding of why mixed perovskites usually exhibit superior experimental photoelectric properties, but also provides a route for optimizing the carrier lifetimes and efficiencies of perovskite solar cells.

Defect calculations with quasiparticle correction: A revisited study of iodine defects in CH3NH3PbI3

Defect levels in semiconductor band gaps play a crucial role in functionalized semiconductors for practical applications in optoelectronics;however,first-principle defect calculations based on exchange-correlation functionals,such as local density approximation,grand gradient approximation(GGA),and hybrid functionals,either underestimate band gaps or misplace defect levels.In this study,we revisited iodine defects in CH_(3)NH_(3)PbI_(3) by combining the accuracy of total energy calculations of GGA and single-electron level calculation of the GW method.The combined approach predicted neutral Im_(i) to be unstable and the transition level of Im_(i)(+1/-1)to be close to the valence band maximum.Therefore,Im_(i) may not be as detrimental as previously reported.Moreover,Vm I may be unstable in the-1 charged state but could still be detrimental owing to the deep transition level of Vm I(+1/0).These results could facilitate the further understanding of the intrinsic point defect and defect passivation observed in CH_(3)NH_(3)PbI_(3).

Theoretical investigations on the growth of graphene by oxygenassisted chemical vapor deposition

Recently,graphene has drawn considerable attention in the field of electronics,owing to its favorable conductivity and high carrier mobility.Crucial to the industrialization of graphene is its high-quality microfabrication via chemical vapor deposition.However,many problems remain in its preparation,such as the not fully understood cracking mechanism of the carbon source,the mechanism of its substrate oxidation,and insufficient defect repair theory.To help close this capability gap,this study leverages density functional theory to explore the role of O in graphene growth.The effects of Cu substrate oxidation on carbon source cracking,nucleation barriers,crystal nucleus growth,and defect repairs are discussed.OCu was found to reduce energy change during dehydrogenation,rendering the process easier.Moreover,the adsorbed O in graphene or its Cu substrate can promote defect repair and edge growth.

Work-function-induced interfacial electron redistribution of MoO_(2)/WO_(2) heterostructures for high-efficiency electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction

The engineering of the electronic configurations of active sites,together with the production of more accessible active sites through heterostructure design,has been established as a forceful methodology for boosting water electrolysis performance.Herein,a facile approach is developed to fabricate well-dispersed MoO_(2) and WO_(2) nanoparticles with abundant heterointerfaces entrapped in N,P-doped carbon nanofibers(referred to as MoO_(2)/WO_(2)@N,P-CNFs hereafter)as hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)electrocatalysts in alkaline and acidic electrolytes.Extensive spectroscopic analyses and theoretical findings manifest that the heterointerface formed by the work function modulation of MoO_(2)/WO_(2) triggers the spontaneous electron redistribution from MoO_(2)to WO_(2) and a built-in electric field,which is essential to promote water adsorption,optimize the H-intermediate adsorption energy,result in the enhanced charge transfer efficiency,and ultimately increase the intrinsic HER activity.Simultaneously,the intimate confinement of MoO_(2)/WO_(2) heterostructures in the porous carbon substrate can restrain the active sites from unfavorable coarsening and detachment,thus ensuring facilitated HER kinetics and outstanding structural robustness.As a result,MoO_(2)/WO_(2)@N,P-CNFs exhibit superior catalytic HER performance in acidic and basic solutions,requiring 118 and 95 mV overpotentials to achieve 10 mA·cm^(−2),respectively,surpassing a number of reported non-noble metal-based electrocatalysts.This work provides guidelines for the rational design and construction of special metallic heterocomponents with optimized interfacial electronic structure for various electrochemical technologies.

A review on the rational design and fabrication of nanosized highentropy materials

High-entropy materials are mainly composed of high-entropy alloys(HEAs)and their derivates.Among them,HEAs account for a big part.As a new kind of alloy,they are now arousing great interests because of their high mechanical strength,extraordinary fracture toughness,corrosion resistance compared with traditional alloys.These characteristics allow the use of HEAs in various fields,including mechanical manufacturing,heat-resistant,radiation-resistant,corrosion-resistant,wear-resistant coatings,energy storage,heterocatalysis,etc.In order to promote the extensive application of HEAs,it is of significance to realize their rational design and preparation.In this paper,a systematic review focusing on the rational design and fabrication of nanosized HEAs is given.The design principles of how to match different elements in HEAs and the premise for the formation of single-phase solid solution HEAs are first illustrated.Computation methods for the prediction of formation conditions and properties of HEAs are also in discussion.Then,a detailed description and comparison of the synthesis methods of HEAs and their derivate,as well as their growing mechanism under various synthetic environments is provided.The commonly used characterization methods for the detection of HEAs,along with the typical cases of the application of HEAs in industrial materials,energy storage materials and catalytic materials are also included.Finally,the challenges and perspectives in the design and synthesis of HEAs would be proposed.We hope this review will give guidance for the future development of HEAs materials.

High-entropy alloys for accessing hydrogen economy via sustainable production of fuels and direct application in fuel cells

Heavy consumption of fossil fuels has raised concerns over the climate change and energy security in the past decades.In this review,hydrogen economy,as a clean and sustainable energy system,is receiving great attention.The success of future hydrogen economy strongly depends on the storage of renewable energy in hydrogen and hydrogen-rich chemicals through electrolyzers and conversion back to electricity via fuel cells.Electrocatalysts are at the heart of these critical technologies and great efforts have been devoted to preparing highly efficient nanomaterials.High-entropy alloys(HEAs),with their unique structural characteristics and intrinsic properties,have evolved to be one of the most popular catalysts for energy-related applications,especially those associated with hydrogen economy.Herein,recent advances regarding HEAs-based hydrogen economy are comprehensively reviewed.Attention is paid to the discussion of emerged HEAs as a new class of materials in hydrogen energy cycle,carbon-based hydrogen energy cycle,and nitrogen-based hydrogen energy cycle,covering the sustainable electrochemical synthesis of hydrogen and hydrogen-rich fuels and their direct application in fuel cells.Based on this overview,the challenges and promising directions are proposed to guide the development of HEAs research,aiming to achieve significant progress for further accessing hydrogen economy.

Asymmetric electrode design with built-in nitrogen transfer channel achieving maximized three-phase reaction region for electrochemical ammonia synthesis

Carbon-free electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction(NRR)is an appealing strategy for green ammonia synthesis,but there is still a significant performance bottleneck.Conventional working electrode is usually flooded by the electrolyte during the NRR test,and only the surface material could get access to the nitrogen,which inevitably gives rise to sluggish reaction rate.Herein,an asymmetric electrode design is proposed to tackle this challenge.An aerophilic layer is constructed on one face of the electrocatalyst-loaded electrode,while the other side maintains its original structure,aiming to achieve facilitated nitrogen transfer and electrolyte permeation within the conductive skeleton simultaneously.This asymmetric architecture affords extensive threephase reaction region within the electrode as demonstrated by the combination of theoretical simulations and experimental measurements,which gives full play to the loaded electrocatalyst.As expected,the proofof-concept asymmetric electrode delivers an NH_(3)yield rate of 40.81μg h^(−1)mg^(−1)and a Faradaic efficiency of 71.71%at−0.3 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode,which are more than 4 and 7 times that of conventional electrode,respectively.This work presents a versatile strategy for enhancing the interfacial reaction kinetics and is instructive to electrode design for gas-involved electrochemical reactions.

Harnessing data using symbolic regression methods for discovering novel paradigms in physics

In recent years,machine-learning methods have profoundly impacted research in the interdisciplinary fields of physics.However,most machine-learning models lack interpretability,and physicists doubt the credibility of their conclusions because they cannot be combined with prior physical knowledge.Therefore,this review focuses on symbolic regression,which is an interpretable machine-learning method.First,the relevant concepts of machine learning are introduced in conjunction with induction.Next,we provide an overview of symbolic regression methods.Subsequently,the recent directions for the application of symbolic regression methods in different subfields of physics are outlined,and an overview of the ways in which the applications of symbolic regression have evolved in the realm of physics is provided.The major aim of this review is to introduce the basic principles of symbolic regression and explain its applications in the field of physics.

3D Vertical Arrays of Nanomaterials for Microscaled Energy Storage Devices

CONSPECTUS:The ever-growing market of miniature and autonomous electronics has motivated an upsurge of interest in exploiting microscaled energy storage devices(MESDs)such as microbatteries and microsupercapacitors.To meet the burgeoning demand for energy,electrodes with high mass loading to synchronously raise areal energy and power are extensively pursued.Increasing the thickness of the conventional thin-film electrode to augment the areal loading is not a feasible approach,as it leads to elongated solid diffusion path,thereby limiting the power output of microdevices.This scenario is more unfavorable for solid-state microdevices because ion diffusion in solid electrolytes is more sluggish than in liquid electrolytes.To tackle such a dilemma,adoption of 3D array electrodes has been proposed to pave a new path for the design and development of MESDs.

高熵合金作为一种优异电催化剂的理解、合理设计和应用:综述

高熵合金近年来在电催化领域广受关注.由于其四大“核心效应”,即高熵效应、晶格畸变效应、迟滞扩散效应和鸡尾酒效应,高熵合金在诸多电催化反应中展现出了优异的活性和选择性.然而在已报道的文献综述中,有关其优异性能的理解以及合理设计的系统性总结仍然具有局限性.本文不仅综述了高熵合金电催化剂的特点和设计准则,还对其应用的最新进展进行了系统性的归纳整理,对高熵合金未来的发展具有指导意义.首先我们从多个角度阐明了高熵合金作为一种优异电催化剂的原因,包括其出色的机械性能、可优化的结构和组成、大量具有高本征活性的活性位点,以及出色的稳定性.为了进一步深入对高熵合金电催化剂的理解,我们还从设计准则、元素选择,以及理论计算预测材料性质等角度,详细介绍了高熵合金的合理设计.随后,我们介绍了高熵合金电催化剂在电解水、有机小分子氧化、燃料电池和碳/氮基转化反应的最新研究进展,其中还包括了一系列理论计算和原位表征在理解催化反应机理方面的应用.最后,我们展望了高熵合金电催化剂在未来发展中面临的挑战和机遇.

Eliminating nitrogen chemisorption barrier with single-atom supported yttrium cluster via electronic promoting effect for highly efficient ammonia synthesis

Nitrogen chemisorption is a prerequisite for efficient ammonia synthesis under ambient conditions,but promoting this process remains a significant challenge.Here,by loading yttrium clusters onto a single-atom support,an electronic promoting effect is triggered to successfully eliminate the nitrogen chemisorption barrier and achieve highly efficient ammonia synthesis.Density functional theory calculations reveal that yttrium clusters with abundant electron orbitals can provide considerable electrons and greatly promote electron backdonation to the N2 antibonding orbitals,making the chemisorption process exothermic.Moreover,according to the“hot atom”mechanism,the energy released during exothermic N2 chemisorption would benefit subsequent N2 cleavage and hydrogenation,thereby dramatically reducing the energy barrier of the overall process.As expected,the proof-of-concept catalyst achieves a prominent NH3 yield rate of 48.1μg·h^(−1)·mg^(−1)at−0.2 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode,with a Faradaic efficiency of up to 69.7%.This strategy overcomes one of the most serious obstacles for electrochemical ammonia synthesis,and provides a promising method for the development of catalysts with high catalytic activity and selectivity.

Electrospun Materials for Batteries Moving Beyond Lithium‑Ion Technologies

Innovation and optimization have shifted battery technologies beyond the use of lithium ions and fostered the demand for enhanced materials,which are vital factors determining the energy,power,durability,and safety of systems.Current battery materials vary in their sizes,shapes,and morphology,and these have yet to meet the performance standards necessary to prevent deterioration in regard to the efficiency and reliability of beyond-lithium technologies.As a versatile and feasible technique for producing ultrathin fibers,electrospinning has been extensively developed to fabricate and engineer nanofibers of functional materials for battery applications.In this review,the basic concepts and characteristics of beyond-lithium batteries are expounded,and the fundamentals of electrospinning are reviewed.The aim is to provide a guide to researchers going into this field.Focuses are placed on how electrospinning can address some of the key technical challenges facing beyond-lithium technologies.We hope the knowledge presented in this work will stimulate the design of electrospun materials for future battery applications.

Molybdenum-based materials for sodium-ion batteries

Sodium-ion batteries are considered one of the most promising candidates for affordable and scalable energy storage as required in smart grid and renewable energy.One of the principal challenges sodium-ion batteries being faced is to search suitable anode materials that can accommodate and store large amounts of Nat ions reversibly and sustainably at reasonable galvanostatic rates.Molybdenum-based materials such as oxides and sulfides might meet this challenge as they afford a capacity much greater than those of the carbo-naceous materials and exhibit rich Na-reaction chemistry.However,these materials are facing several technical issues,such as multiple phase transfor-mation,particle pulverization as the result of volume swelling,and low surface activity during sodiation/desodiation.To tackle these issues,materials design and engineering are of indispensability.In this brief review,we present a state-of-the-art overview of the research progress of molybdenum-based materials for sodium storage,and highlight materials engineering strategies that are capable of addressing the mentioned challenges.We also offer valuable insights into their further development direction and discuss their potentiality in practical batteries.

Rooting Zn into metallic Na bulk for energetic metal anode

Metallic Na with high theoretical capacity and low redox potential is an attractive anode material for highenergy rechargeable metal batteries.The poor wettability of Na on current collectors and the weak interaction between Na atoms lead to uneven plating/stripping of Na and dendrite formation.Here,we report an encouraging strategy to tackle these issues by rooting Zn into metallic Na bulk through a molten infusion process.The introduction of Zn not only tunes molten Na into highly sodiophilic Na(Zn)but also guides the uniform nucleation of Na through a much stronger interaction.As a result,smooth Na plating and stripping with a low energy barrier and homogeneous current distribution are simultaneously accomplished.Stable galvanostatic cycling over 3000 h in symmetric Na(Zn)cells and low voltage hysteresis below 15 mV at a rate of 5 mA cm^(-2) have been recorded.When coupled with a Na_(3)V_(2)(PO_(4))_(2)O_(2)F cathode,the Na(Zn)-Na_(3)V_(2)(PO_(4))_(2)O_(2)F full cell demonstrates an energetic performance,highlighting the strategy of rooting Zn into alkali metal bulk for rechargeable metal batteries.