Dynamic Evolution of Active Sites in Electrocatalytic CO 2 Reduction Reaction: Fundamental Understanding and Recent Progress

2022 ◽  
pp. 2111193
Author(s):  
Wenchuan Lai ◽  
Zesong Ma ◽  
Jiawei Zhang ◽  
Yuliang Yuan ◽  
Yan Qiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Active Sites ◽  
Recent Progress ◽  
Reduction Reaction ◽  
Dynamic Evolution ◽  
Fundamental Understanding

A Pyridinic Fe-N4 Macrocycle Effectively Models the Active Sites in Fe/N-Doped Carbon Electrocatalysts

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Travis Marshall-Roth ◽  
Nicole J. Libretto ◽  
Alexandra T. Wrobel ◽  
Kevin Anderton ◽  
Nathan D. Ricke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxygen Reduction ◽  
Active Sites ◽  
Catalytic Properties ◽  
Reduction Reaction ◽  
Iron Phthalocyanine ◽  
Electrochemical Studies ◽  
Onset Potential ◽  
Nitrogen Doped Carbon ◽  
Iron Active Sites

Iron- and nitrogen-doped carbon (Fe-N-C) materials are leading candidates to replace platinum in fuel cells, but their active site structures are poorly understood. A leading postulate is that iron active sites in this class of materials exist in an Fe-N<sub>4</sub> pyridinic ligation environment. Yet, molecular Fe-based catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) generally feature pyrrolic coordination and pyridinic Fe-N<sub>4</sub> catalysts are, to the best of our knowledge, non-existent. We report the synthesis and characterization of a molecular pyridinic hexaazacyclophane macrocycle, (phen<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>)Fe, and compare its spectroscopic, electrochemical, and catalytic properties for oxygen reduction to a prototypical Fe-N-C material, as well as iron phthalocyanine, (Pc)Fe, and iron octaethylporphyrin, (OEP)Fe, prototypical pyrrolic iron macrocycles. N 1s XPS signatures for coordinated N atoms in (phen<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>)Fe are positively shifted relative to (Pc)Fe and (OEP)Fe, and overlay with those of Fe-N-C. Likewise, spectroscopic XAS signatures of (phen<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>)Fe are distinct from those of both (Pc)Fe and (OEP)Fe, and are remarkably similar to those of Fe-N-C with compressed Fe–N bond lengths of 1.97 Å in (phen<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>)Fe that are close to the average 1.94 Å length in Fe-N-C. Electrochemical studies establish that both (Pc)Fe and (phen<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>)Fe have relatively high Fe(III/II) potentials at ~0.6 V, ~300 mV positive of (OEP)Fe. The ORR onset potential is found to directly correlate with the Fe(III/II) potential leading to a ~300 mV positive shift in the onset of ORR for (Pc)Fe and (phen<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>)Fe relative to (OEP)Fe. Consequently, the ORR onset for (phen<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>)Fe and (Pc)Fe is within 150 mV of Fe-N-C. Unlike (OEP)Fe and (Pc)Fe, (phen<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>)Fe displays excellent selectivity for 4-electron ORR with <4% maximum H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> production, comparable to Fe-N-C materials. The aggregate spectroscopic and electrochemical data establish (phen<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>)Fe as a pyridinic iron macrocycle that effectively models Fe-N-C active sites, thereby providing a rich molecular platform for understanding this important class of catalytic materials.<p><b></b></p>

scholarly journals Electrokinetic and in situ spectroscopic investigations of CO electrochemical reduction on copper

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Li ◽  
Xiaoxia Chang ◽  
Haochen Zhang ◽  
Arnav S. Malkani ◽  
Mu-jeng Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Transport ◽  
Active Sites ◽  
Gas Diffusion ◽  
Reduction Reaction ◽  
Adsorbed Hydrogen ◽  
Diffusion Type ◽  
Proton Coupled Electron Transfer ◽  
Alkaline Electrolytes ◽  
Reaction Orders

AbstractRigorous electrokinetic results are key to understanding the reaction mechanisms in the electrochemical CO reduction reaction (CORR), however, most reported results are compromised by the CO mass transport limitation. In this work, we determined mass transport-free CORR kinetics by employing a gas-diffusion type electrode and identified dependence of catalyst surface speciation on the electrolyte pH using in-situ surface enhanced vibrational spectroscopies. Based on the measured Tafel slopes and reaction orders, we demonstrate that the formation rates of C2+ products are most likely limited by the dimerization of CO adsorbate. CH4 production is limited by the CO hydrogenation step via a proton coupled electron transfer and a chemical hydrogenation step of CO by adsorbed hydrogen atom in weakly (7 < pH < 11) and strongly (pH > 11) alkaline electrolytes, respectively. Further, CH4 and C2+ products are likely formed on distinct types of active sites.

scholarly journals Efficient Catalytic Conversion of Polysulfides by Biomimetic Design of “Branch-Leaf” Electrode for High-Energy Sodium–Sulfur Batteries

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenyan Du ◽  
Kangqi Shen ◽  
Yuruo Qi ◽  
Wei Gao ◽  
Mengli Tao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Active Sites ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Electrochemical Reaction ◽  
Molecular Layer ◽  
Specific Capacity ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Reduction Reaction ◽  
Biomimetic Design ◽  
Co Nanoparticles ◽  
Sodium Sulfur

AbstractRechargeable room temperature sodium–sulfur (RT Na–S) batteries are seriously limited by low sulfur utilization and sluggish electrochemical reaction activity of polysulfide intermediates. Herein, a 3D “branch-leaf” biomimetic design proposed for high performance Na–S batteries, where the leaves constructed from Co nanoparticles on carbon nanofibers (CNF) are fully to expose the active sites of Co. The CNF network acts as conductive “branches” to ensure adequate electron and electrolyte supply for the Co leaves. As an effective electrocatalytic battery system, the 3D “branch-leaf” conductive network with abundant active sites and voids can effectively trap polysulfides and provide plentiful electron/ions pathways for electrochemical reaction. DFT calculation reveals that the Co nanoparticles can induce the formation of a unique Co–S–Na molecular layer on the Co surface, which can enable a fast reduction reaction of the polysulfides. Therefore, the prepared “branch-leaf” CNF-L@Co/S electrode exhibits a high initial specific capacity of 1201 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and superior rate performance.

scholarly journals Efficient electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction to ammonia with aqueous silver nanodots

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenyi Li ◽  
Ke Li ◽  
Yixing Ye ◽  
Shengbo Zhang ◽  
Yanyan Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Active Sites ◽  
Theoretical Calculations ◽  
Current Collector ◽  
Electrochemical Reactor ◽  
Reduction Reaction ◽  
Solution Ph ◽  
Faradaic Efficiency ◽  
Yield Rate ◽  
Silver Nanodots ◽  
Ti Mesh

AbstractThe electrocatalytic nitrogen (N2) reduction reaction (NRR) relies on the development of highly efficient electrocatalysts and electrocatalysis systems. Herein, we report a non-loading electrocatalysis system, where the electrocatalysts are dispersed in aqueous solution rather than loading them on electrode substrates. The system consists of aqueous Ag nanodots (AgNDs) as the catalyst and metallic titanium (Ti) mesh as the current collector for electrocatalytic NRR. The as-synthesized AgNDs, homogeneously dispersed in 0.1 M Na2SO4 solution (pH = 10.5), can achieve an NH3 yield rate of 600.4 ± 23.0 μg h−1 mgAg−1 with a faradaic efficiency (FE) of 10.1 ± 0.7% at −0.25 V (vs. RHE). The FE can be further improved to be 20.1 ± 0.9% at the same potential by using Ti mesh modified with oxygen vacancy-rich TiO2 nanosheets as the current collector. Utilizing the aqueous AgNDs catalyst, a Ti plate based two-electrode configured flow-type electrochemical reactor was developed to achieve an NH3 yield rate of 804.5 ± 30.6 μg h−1 mgAg−1 with a FE of 8.2 ± 0.5% at a voltage of −1.8 V. The designed non-loading electrocatalysis system takes full advantage of the AgNDs’ active sites for N2 adsorption and activation, following an alternative hydrogenation mechanism revealed by theoretical calculations.

Tailoring the Co4+/Co3+ active sites in single perovskite as a bifunctional catalyst for oxygen electrode reactions "

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Song-Jeng Isaac Huang ◽  
Adil Muneeb ◽  
Sabhapathy Palani ◽  
Anjaiah Sheelam ◽  
Bayikadi Khasimsaheb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxygen Evolution Reaction ◽  
Precious Metal ◽  
Active Sites ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Bifunctional Catalyst ◽  
Oxygen Electrode ◽  
Reduction Reaction ◽  
New Class ◽  
Electrode Reactions ◽  
Energy Conversion Devices

Developing a non-precious metal electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is desirable for low-cost energy conversion devices. Herein, we designed and developed a new class...

scholarly journals Degradation and regeneration of Fe-Nx active sites for oxygen reduction reaction: the role of surface oxidation, Fe demetallation and local carbon microporosity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongsheng Xia ◽  
Chenchen Yu ◽  
Yinghao Zhao ◽  
Yinping Wei ◽  
Haiyan Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxygen Reduction Reaction ◽  
Oxygen Reduction ◽  
Active Sites ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Degradation Mechanism ◽  
Surface Oxidation ◽  
Reduction Reaction ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Exchange Membrane

The severe degradation of Fe-N-C electrocatalysts during long-term oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has become a major obstacle for application in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. Understanding the degradation mechanism and regeneration...

scholarly journals Searching novel complex solid solution electrocatalysts in unconventional element combinations

Nano Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga A. Krysiak ◽  
Simon Schumacher ◽  
Alan Savan ◽  
Wolfgang Schuhmann ◽  
Alfred Ludwig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Active Sites ◽  
Search Space ◽  
Reduction Reaction ◽  
Film Material ◽  
X Ray ◽  
High Entropy ◽  
Catalyst Composition ◽  
Scanning Transmission

AbstractDespite outstanding accomplishments in catalyst discovery, finding new, more efficient, environmentally neutral, and noble metal-free catalysts remains challenging and unsolved. Recently, complex solid solutions consisting of at least five different elements and often named as high-entropy alloys have emerged as a new class of electrocatalysts for a variety of reactions. The multicomponent combinations of elements facilitate tuning of active sites and catalytic properties. Predicting optimal catalyst composition remains difficult, making testing of a very high number of them indispensable. We present the high-throughput screening of the electrochemical activity of thin film material libraries prepared by combinatorial co-sputtering of metals which are commonly used in catalysis (Pd, Cu, Ni) combined with metals which are not commonly used in catalysis (Ti, Hf, Zr). Introducing unusual elements in the search space allows discovery of catalytic activity for hitherto unknown compositions. Material libraries with very similar composition spreads can show different activities vs. composition trends for different reactions. In order to address the inherent challenge of the huge combinatorial material space and the inability to predict active electrocatalyst compositions, we developed a high-throughput process based on co-sputtered material libraries, and performed high-throughput characterization using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), scanning transmission electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and conductivity measurements followed by electrochemical screening by means of a scanning droplet cell. The results show surprising material compositions with increased activity for the oxygen reduction reaction and the hydrogen evolution reaction. Such data are important input data for future data-driven materials prediction.

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