Various Active Metal Species Incorporated within Molecular Layers on Si(111) Electrodes for Hydrogen Evolution and CO2 Reduction Reactions

Aim and Objective: The synthesis of bipyridines, especially 2, 2’-bipyridines, remains challenging because the catalytic cycle can be inhibited due to coordination of bipyridine to transition metal. Thus, the development of efficient methods for the synthesis of bipyridines is highly desirable. In the present work, we presented a promising approach for preparation of bipyridines via a Pd-catalyzed reductive homocoupling reaction with simple piperazine as a ligand. Materials and Methods: Simple and inexpensive piperazine was used as a ligand for Pd-catalyzed homocoupling reaction. The combination of Pd(OAc)2 and piperazine in dimethylformamide (DMF) was observed to form an excellent catalyst and efficiently catalyzed the homocoupling of azaarenyl halides, in which DMF was used as the solvent without excess reductants although stoichiometric reductant was generally required to generate the low-oxidation-state active metal species in the catalytic cycles. </P><P> Results: In this case, good to excellent yields of bipyridines and their (hetero) aromatic analogues were obtained in the presence of 2.5 mol% of Pd(OAc)2 and 5 mol% of piperazine, using K3PO4 as a base in DMF at 140°C. Conclusion: According to the results, piperazine as an inexpensive and efficient ligand was used in the Pd(OAc)2-catalyzed homocoupling reaction of heteroaryl and aryl halides. The coupling reaction was operationally simple and displayed good substrate compatibility.

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A high throughput optical method for studying compositional effects in electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction

Nature Communications ◽

10.1038/s41467-021-21342-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jeremy L. Hitt ◽

Yuguang C. Li ◽

Songsheng Tao ◽

Zhifei Yan ◽

Yue Gao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hydrogen Evolution ◽

High Throughput ◽

High Throughput Screening ◽

Screening Method ◽

Co2 Reduction ◽

Fold Increase ◽

Faradaic Efficiency ◽

Atomic Pair Distribution Function ◽

Earth Abundant ◽

Ternary Catalysts

AbstractIn the problem of electrochemical CO2 reduction, the discovery of earth-abundant, efficient, and selective catalysts is essential to enabling technology that can contribute to a carbon-neutral energy cycle. In this study, we adapt an optical high throughput screening method to study multi-metallic catalysts for CO2 electroreduction. We demonstrate the utility of the method by constructing catalytic activity maps of different alloyed elements and use X-ray scattering analysis by the atomic pair distribution function (PDF) method to gain insight into the structures of the most active compositions. Among combinations of four elements (Au, Ag, Cu, Zn), Au6Ag2Cu2 and Au4Zn3Cu3 were identified as the most active compositions in their respective ternaries. These ternary electrocatalysts were more active than any binary combination, and a ca. 5-fold increase in current density at potentials of −0.4 to −0.8 V vs. RHE was obtained for the best ternary catalysts relative to Au prepared by the same method. Tafel plots of electrochemical data for CO2 reduction and hydrogen evolution indicate that the ternary catalysts, despite their higher surface area, are poorer catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction than pure Au. This results in high Faradaic efficiency for CO2 reduction to CO.

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