Computational screening of single-atom alloys TM@Ru(0001) for enhanced electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction

Author(s):  
Gurpreet Kour ◽  
Xin Mao ◽  
Aijun Du

Single atom alloys (SAAs) based on TM doped Ru(0001) were investigated for their nitrogen reduction activity using density functional modelling. V@Ru(0001) was found to exhibit a low negative limiting potential and the TOF of the V@Ru(0001) catalyst was shown to be high.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guokui Zheng ◽  
Ziqi Tian ◽  
Xingwang Zhang ◽  
Liang Chen ◽  
Xu Qian ◽  
...  

<p></p><p>Exploring electrocatalyst with high activity, selectivity and stability is essential for development of applicable electrocatalytic ammonia synthesis technology. By performing density functional theory calculations, we systematically investigated a series of transition-metal doped Au-based single atom alloys (SAAs) as promising electrocatalysts for nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR). For Au-based electrocatalyst, the first hydrogenation step (*N<sub>2</sub>→*NNH) normally determines the limiting potential of the overall reaction process. Compared with pristine Au(111) surface, introducing single atom can significantly enhance the binding strength of N<sub>2</sub>, leading to decreased energy barrier of the key step, i.e., ΔG(*N<sub>2</sub>→*NNH). According to simulation results, three descriptors were proposed to describe ΔG(*N<sub>2</sub>→*NNH), including ΔG(*NNH), <i>d</i>-band center, and . Eight doped elements (Ti, V, Nb, Ru, Ta, Os, W, and Mo) were initially screened out with limiting potential ranging from -0.75V to -0.30 V. Particularly, Mo- and W-doped systems possess the best activity with limiting potentials of -0.30 V, respectively. Then the intrinsic relationship between structure and the potential performance was further analyzed by using machine-learning. The selectivity, feasibility, stability of these candidates were also evaluated, confirming that SAA containing Mo, Ru ,Ta, and W could be outstanding NRR electrocatalysts. This work not only broadens the understating of SAA application in electrocatalysis, but also devotes to the discovery of novel NRR electrocatalysts.</p><br><p></p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guokui Zheng ◽  
Ziqi Tian ◽  
Xingwang Zhang ◽  
Liang Chen ◽  
Xu Qian ◽  
...  

<p></p><p>Exploring electrocatalyst with high activity, selectivity and stability is essential for development of applicable electrocatalytic ammonia synthesis technology. By performing density functional theory calculations, we systematically investigated a series of transition-metal doped Au-based single atom alloys (SAAs) as promising electrocatalysts for nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR). For Au-based electrocatalyst, the first hydrogenation step (*N<sub>2</sub>→*NNH) normally determines the limiting potential of the overall reaction process. Compared with pristine Au(111) surface, introducing single atom can significantly enhance the binding strength of N<sub>2</sub>, leading to decreased energy barrier of the key step, i.e., ΔG(*N<sub>2</sub>→*NNH). According to simulation results, three descriptors were proposed to describe ΔG(*N<sub>2</sub>→*NNH), including ΔG(*NNH), <i>d</i>-band center, and . Eight doped elements (Ti, V, Nb, Ru, Ta, Os, W, and Mo) were initially screened out with limiting potential ranging from -0.75V to -0.30 V. Particularly, Mo- and W-doped systems possess the best activity with limiting potentials of -0.30 V, respectively. Then the intrinsic relationship between structure and the potential performance was further analyzed by using machine-learning. The selectivity, feasibility, stability of these candidates were also evaluated, confirming that SAA containing Mo, Ru ,Ta, and W could be outstanding NRR electrocatalysts. This work not only broadens the understating of SAA application in electrocatalysis, but also devotes to the discovery of novel NRR electrocatalysts.</p><br><p></p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shengbo Zhang ◽  
Miaomiao Han ◽  
Tongfei Shi ◽  
Haimin Zhang ◽  
Yue Lin ◽  
...  

Abstract The intriguing features of single-atom catalysts (SACs) could bring catalysis into a new paradigm, however, controllably synthesising SACs with desired SA loadings and coordination forms are challenging. Here, we report an adsorption-regulated approach to precisely control the synthesis of bimetallic Fe-Co SAs on carbon. Bacterial cellulose (BC) is utilised as an adsorption regulator to controllably impregnate Fe3+/Co2+ on BC and through carbonisation to anchor Fe-Co SAs on BC-derived carbon via bimetallic [(O-C2)3Fe-Co(O-C2)3] coordination with desired Fe/Co contents and atomic ratios. Under electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) conditions, [(O-C2)3Fe-Co(O-C2)3] is operando transformed to [(O-C2)3Fe-Co(O-C)C2] that promotes and sustains NRR performance. A superb ammonia yield of 574.8 ± 35.3 μg h-1 mgcat.-1 with an exceptional faradaic efficiency of 73.2 ± 4.6% are obtained from an electrocatalyst with the highest bimetallic Fe-Co site density. The exemplified synthetic approach would be of generically applicable to controllably anchor SAs on carbon that enables meaningfully investigate and rationally design SACs.


Author(s):  
Zhen Feng ◽  
Zelin Yang ◽  
Xiaowen Meng ◽  
Fachuang Li ◽  
Zhanyong Guo ◽  
...  

The development of single-atom catalysts (SACs) for electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) remains a great challenge. Using density functional theory calculations, we design a new family of two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks...


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ya-Qiong Su ◽  
Long Zhang ◽  
Yifan Wang ◽  
Jin-Xun Liu ◽  
Valery Muravev ◽  
...  

Abstract Heterogeneous single-atom catalysts (SACs) hold the promise of combining high catalytic performance with maximum utilization of often precious metals. We extend the current thermodynamic view of SAC stability in terms of the binding energy (Ebind) of single-metal atoms on a support to a kinetic (transport) one by considering the activation barrier for metal atom diffusion. A rapid computational screening approach allows predicting diffusion barriers for metal–support pairs based on Ebind of a metal atom to the support and the cohesive energy of the bulk metal (Ec). Metal–support combinations relevant to contemporary catalysis are explored by density functional theory. Assisted by machine-learning methods, we find that the diffusion activation barrier correlates with (Ebind)2/Ec in the physical descriptor space. This diffusion scaling-law provides a simple model for screening thermodynamics to kinetics of metal adatom on a support.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (5) ◽  
pp. 1285-1292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiran Ying ◽  
Ke Fan ◽  
Xin Luo ◽  
Jinli Qiao ◽  
Haitao Huang

Single Sc/Ti atoms supported on TCNQ monolayers have been explored as outstanding electrocatalysts for nitrogen reduction.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (39) ◽  
pp. 20402-20407
Author(s):  
Yujin Ji ◽  
Yifan Li ◽  
Huilong Dong ◽  
Lifeng Ding ◽  
Youyong Li

Grand canonical density functional theory calculations reveal that the Ru–N4 motif is the superior catalytic site for eNRR rather than the Ru–N3 motif.


Nanoscale ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 4903-4908 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kang Liu ◽  
Junwei Fu ◽  
Li Zhu ◽  
Xiaodong Zhang ◽  
Hongmei Li ◽  
...  

Electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is a promising route to produce ammonia under mild conditions. Single-atom W supported on BP was screened as a promising electrocatalyst with high catalytic activity, stability, and selectively for NRR.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 5209-5216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Zafari ◽  
Deepak Kumar ◽  
Muhammad Umer ◽  
Kwang S. Kim

Machine learning (ML) methods would significantly reduce the computational burden of catalysts screening for nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR).


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