One- or Two-Electron Water Oxidation, Hydroxyl Radical, or H2O2 Evolution

Insights from density functional theory calculations on heteroatom P-doped ZnIn2S4 bilayer nanosheets with atomic-level charge steering for photocatalytic water splitting

ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) is an efficient photocatalyst for solar hydrogen (H2) generation from water splitting owing to its suitable band gap, excellent photocatalytic behaviour and high stability. Nevertheless, modifications are still necessary to further enhance the photocatalytic performance of ZIS for practical applications. This has led to our interest in exploring phosphorus doping on ZIS for photocatalytic water splitting, which has not been studied till date. Herein, phosphorus-doped ZnIn2S4 (P-ZIS) was modelled via Density Functional Theory to investigate the effects of doping phosphorus on the structural and electronics properties of ZIS as well as its performance toward photocatalytic water splitting. This work revealed that the replacement of S3 atom by substitutional phosphorus gave rise to the most stable P-ZIS structure. In addition, P-ZIS was observed to experience a reduction in band gap energy, an upshift of valence band maximum (VBM), an increase in electron density near VBM and a reduction of H* adsorption-desorption barrier, all of which are essential for the enhancement of the hydrogen evolution reaction. In overall, detailed theoretical analysis carried out in this work could provide critical insights towards the development of P-ZIS-based photocatalysts for efficient H2 generation via solar water splitting.

Electronic configuration modulation of tin dioxide by phosphorus dopant for pathway change in electrocatalytic water oxidation

Electronic configuration modulation of SnO2 nanoparticles was realized using a phosphorus dopant, contributing to the reaction pathway change of water oxidation.

Highly efficient photosynthesis of H2O2 via two-channel pathway photocatalytic water splitting

To overcome the problems of high energy consumption, heavy pollution and unsafety in the current H2O2 production process, extensive researches have been carried out on the low-cost, green and safety...

Significant Role of Oxygen Dopants in Photocatalytic PFCA Degradation over h-BN

The activation of the C(sp³)-F bond is extremely difficult due to its unreactive nature. The importance of this bond activation is recently highlighted because extensive distribution of perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) (C_nF_2n+1COOH) has emerged as a challenging environmental issue. Photocatalytic degradation of PFCAs over a few semiconducting light absorbers is known to remove these water and soil resilient contaminants but with limited efficiency. This work reports density functional theory calculations, through which we present a detailed mechanistic study of photocatalytic degradation of CF₃COOH (the shortest member of the PFCA family) over hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). Our results clearly demonstrate that the existence of point defects is necessary to activate the h-BN plane for photocatalytic dissociation of the C-F bond. Specifically, we show that vacancies create strong Lewis acid or base sites (B or N vacancy, respectively) that facilitate the activation of the C(sp³)-F bond considerably. Furthermore, this study presents vivid theoretical evidence for the significant role of oxygen dopants, which mitigate the strength of the active sites and promote PFCA degradation over h-BN. Our calculations suggest that while the very stable intermediates generated during the reaction, in the case of h-BN with B or N vacancies, practically poison the catalyst, oxygen dopants make the degradation much more plausible and controllable. This work thus provides both an explanation for recently observed photocatalytic activity of h-BN to decompose PFCAs and valuable insights for exploring defected two-dimensional materials for activating and removing the fluorine-containing contaminants from water and soil.

Imaging the short-lived hydroxyl-hydronium pair in ionized liquid water

[Figure: see text].

Photochemistry of carbon nitrides and heptazine derivatives

We explore the photochemistry of polymeric carbon nitride (C₃N₄), an archetypal organic photocatalyst, and derivatives of its structural monomer unit, heptazine (Hz). Through spectroscopic studies and computational analysis, we have observed that Hz derivatives can engage in non-innocent hydrogen bonding interactions with hydroxylic species. The photochemistry of these complexes is influenced by intermolecular nπ*/ππ* mixing of non-bonding orbitals of each component and the relative energy of intermolecular charge-transfer (CT) states. Coupling of the former to the latter appears to facilitate proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET), resulting in biradical products. We have also observed that Hz derivatives exhibit an extremely rare inverted singlet/triplet energy splitting (ΔE_ST). In violation of Hund's multiplicity rules, the lowest energy singlet (S₁) is stabilized relative to the lowest triplet (T₁) electronic excited state. Exploiting this unique inverted ΔE_ST character has obvious implications for transformational discoveries in solid-state OLED lighting and photovoltaics. Harnessing this inverted ΔE_ST, paired with light-driven intermolecular PCET reactions, may enable molecular transformations relevant for applications ranging from solar energy storage to new classes of non-triplet photoredox catalysts for pharmaceutical development. To this end, we have explored the possibility of optically controlling the photochemistry of Hz derivatives using ultrafast pump-push-probe spectroscopy. In this case, the excited state branching ratios among locally excited states of the chromophore and the reactive intermolecular CT state can be manipulated with an appropriate secondary "push" excitation pulse. These results indicate that we can predictively redirect chemical reactivity with light in this system, which is an avidly sought achievement in the field of photochemistry. Looking forward, we anticipate future opportunities for controlling heptazine photochemistry, including manipulating PCET reactivity with a diverse array of substrates and optically delivering reducing equivalents with, for example, water as a partial source of electrons and protons. Furthermore, we wholly expect that, over the next decade, materials such as Hz derivatives, that exhibit inverted ΔE_ST character, will spawn a significant new research effort in the field of thin-film optoelectronics, where controlling recombination via triplet excitonic states can play a critical role in determining device performance.

Flow anodic oxidation: Towards high-efficiency removal of aqueous contaminants by adsorbed hydroxyl radicals at 1.5 V vs SHE

Electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs) have emerged as a promising water treatment alternative but major breakthroughs are still needed in order for EAOPs to be competitive with traditional treatment technologies in terms of energy cost. Most existing studies have been conducted at high potentials to generate the powerful hydroxyl radical oxidant (aqueous •OH). While adsorbed hydroxyl radicals (OH*) may form at a much lower energy cost, their possible utilization is limited due to the poor mass transfer of this highly reactive species on solid electrodes. In this report, we describe a novel flow anode system using 4-16 μm Magnéli phase titanium suboxide particles as the anode material which enables the generation of a high steady state •OH concentration (5.4 × 10^-12 mol m^-2) at only 1.5 V (vs SHE) in a dilute electrolyte (5 mM KH₂PO₄). The energy cost of removal per order of selected water contaminants (tetracycline and orange II in this study) using the flow anode is 1.5--6.7 Wh m^-3, which is 1 - 4 orders of magnitude lower than that of existing techniques. The anode material used demonstrates great stability with the configuration readily scaled up. The results of this study provide new insight into a high efficiency, low cost water treatment technology for organic contaminant degradation.

A Simple 1D Convection-Diffusion Model of Oxalic Acid Oxidation Using Reactive Electrochemical Membrane

In recent years, electrochemical methods utilizing reactive electrochemical membranes (REM) have been recognized as the most promising technologies for the removal of organic pollutants from water. In this paper, we propose a 1D convection-diffusion-reaction model concerning the transport and oxidation of oxalic acid (OA) and oxygen evolution in the flow-through electrochemical oxidation system with REM. It allows the determination of unknown parameters of the system by treatment of experimental data and predicts the behavior of the electrolysis setup. There is a good agreement in calculated and experimental data at different transmembrane pressures and initial concentrations of OA. The model provides an understanding of the processes occurring in the system and gives the concentration, current density, potential, and overpotential distributions in REM. The dispersion coefficient was determined as a fitting parameter and it is in good agreement with literary data for similar REMs. It is shown that the oxygen evolution reaction plays an important role in the process even under the kinetic limit, and its contribution decreases with increasing total organic carbon flux through the REM.

Formation of Hydrogen Peroxide from O-(H2O)n Clusters

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) has recently received much attention as a safe and clean energy carrier for hydrogen molecules. In this study, based on direct ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) calculations, we demonstrated that H₂O₂ is directly formed via the photoelectron detachment of O^-(H₂O)_n (n = 1-6) (water clusters of an oxygen radical anion). Three electronic states of oxygen atoms were examined in the calculations: O(X)(H₂O)_n (X = ³P, ¹D, and ¹S states). After the photoelectron detachment of O^-(H₂O)_n (n = 1) to the ¹S state, a complex comprising O(¹S) and H₂O, O(¹S)-OH₂, was formed. A hydrogen atom of H₂O immediately transferred to O(¹S) during an intracluster reaction to form H₂O₂ as the final product. Simulations were run to obtain a total of 33 trajectories for n = 1 that all led to the formation of H₂O₂. The average reaction time of H₂O₂ formation was calculated to be 57.7 fs in the case of n = 1, indicating that the reaction was completed within 100 fs of electron detachment. All the reaction systems O(¹S)(H₂O)_n (n = 1-6) indicated the formation of H₂O₂ by the same mechanism. The reaction times for n = 2-6 were calculated to range between 80 and 180 fs, indicating that the reaction for n = 1 is faster than that of the larger clusters, that is, the larger the cluster size, the slower the reaction is. The reaction dynamics of the triplet O(³P) and singlet O(¹D) potential energy surfaces were calculated for comparison. All calculations yielded the dissociation product O(X)(H₂O)_n → O(X) + (H₂O)_n (X = ³P and ¹D), indicating that the O(¹S) state contributes to the formation of H₂O₂. The reaction mechanism was discussed based on the theoretical results.

Metal-Organic Frameworks and Metal-Organic Gels for Oxygen Electrocatalysis: Structural and Compositional Considerations

Increasing demand for sustainable and clean energy is calling for the next-generation energy conversion and storage technologies such as fuel cells, water electrolyzers, CO₂ /N₂ reduction electrolyzers, metal-air batteries, etc. All these electrochemical processes involve oxygen electrocatalysis. Boosting the intrinsic activity and the active-site density through rational design of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and metal-organic gels (MOGs) as precursors represents a new approach toward improving oxygen electrocatalysis efficiency. MOFs/MOGs afford a broad selection of combinations between metal nodes and organic linkers and are known to produce electrocatalysts with high surface areas, variable porosity, and excellent activity after pyrolysis. Some recent studies on MOFs/MOGs for oxygen electrocatalysis and their new perspectives in synthesis, characterization, and performance are discussed. New insights on the structural and compositional design in MOF/MOG-derived oxygen electrocatalysts are summarized. Critical challenges and future research directions are also outlined.

Modeling the Formation of Gas Bubbles inside the Pores of Reactive Electrochemical Membranes in the Process of the Anodic Oxidation of Organic Compounds

The use of reactive electrochemical membranes (REM) in flow-through mode during the anodic oxidation of organic compounds makes it possible to overcome the limitations of plate anodes: in the case of REM, the area of the electrochemically active surface is several orders of magnitude larger, and the delivery of organic compounds to the reaction zone is controlled by convective flow rather than diffusion. The main problem with REM is the formation of fouling and gas bubbles in the pores, which leads to a decrease in the efficiency of the process because the hydraulic resistance increases and the electrochemically active surface is shielded. This work aims to study the processes underlying the reduction in the efficiency of anodic oxidation, and in particular the formation of gas bubbles and the recharge of the REM pore surface at a current density exceeding the limiting kinetic value. We propose a simple one-dimensional non-stationary model of the transport of diluted species during the anodic oxidation of paracetamol using REM to describe the above effects. The processing of the experimental data was carried out. It was found that the absolute value of the zeta potential of the pore surface decreases with time, which leads to a decrease in the permeate flux due to a reduction in the electroosmotic flow. It was shown that in the solution that does not contain organic components, gas bubbles form faster and occupy a larger pore fraction than in the case of the presence of paracetamol; with an increase in the paracetamol concentration, the gas fraction decreases. This behavior is due to a decrease in the generation of oxygen during the recombination reaction of the hydroxyl radicals, which are consumed in the oxidation reaction of the organic compounds. Because the presence of bubbles increases the hydraulic resistance, the residence time of paracetamol—and consequently its degradation degree—increases, but the productivity goes down. The model has predictive power and, after simple calibration, can be used to predict the performance of REM anodic oxidation systems.

Suppressing Water Dissociation via Control of Intrinsic Oxygen Defects for Awakening Solar H2 O-to-H2 O2 Generation

BiVO₄ theoretically has a thermodynamic activity trend toward highly selective water oxidative H₂ O₂ formation, but it is more inclined to generate O₂ in practical. The influence of intrinsic oxygen vacancy (O_vac ), especially, on surface reactivity, has never been considered as a possible activity loss mechanism in the synthetic BiVO₄ . In this work, it is theoretically and experimentally demonstrated that the intrinsic surface O_vac is responsible for lower H₂ O₂ evolution activity via promoting water dissociation to form intermediate. Through an annealing process under a V₂ O₅ rich atmosphere, the surface O_vac can be eliminated that awakens the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidative H₂ O₂ activity in a NaHCO₃ electrolyte, which achieves an average of 58.4%, and increases by up to 4.28 times of the one annealed in air. This work offers a general understanding of catalytic activity loss and may be extended to other photo or electrocatalysts for catalytic selectivity regulation.

A review on recent developments in electrochemical hydrogen peroxide synthesis with a critical assessment of perspectives and strategies

Electrochemical hydrogen peroxide synthesis using two-electron oxygen electrochemistry is an intriguing alternative to currently dominating environmentally unfriendly and potentially hazardous anthraquinone process and noble metals catalysed direct synthesis. Electrocatalytic two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and water oxidation reaction (WOR) are the source of electrochemical hydrogen peroxide generation. Various electrocatalysts have been used for the same and were characterized using several electroanalytical, chemical, spectroscopic and chromatographic tools. Though there have been a few reviews summarizing the recent developments in this field, none of them have unified the approaches in catalysts' design, criticized the ambiguities and flaws in the methods of evaluation, and emphasized the role of electrolyte engineering. Hence, we dedicated this review to discuss the recent trends in the catalysts' design, performance optimization, evaluation perspectives and their appropriateness and opportunities with electrolyte engineering. In addition, particularized discussions on fundamental oxygen electrochemistry, additional methods for precise screening, and the role of solution chemistry of synthesized hydrogen peroxide are also presented. Thus, this review discloses the state-of-the-art in an unpresented view highlighting the challenges, opportunities, and alternative perspectives.

Nanohydroxyapatite-, Gelatin-, and Acrylic Acid-Based Novel Dental Restorative Material

The aim of this study was to prepare a novel dental restorative material (NDRM) and to understand its cell viability behavior. The hydroxyapatite (HA) nanopowder was synthesized using a wet chemical precipitation method using calcium hydroxide and orthophosphoric acid as precursors. The as-prepared HA nanopowder was annealed at different temperatures to get a pure compound with a Ca/P ratio close to 1.67. The optimal temperature was found to be 600 °C, whereas at a higher temperature, HA starts decomposing into CaO. The preparation of NDRM was conducted in two steps. The first step comprises the preparation of HA nanopowder- and gelatin (G)-based film using microwave heating. In the second step, the homogenized mixture of the HA-G film was mixed with different amounts of acrylic acid to form a self-flowable NDRM paste. Further, both these materials (HA nanopowder and NDRM) were characterized using FTIR, XRD, and SEM-EDX analyses. The FTIR and XRD results show the peaks corresponding to natural bone apatite and therefore confirm the formation of HA. EDX results showed the presence of Ca and P in HA nanopowder and NDRM with Ca/P ratios of 1.79 and 1.63, respectively. Synthesized NDRM was also analyzed for its in vitro cytotoxic and reproductive viability potential against normal cells using MTT and clonogenic assay. The analysis showed significantly higher cellular viability on the treatment with NDRM when compared to HA nanopowder as well as no colony suppression by both materials was observed on the normal cell line (fR2) even after exposure for 24 h, indicating its nontoxicity. The synthesized NDRM therefore can be considered as a promising candidate for dental caries restoration applications.

Highly efficient In-Mo(O,S)2 oxy-sulfide for degradation of organic pollutants under visible light irradiation: An example of photocatalyst on its dye selectivity

Environmentally toxic organic pollutants, namely methylene blue (MB), neutral red (NR), Rhodamine B (RhB), and methyl orange (MO) dyes contain highly toxic, carcinogenic, non-biodegradable, and colored pigments which cause harm for humans and aquatic organisms even at low concentrations. To detoxify these toxic organic pollutants from the wastewater, the bimetallic solid solution-typed In-Mo(O,S)₂ catalyst with various indium (In) contents were synthesized at low temperature through a simple precipitation method. The morphological, structural, chemical compositions, electrochemical and optical properties of the catalysts were thoroughly characterized. The photodegradation performance of the In-Mo(O,S)₂ catalysts over the cationic, anionic and neutral dyes were studied under visible light irradiation. It has been observed that the photocatalytic activity was enhanced as In was added to the Mo(O,S)₂ catalyst, and In-Mo(O,S)₂-20 was found to be the best composition to completely degrade four organic dyes. The dye degradation had rate constant values of 9.5 × 10^-2 min^-1, 6.3 × 10^-2 min^-1, 4.4 × 10^-2 min^-1, and 15.7 × 10^-1 min^-1 for MB (20 ppm), NR (20 ppm), RhB (10 ppm), and MO (10 ppm) dyes, respectively. The active species for degradation of MB is different from those for RhB and MO. Single phase In-Mo(O,S)₂-20 capable to degrade four kinds of dyes at a fast rate is a good photocatalyst.

Function-switchable metal/semiconductor junction enables efficient photocatalytic overall water splitting with selective water oxidation products

A novel metal/semiconductor photocatalyst, Cu nanoparticles (NPs) modified TiO₂ hollow spheres (Cu/TiO₂), was designed for efficient photocatalytic overall water splitting (POWS) under both ultraviolet (UV) and visible (Vis) light. This Cu/TiO₂ photocatalyst possesses excellent POWS performance under Vis light at the highest level among the reported TiO₂-based photocatalysts. Interestingly, the metal/semiconductor junction formed between Cu and TiO₂ enables controlled water-oxidation product selectivity (H₂O₂ or O₂) via different reaction pathways regulated by irradiation wavelengths. Under UV light, the electrons excited in TiO₂ are captured by Cu NPs through the Cu/TiO₂ Schottky interface for H₂ production, with the photoholes in TiO₂ producing H₂O₂ through a two-electron process; whilst under Vis light, Cu NPs act as plasmon to inject hot electrons to TiO₂ for H₂ production, while O₂ is produced by hot holes on Cu NPs via a four-electron process. This rational design of function-switchable metal/semiconductor junction may be helpful to understand the mechanisms for POWS with desired gas/liquid water-oxidation products.

Multi-shelled cobalt-nickel oxide/phosphide hollow spheres for an efficient oxygen evolution reaction

Because of their low cost and Earth-abundant characteristics, materials based on 3d transition metals have attracted great research interest and are considered as promising electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), besides the commercial noble metal-based materials, in recent years. In order to improve electrocatalytic activity, it is necessary to design the structures and compositions of electrocatalysts. In this study, a series of multi-shelled Co_xNi_1-x oxide/phosphide hollow spheres with tunable element ratios were prepared. The electrocatalytic activity of the multi-shelled Co_xNi_1-x oxide/phosphide is strongly dependent on the molar ratio of Co and Ni. Based on the combined advantages of complex structures and compositions, the multi-shelled Co_0.5Ni_0.5 oxide/phosphide displays outstanding electrocatalytic performance in terms of high activity and stable durability for the OER, surpassing those of RuO₂ and multi-shelled Co_xNi_1-x oxide/phosphide with other element ratios of Co and Ni. This result suggests a great possibility of rationally designing the composition for highly efficient electrocatalysts.

Carbon-based materials for photo- and electrocatalytic synthesis of hydrogen peroxide

The high demand for hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) has been dominantly supplied by the anthraquinone process for various applications globally, including chemical synthesis and wastewater treatment. However, the centralized manufacturing and intensive energy input and waste output are significant challenges associated with this process. Accordingly, the on-site production of H₂O₂via electro- and photocatalytic water oxidation and oxygen reduction partially is greener and easier to handle and has recently emerged with extensive research aiming to seek active, selective and stable catalysts. Herein, we review the current status and future perspectives in this field focused on carbon-based catalysts and their hybrids, since they are relatively inexpensive, bio-friendly and flexible for structural modulation. We present state-of-the-art progress, typical strategies for catalyst engineering towards selective and active H₂O₂ production, discussion on electro- and photochemical mechanisms and H₂O₂ formation through both reductive and oxidative reaction pathways, and conclude with the key challenges to be overcome. We expect promising developments would be inspired in the near future towards practical decentralized H₂O₂ production and its direct use.

Role of defects on TiO2/SiO2 composites for boosting photocatalytic water splitting

Defect engineering of semiconductor photocatalysts is considered as an evolving strategy to adjust their physiochemical properties and boost photoreactivity of the materials. Here, hydrogenation and UV light pre-treatment of TiO₂/SiO₂ composite with the ratio of 9 : 1 (9TiO₂/1SiO₂) were conducted to generate Ti³⁺ and non-bridging oxygen holes center (NBOHC) defects, respectively. The 9TiO₂/1SiO₂ composite exhibited much higher photocatalytic water splitting than neat TiO₂ and SiO₂ as a consequence of the electronic structure effects induced by the defect sites. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) indicated that hydrogenated and UV light pre-treated of 9TiO₂/1SiO₂ boosted a higher density of Ti³⁺ and NBOHC defect which could serve to suppress photogenerated electron-hole pair recombination and act as shallow donors to trap photoexcited electron. Overall, both defect sites in 9TiO₂/1SiO₂ delivered advantageous characteristic relative to neat TiO₂ and SiO₂ with the finding clearly illustrating the value of defect engineering in enhancing photocatalytic performance.

Rational Design of an Iridium-Tungsten Composite with an Iridium-Rich Surface for Acidic Water Oxidation

Developing highly active and stable water oxidation catalysts with reduced cost in acidic media plays a critical role in clean energy technologies such as fuel cells and electrolyzers. Precious iridium-based oxides are still the only oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts with reasonable activity and stability in acid. Herein, we design iridium-tungsten composites with a metallic tungsten-rich core and an iridium-rich surface by the sol-gel method followed by hydrogen reduction. The thus obtained iridium-tungsten catalyst shows much higher intrinsic water oxidation activity (100 mA/mg_Ir at an overpotential of 290 mV) and stability (100 h at 10 mA/cm²_geom) together with reduced iridium content (33 wt % only) as compared with pure iridium oxide. An operando method using H₂O₂ as a probe molecule is developed to determine the relative adsorption strength of the reaction intermediates (*OH and *OOH) in the OER process. Detailed characterization shows that the tungsten-incorporated surface not only modulates the adsorption energy of oxygen intermediates on iridium but also enhances the stability of iridium species in acid, while the metallic tungsten core exhibits high electrical conductivity, all of which collectively give rise to the much enhanced catalytic performance of iridium-tungsten composite in acidic water oxidation. A single-membrane electrode assembly is further prepared to demonstrate the advantages and potential application of iridium-tungsten composite in practical proton exchange membrane electrolyzers.

Selective Electrocatalytic Water Oxidation to Produce H2O2 Using a C,N Codoped TiO2 Electrode in an Acidic Electrolyte

Production of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) via in situ electrochemical water oxidation possesses great potential applications in the energy and environment fields. In this work, for the first time, we reported a C,N codoped TiO₂ electrode for selective electrocatalytic water oxidation to produce H₂O₂ in an acidic electrolyte. An electrochemical anodic oxidation method combined with postcalcination in the presence of urea was applied to fabricate such a C,N codoped TiO₂ electrode, which was evidenced by detail structural characterizations. The calcination temperature and urea atmosphere were found to play key roles in its catalytic performances; the optimized 600N sample exhibited an onset potential of 2.66 V (vs Ag/AgCl) and a Tafel slope of 51 mV dec^-1 at pH 3. Under the optimal applied potential, the cumulative H₂O₂ concentration for this sample reached 0.29 μmol L^-1 cm^-2 h^-1. More importantly, a simple recalcination strategy was developed to recover the deactivation electrode. This study proposed an efficient C,N codoped TiO₂ electrode toward water oxidation to selectively produce H₂O₂ in the acidic electrolyte, which could be further used to in situ generate H₂O₂ for the energy- and environment-related fields with water as the precursor.

A comparative perspective of electrochemical and photochemical approaches for catalytic H2O2 production

Recent advances in the design, preparation, and applications of different catalysts for electrochemical and photochemical H₂O₂ production are summarized, and some invigorating perspectives for future developments are also provided.

Acetylene and Diacetylene Functionalized Covalent Triazine Frameworks as Metal-Free Photocatalysts for Hydrogen Peroxide Production: A New Two-Electron Water Oxidation Pathway

Metal-free polymer photocatalysts have shown great promise for photocatalytic H₂ O₂ production via two-electron reduction of molecular O₂ . The other half-reaction, which is the two-electron oxidation of water, still remains elusive toward H₂ O₂ production. However, enabling this water oxidation pathway is critically important to improve the yield and maximize atom utilization efficiency. It is shown that introducing acetylene (CC) or diacetylene (CCCC) moieties into covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) can remarkably promote photocatalytic H₂ O₂ production. This enhancement is inherent to the incorporated carbon-carbon triple bonds which are essential in modulating the electronic structures of CTFs and suppressing charge recombinations. Furthermore, the acetylene and diacetylene moieties can significantly reduce the energy associated with OH* formation and thus enable a new two-electron oxidation pathway toward H₂ O₂ production. The study unveils an important reaction pathway toward photocatalytic H₂ O₂ production, reflecting that precise control over the chemical structures of polymer photocatalysts is vital to achieve efficient solar-to-chemical energy conversion.

Analysis of Mass Flows and Membrane Cross-over in CO2 Reduction at High Current Densities in an MEA-Type Electrolyzer

Cell designs that integrate membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs) with highly selective catalysts are a promising route to reduce ohmic losses and achieve high energy efficiency in CO₂ reduction at industrially relevant current densities. In this work, porous silver filtration membranes are demonstrated as simple and efficient gas-diffusion electrodes for CO₂ reduction to CO at high current densities in an MEA-type device. A partial current density for CO of up to ca. 200 mA cm^-2 was achieved at a cell voltage of ca. 3.3 V, in tandem with minimal H₂ production. However, the analysis of cathodic and anodic outlet streams revealed that CO₂ cross-over across the anion-exchange membranes, mostly in the form of CO₃^2- but partially as HCOO^- generated over the cathode, actually exceeds the amount of CO₂ converted to the target product, resulting in a poor utilization of the reactant and in the early onset of mass transfer limitations. In addition, CO₂ cross-over leads to a nonstoichiometric decrease of the outlet flow rate from the cathodic compartment. This effect can lead to a substantial overestimation of catalytic performance if the inlet flow rate of CO₂ is used as reference for calculating partial current densities and Faradaic efficiencies. The results of this work highlight the importance of carrying out a carbon balance, in addition to traditional measurements of activity and selectivity, to adequately assess the performance of CO₂ reduction devices at high current densities, and inform future efforts aimed at mitigating membrane cross-over in MEA-type electrolyzers for CO₂ reduction.

Insight into the Kinetic Influence of Oxygen Vacancies on the WO3 Photoanodes for Solar Water Oxidation

Improvements to solar water oxidation performance for WO₃ photoanodes due to oxygen vacancies have in general been ascribed to thermodynamic effects. Detailed insights into the water oxidation kinetics for WO₃ photoanodes with oxygen vacancies are still lacking. Here, our experimental and computational investigations revealed that the water oxidation pathway on WO₃ photoanodes with oxygen vacancies is more inclined to follow the four-hole pathway. This finding reasonably explained the common observations of higher faradaic efficiency for oxygen evolution, better stability, and faster kinetics for water oxidation usually achieved on the WO₃ photoanodes with oxygen vacancies.

Particulate Photocatalysts for Light-Driven Water Splitting: Mechanisms, Challenges, and Design Strategies

Solar-driven water splitting provides a leading approach to store the abundant yet intermittent solar energy and produce hydrogen as a clean and sustainable energy carrier. A straightforward route to light-driven water splitting is to apply self-supported particulate photocatalysts, which is expected to allow solar hydrogen to be competitive with fossil-fuel-derived hydrogen on a levelized cost basis. More importantly, the powder-based systems can lend themselves to making functional panels on a large scale while retaining the intrinsic activity of the photocatalyst. However, all attempts to generate hydrogen via powder-based solar water-splitting systems to date have unfortunately fallen short of the efficiency values required for practical applications. Photocatalysis on photocatalyst particles involves three sequential steps: (i) absorption of photons with higher energies than the bandgap of the photocatalysts, leading to the excitation of electron-hole pairs in the particles, (ii) charge separation and migration of these photoexcited carriers, and (iii) surface chemical reactions based on these carriers. In this review, we focus on the challenges of each step and summarize material design strategies to overcome the obstacles and limitations. This review illustrates that it is possible to employ the fundamental principles underlying photosynthesis and the tools of chemical and materials science to design and prepare photocatalysts for overall water splitting.

Enhancing Electrochemical Efficiency of Hydroxyl Radical Formation on Diamond Electrodes by Functionalization with Hydrophobic Monolayers

Electrochemical formation of high-energy species such as hydroxyl radicals in aqueous media is inefficient because oxidation of H₂O to form O₂ is a more thermodynamically favorable reaction. Boron-doped diamond (BDD) is widely used as an electrode material for generating ^•OH radicals because it has a very large kinetic overpotential for O₂ production, thus increasing electrochemical efficiency for ^•OH production. Yet, the underlying mechanisms of O₂ and ^•OH production at diamond electrodes are not well understood. We demonstrate that boron-doped diamond surfaces functionalized with hydrophobic, polyfluorinated molecular ligands (PF-BDD) have significantly higher electrochemical efficiency for ^•OH production compared with hydrogen-terminated (H-BDD), oxidized (O-BDD), or poly(ethylene ether)-functionalized (E-BDD) boron-doped diamond samples. Our measurements show that ^•OH production is nearly independent of surface functionalization and pH (pH = 7.4 vs 9.2), indicating that ^•OH is produced by oxidation of H₂O in an outer-sphere electron-transfer process. In contrast, the total electrochemical current, which primarily produces O₂, differs strongly between samples with different surface functionalizations, indicating an inner-sphere electron-transfer process. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements show that although both H-BDD and PF-BDD electrodes are oxidized over time, PF-BDD showed longer stability (≈24 h of use) than H-BDD. This work demonstrates that increasing surface hydrophobicity using perfluorinated ligands selectively inhibits inner-sphere oxidation to O₂ and therefore provides a pathway to increased efficiency for formation of ^•OH via an outer-sphere process. The use of hydrophobic electrodes may be a general approach to increasing selectivity toward outer-sphere electron-transfer processes in aqueous media.