Chemical Approaches to Carbon-Based Metal-Free Catalysts

Single Atom Catalysts Based on Earth-Abundant Metals for Energy-Related Applications

Anthropogenic activities related to population growth, economic development, technological advances, and changes in lifestyle and climate patterns result in a continuous increase in energy consumption. At the same time, the rare metal elements frequently deployed as catalysts in energy related processes are not only costly in view of their low natural abundance, but their availability is often further limited due to geopolitical reasons. Thus, electrochemical energy storage and conversion with earth-abundant metals, mainly in the form of single-atom catalysts (SACs), are highly relevant and timely technologies. In this review the application of earth-abundant SACs in electrochemical energy storage and electrocatalytic conversion of chemicals to fuels or products with high energy content is discussed. The oxygen reduction reaction is also appraised, which is primarily harnessed in fuel cell technologies and metal-air batteries. The coordination, active sites, and mechanistic aspects of transition metal SACs are analyzed for two-electron and four-electron reaction pathways. Further, the electrochemical water splitting with SACs toward green hydrogen fuel is discussed in terms of not only hydrogen evolution reaction but also oxygen evolution reaction. Similarly, the production of ammonia as a clean fuel via electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction is portrayed, highlighting the potential of earth-abundant single metal species.

Theoretical Study of p-Block Metal Single-Atom-Loaded Carbon Nitride Catalyst for Photocatalytic Water Splitting

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), recognized for its considerable potential as a heterogeneous photocatalyst in water splitting, has attracted extensive research interest. By using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the regulatory role of p-block metal (PM) single atoms on the photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4 in overall water splitting was systematically explored. The incorporation of PM atoms (Ge, Sn and Pb) led to a reduction in the overpotentials required for both the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Combined with the electronic structures analysis via hybrid functional, it was found that the introduction of Ge, Sn or Pb optimizes the positions of the valence band maximum (VBM) and the conduction band minimum (CBM), providing a robust driving force for HER and ensuring substantial driving force for OER. Meanwhile, the presence of these three PMs induces the spatial separation of VBM and CBM, inhibiting the recombination of carriers. These findings have significant implications for the design and preparation of efficient photocatalysts.

Constructing N-Containing Poly(p-Phenylene) (PPP) Films Through A Cathodic-Dehalogenation Polymerization Method

Developing the films of N-containing unsubstituted poly(p-phenylene) (PPP) films for diverse applications is significant and highly desirable because the replacement of sp2 C atoms with sp2 N atoms will bring novel properties to the as-prepared polymers. In this research, an electrochemical-dehalogenation polymerization strategy is employed to construct two N-containing PPP films under constant potentials, where 2,5-diiodopyridine (DIPy) and 2,5-dibromopyrazine (DBPz) are used as starting agents. The corresponding polymers are named CityU-23 (for polypyridine) and CityU-24 (for polypyrazine). Moreover, it is found that both polymers can form films in situ on different conductive substrates (i.e., silicon, gold, ITO, and nickel), satisfying potential device fabrication. Furthermore, the as-obtained thin films of CityU-23 and CityU-24 exhibit good performance of alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction with the overpotential of 212.8 and 180.7 mV and the Tafel slope of 157.0 and 122.4 mV dec-1, respectively.

Metal-Free Nitrogen-Doped Mesoporous Carbons for the Mild and Selective Synthesis of Pyrroles from Nitroarenes via Cascade Reaction

The cascade synthesis of pyrroles from nitroarenes is an attractive alternative strategy. However, metal catalysts and relatively high temperatures cover the existing reported catalytic systems for this strategy. The development of nonmetallic heterogeneous catalytic systems for the one-pot synthesis of pyrrole from nitroarenes under mild conditions is both worthwhile and challenging. Herein, we describe an exceptionally efficient method for the synthesis of N-substituted pyrroles by the reductive coupling of nitroarenes and diketones over heterogeneous metal-free catalysts under mild conditions. Nonmetallic NC-X catalysts with high activity were prepared from the pyrolysis of well-defined ligands via simple sacrificing hard template methods. Hydrazine hydrate, formic acid, and molecular hydrogen can all be used as reducing agents in the hydrogenation/Paal-Knorr reaction sequence to efficiently synthesize various N-substituted pyrroles, including drugs and bioactive molecules. The catalytic system was featured with good tolerance to sensitive functional groups and no side reactions such as dehalogenation and aromatics hydrogenation. Hammett correlation studies have shown that the electron-donating substituents are beneficial for the one-pot synthesis of N-substituted pyrroles. The results established that the outstanding performance of the catalyst is mainly attributed to the contribution of graphitic N in the catalyst as well as the promotion effect of the mesoporous structure on the reaction.

In Situ Construction of Zinc-Mediated Fe, N-Codoped Hollow Carbon Nanocages with Boosted Oxygen Reduction for Zn-Air Batteries

The rational design of bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts with unique morphology and luxuriant porous structure is significant but challenging for accelerating the reaction kinetics of rechargeable Zn-air batteries (ZABs). Herein, zinc-mediated Fe, N-codoped carbon nanocages (Zn-FeNCNs) are synthesized by pyrolyzing the polymerized iron-doped polydopamine on the surface of the ZIF-8 crystal polyhedron. The formation of the chelate between polydopamine and Fe serves as the covering layer to prevent the porous carbon nanocages from collapsing and boosts enough exposure and utilization of metal-based active species during carbonization. Furthermore, both the theoretical calculation and experimental results show that the strong interaction between polyhedron and polydopamine facilitates the evolution of high-activity zinc-modulated FeNx sites and electron transportation and then stimulates the excellent bifunctional catalytic activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). As expected, the Zn-air battery with Zn-FeNCNs as an air cathode displays a superior power density (256 mW cm-2) and a high specific capacity (813.3 mA h gZn-1), as well as long-term stability over 1000 h. Besides, when this catalyst is applied to the solid-state battery, the device exhibited outstanding mechanical stability and a high round-trip efficiency under different bending angles.

Emerging Two-Dimensional Carbonaceous Materials for Electrocatalytic Energy Conversions: Rational Design of Active Structures through High-Temperature Chemistry

Electrochemical energy conversion and storage technologies involving controlled catalysis provide a sustainable way to handle the intermittency of renewable energy sources, as well as to produce green chemicals/fuels in an ecofriendly manner. Core to such technology is the development of efficient electrocatalysts with high activity, selectivity, long-term stability, and low costs. Here, two-dimensional (2D) carbonaceous materials have emerged as promising contenders for advancing the chemistry in electrocatalysis. We review the emerging 2D carbonaceous materials for electrocatalysis, focusing primarily on the fine engineering of active structures through thermal condensation, where the design, fabrication, and mechanism investigations over different types of active moieties are summarized. Interestingly, all the recipes creating two-dimensionality on the carbon products also give specific electrocatalytic functionality, where the special mechanisms favoring 2D growth and their consequences on materials functionality are analyzed. Particularly, the structure-activity relationship between specific heteroatoms/defects and catalytic performance within 2D metal-free electrocatalysts is highlighted. Further, major challenges and opportunities for the practical implementation of 2D carbonaceous materials in electrocatalysis are summarized with the purpose to give future material design guidelines for attaining desirable catalytic structures.

Fullerene Fragment Restructuring: How Spatial Proximity Shapes Defect-Rich Carbon Electrocatalysts

Fullerene transformation emerges as a powerful route to construct defect-rich carbon electrocatalysts, but the carbon bond breakage and reformation that determine the defect states remain poorly understood. Here, we explicitly reveal that the spatial proximity of disintegrated fullerene imposes a crucial impact on the bond reformation and electrocatalytic properties. A counterintuitive hard-template strategy is adopted to enable the space-tuned fullerene restructuring by calcining impregnated C60 not only before but also after the removal of rigid silica spheres (∼300 nm). When confined in the SiO2 nanovoids, the adjacent C60 fragments form sp3 bonding with adverse electron transfer and active site exposure. In contrast, the unrestricted fragments without SiO2 confinement reconnect at the edges to form sp2-hybridized nanosheets while retaining high-density intrinsic defects. The optimized catalyst exhibits robust alkaline oxygen reduction performance with a half-wave potential of 0.82 V via the 4e- pathway. Copper poisoning affirms the intrinsic defects as the authentic active sites. Density functional theory calculations further substantiate that pentagons in the basal plane lead to localized structural distortion and thus exhibit significantly reduced energy barriers for the first O2 dissociation step. Such space-regulated fullerene restructuring is also verified by heating C60 crystals confined in gallium liquid and a quartz tube.

Regulating N Species in N-Doped Carbon Electro-Catalysts for High-Efficiency Synthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide in Simulated Seawater

Electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is an attractive and alternative route for the on-site production of hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ). The electrochemical synthesis of H2 O2 in neutral electrolyte is in early studying stage and promising in ocean-energy application. Herein, N-doped carbon materials (N-Cx ) with different N types are prepared through the pyrolysis of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks. The N-Cx catalysts, especially N-C800 , exhibit an attracting 2e- ORR catalytic activity, corresponding to a high H2 O2 selectivity (≈95%) and preferable stability in 0.5 m NaCl solution. Additionally, the N-C800 possesses an attractive H2 O2 production amount up to 631.2 mmol g-1  h-1 and high Faraday efficiency (79.8%) in H-type cell. The remarkable 2e- ORR electrocatalytic performance of N-Cx catalysts is associated with the N species and N content in the materials. Density functional theory calculations suggest carbon atoms adjacent to graphitic N are the main catalytic sites and exhibit a smaller activation energy, which are more responsible than those in pyridinic N and pyrrolic N doped carbon materials. Furthermore, the N-C800 catalyst demonstrates an effective antibacterial performance for marine bacteria in simulated seawater. This work provides a new insight for electro-generation of H2 O2 in neutral electrolyte and triggers a great promise in ocean-energy application.

Recent advances of bifunctional catalysts for zinc air batteries with stability considerations: from selecting materials to reconstruction

With the growing depletion of traditional fossil energy resources and ongoing enhanced awareness of environmental protection, research on electrochemical energy storage techniques like zinc-air batteries is receiving close attention. A significant amount of work on bifunctional catalysts is devoted to improving OER and ORR reaction performance to pave the way for the commercialization of new batteries. Although most traditional energy storage systems perform very well, their durability in practical applications is receiving less attention, with issues such as carbon corrosion, reconstruction during the OER process, and degradation, which can seriously impact long-term use. To be able to design bifunctional materials in a bottom-up approach, a summary of different kinds of carbon materials and transition metal-based materials will be of assistance in selecting a suitable and highly active catalyst from the extensive existing non-precious materials database. Also, the modulation of current carbon materials, aimed at increasing defects and vacancies in carbon and electron distribution in metal-N-C is introduced to attain improved ORR performance of porous materials with fast mass and air transfer. Finally, the reconstruction of catalysts is introduced. The review concludes with comprehensive recommendations for obtaining high-performance and highly-durable catalysts.

Synthesis of Activated Porous Carbon from Red Dragon Fruit Peel Waste for Highly Active Catalytic Reduction in Toxic Organic Dyes

In this study, an alternative precursor for production of biomass-derived activated carbon was introduced using dragon fruit (Hylocereus costaricensis) peels. Chemical activators such as FeCl3, MgCl2, ZnCl2 were used in the thermal carbonization process to convert carbon into porous carbon (PC). However, heteroatom-doped PC catalysts including N-, B-, and P-doped carbon catalysts in the field of dye removal is highly desirable. Several approaches (XRD, FE-SEM/TEM, XPS, FT-IR, EDS, and elemental mapping) were employed to examine the surface morphology, surface properties, and elemental composition of the PC catalyst. The catalytic activity of metal-free PC catalyst was demonstrated for methylene blue (MB), crystal violet (CV), and Nile blue (NB) in a mild environment The corresponding rate constant (kapp) values were estimated as 0.2473, 0.3248, and 0.3056 min−1, respectively, for MB, CV, and NB, which were significantly greater than those of numerous reports. It exhibited the best catalytic activity and recyclability. Moreover, the approach proposed here could create new opportunities for the remediation of organic dyes in lakes and industrial wastewater.

Synthesis Strategies and Applications for Pitch-Based Anode: From Industrial By-Products to Power Sources

It is significant for saving energy to manufacture superb-property batteries. Carbon is one of the most competitive anode materials in batteries, but it is hard for commercial graphite anodes to meet the increasingly higher energy-storage requirements. Moreover, the price of other better-performing carbon materials (such as graphene) is much higher than graphite, which is not conducive to massive production. Pitch, the cheap by-product in the petroleum and coal industries, has high carbon content and yield, making it possible for commercialization. Developing pitch-based anodes can not only lower raw material costs but also realize the pitch's high value-added utilization. We comprehensively reviewed the latest synthesis strategies of pitch-derived materials and then introduced their application and research progress in lithium, sodium, and potassium ion batteries (LIBs, SIBs, and PIBs). Finally, we summarize and suggest the pitch's development trend for anodes and in other fields.

Collagen and Silk Fibroin as Promising Candidates for Constructing Catalysts

A catalyst determines the mechanism of an organic chemical reaction, thus enabling the commercially viable formation of desired material products. Biopolymers offer new opportunities for the construction of catalysts by virtue of their biocompatibility, environmental benignity, and sustainability, as well as their low cost. Biopolymers are especially useful as carriers and precursors in catalysis application. The employment of biocompatible and biosustainable collagen and silk fibroin materials will revolutionize state-of-the-art electronic devices and systems that currently rely on conventional technologies. In this review, we first consider the ordered hierarchical structure, origin, and processing methods of collagen and silk fibroin. Then, the unique advantages and applicability of collagen and silk fibroin for constructing catalysts are summarized. Moreover, a summary of the state-of-the-art design, fabrication, and application of collagen- and silk fibroin-based catalysts, as well as the application of collagen- and silk-based catalysts, is presented by focusing on their roles as carriers and precursors, respectively. Finally, challenges and prospects are assessed for the construction and development of collagen and silk fibroin-based catalysts.

Electrocatalytic Behavior of an Amide Functionalized Mn(II) Coordination Polymer on ORR, OER and HER

The new 3D coordination polymer (CP) [Mn(L)(HCOO)]n (Mn-CP) [L = 4-(pyridin-4-ylcarbamoyl)benzoate] was synthesised via a hydrothermal reaction using the pyridyl amide functionalized benzoic acid HL. It was characterized by elemental, FT-IR spectroscopy, single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) analyses. Its structural features were disclosed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, which revealed a 3D structure with the monoclinic space group P21/c. Its performance as an electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction (ORR), oxygen evolution (OER), and hydrogen evolution (HER) reactions was tested in both acidic (0.5 M H2SO4) and alkaline (0.1 M KOH) media. A distinct reduction peak was observed at 0.53 V vs. RHE in 0.1 M KOH, which corresponds to the oxygen reduction, thus clearly demonstrating the material's activity for the ORR. Tafel analysis revealed a Tafel slope of 101 mV dec-1 with mixed kinetics of 2e- and 4e- pathways indicated by the Koutecky-Levich analysis. Conversely, the ORR peak was not present in 0.5 M H2SO4 indicating no activity of Mn-CP for this reaction in acidic media. In addition, Mn-CP demonstrated a noteworthy activity toward OER and HER in acidic media, in contrast to what was observed in 0.1 M KOH.

Dimensional-matched two dimensional/two dimensional TiO2/Bi2O3 step-scheme heterojunction for boosted photocatalytic performance of sterilization and water splitting

A Step-scheme (S-scheme) heterojunction can regulate the directional migration of powerful photogenerated carriers and realize high photocatalytic activity. Herein, we propose a novel dimensional matched S-scheme photocatalyst comprising of two-dimensional (2D) TiO₂ nanosheets and 2D Bi₂O₃ nanosheets for environmental and energy applications, such as water sterilization and water splitting. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electron paramagnetic resonance, in-situ irradiated XPS and theoretical calculations provided strong evidence that the photocarrier migration in the TiO₂/Bi₂O₃ composite followed the S-scheme mode, which efficiently prevented the recombination of powerful photocarriers, thereby enabling the heterojunction with a strong redox ability for producing abundant reactive oxygen species. The tight and large 2D/2D interface minimized the distance of photocarrier migration to further extend the lifetime of useful photocarriers (active radicals for sterilization and photoelectrons for H₂ generation). The 2D/2D TiO₂/Bi₂O₃ heterojunction demonstrated an improved photocatalytic antibacterial performance with complete inactivation of 4.63 × 10⁷ CFU mL^-1Escherichia coli cells within 6 h in water. In addition, the heterojunction displayed a H₂ generation rate of 12.08 mmol h^-1g^-1 through water splitting process. This study provides a potential bifunctional photocatalyst for minimizing the adverse impact of pollution on the environment.

Electrodeposition of Ni nanoparticles from deep eutectic solvent and aqueous solution promoting high stability electrocatalyst for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions

Nanostructured Ni films were synthesized from two distinct baths and were assessed as electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in 1 M KOH. Herein, Ni was electrodeposited from two separate solvents, the aqueous acetate buffer and ethaline solvent as a kind of deep eutectic solvents (DESs), and both the deposited films were investigated as electrocatalysts for HER and OER. The electrodeposition parameters such as pH and deposition potential were studied. The electrodeposition process was performed using chronoamperometry technique and Ni deposits were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Fabricated Ni@PGE deposit from ethaline only requires an overpotential of − 154 mV and 350 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm−2 for HER and OER, respectively. While, Ni@PGE from acetate requires an overpotential of − 164 mV and 400 mV to produce the current density of 10 mA cm−2 for HER and OER.

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Biocompatible tumor-targeted GQDs nanocatalyst for chemodynamic tumor therapy

To deal with the complex tumor microenvironment (TME), chemodynamic therapy (CDT) has been developed, which uses nanocatalysts simulating peroxidase to convert high concentration hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) into highly toxic hydroxyl radicals (˙OH) in situ and effectively kills tumor cells. Due to the low catalytic activity of traditional nanocatalysts, the present CDT treatment has to be combined with other anti-tumor therapies, which increases the complexity and uncertainty of the treatment. Thus, developing new nanocatalysts with stable and high enzymatic activity is the key point to CDT treatment. Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are important metal-free catalysts with intrinsic peroxidase-like activity due to their excellent electron transport performance. Here, we prepare a nitrogen-doped GQD (NGOD) nanocatalyst, which displays much higher peroxidase activity than known metal nanocatalysts. The NGQD nanocatalyst is further grafted with RGDS peptide-modified polyethylene glycol (PEG), which guides the nanocatalyst to the tumor area and increases its circulation time in blood. The as-produced RGDS-PEG@NG nanocatalyst displays stable and high peroxidase activity, which achieves the conversion of H₂O₂ → ˙OH in the TME. Through an in vivo study it has been observed that RGDS-PEG@NGs obviously inhibit tumor growth without combining with other treatment methods and show excellent biocompatibility, which provides a unique idea for the application of GQDs in CDT.

Reaction pathways on N-substituted carbon catalysts during the electrochemical reduction of nitrate to ammonia

Electrochemical reduction of nitrate into ammonia is one potential strategy to valorize pollutants needed to close the nitrogen cycle.

Highly Efficient Oxidative Cyanation of Aldehydes to Nitriles over Se,S,N-tri-Doped Hierarchically Porous Carbon Nanosheets

Oxidative cyanation of aldehydes provides a promising strategy for the cyanide-free synthesis of organic nitriles. Design of robust and cost-effective catalysts is the key for this route. Herein, we designed a series of Se,S,N-tri-doped carbon nanosheets with a hierarchical porous structure (denoted as Se,S,N-CNs-x, x represents the pyrolysis temperature). It was found that the obtained Se,S,N-CNs-1000 was very selective and efficient for oxidative cyanation of various aldehydes including those containing other oxidizable groups into the corresponding nitriles using ammonia as the nitrogen resource below 100 °C. Detailed investigations revealed that the excellent performance of Se,S,N-CNs-1000 originated mainly from the graphitic-N species with lower electron density and synergistic effect between the Se, S, N, and C in the catalyst. Besides, the hierarchically porous structure could also promote the reaction. Notably, the unique feature of this metal-free catalyst is that it tolerated other oxidizable groups, and showed no activity on further reaction of the products, thereby resulting in high selectivity. As far as we know, this is the first work for the synthesis of nitriles via oxidative cyanation of aldehydes over heterogeneous metal-free catalysts.

Graphitic nitrogen in carbon catalysts is important for the reduction of nitrite as revealed by naturally abundant 15N NMR spectroscopy

Metal-free nitrogen-doped carbon is considered as a green functional material, but the structural determination of the atomic positions of nitrogen remains challenging. We recently demonstrated that directly-excited solid state 15N NMR (ssNMR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool for the determination of such positions in N-doped carbon at natural 15N isotope abundance. Here we report a green chemistry approach for the synthesis of N-doped carbon using cellulose as a precursor, and a study of the catalytic properties and atomic structures of the related catalyst. N-doped carbon (NH3) was obtained by the oxidation of cellulose with HNO3 followed by ammonolysis at 800 °C. It had a N content of 6.5 wt% and a surface area of 557 m2 g-1, and 15N ssNMR spectroscopy provided evidence for graphitic nitrogen besides regular pyrrolic and pyridinic nitrogen. This structural determination allowed probing the role of graphitic nitrogen in electrocatalytic reactions, such as the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and nitrite reduction reaction. The N-doped carbon catalyst (NH3) showed higher electrocatalytic activities in the OER and HER under alkaline conditions and higher activity for nitrite reduction, as compared with a catalyst prepared by the carbonization of HNO3-treated cellulose in N2. The electrocatalytic selectivity for nitrite reduction of the N-doped carbon catalyst (NH3) was directly related to the graphitic nitrogen functions. Complementary structural analyses by means of 13C and 1H ssNMR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, and low-temperature N2 adsorption were performed and provided support to the findings. The results show that directly-excited 15N ssNMR spectroscopy at natural 15N abundance is generally capable of providing information on N-doped carbon materials if relaxation properties are favorable. It is expected that this approach can be applied to a wide range of solids with an intermediate concentration of N atoms.

Beyond C3N4 π-conjugated metal-free polymeric semiconductors for photocatalytic chemical transformations

Photocatalysis with stable, efficient and inexpensive metal-free catalysts is one of the most promising options for non-polluting energy production. This review article covers the state-of-the-art development of various effective metal-free polymeric photocatalysts with large π-conjugated units for chemical transformations including water splitting, CO2 and N2 reduction, organic synthesis and monomer polymerisation. The article starts with the catalytic mechanisms of metal-free photocatalysts. Then a particular focus is on the rational manipulation of π-conjugation enlargement, charge separation, electronic structures and band structures in the design of metal-free polymeric photocatalysts. Following the design principles, the selection and construction of functional units are discussed, as well as the connecting bonds and dimensions of π-conjugated polymeric photocatalysts. Finally the hot and emerging applications of metal-free polymeric photocatalysts for photocatalytic chemical transformations are summarized. The strategies provide potential avenues to address the challenges of catalyst activity, selectivity and stability in the further development of highly effective metal-free polymeric photocatalysts.

Atomic-Level Electronic Properties of Carbon Nitride Monolayers

Heteroatom-doped carbon-based materials are of significance for clean energy conversion and storage because of their fascinating electronic properties, low cost, high durability, and environmental friendliness. Atomically precise fabrication of carbon-based materials with well-defined heteroatom-dopant positions and atomic-scale understanding of their atomic-level electronic properties is a challenge. Herein, we demonstrate the bottom-up on-surface synthesis of 1D and 2D monolayer carbon nitride nanostructures with precise control of the nitrogen-atom doping sites and pore sizes. We also observe an electronic band offset at the C-N heterojunction. Using high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy, the atomic structure of the as-prepared carbon nitride nanoporous monolayers are revealed, indicating successful and precise control of the structures and N atom doping sites. Furthermore, corroborated by theoretical calculations, scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements reveal a valence band shift of 140 meV that results in an electric field of 2.9 × 10⁸ V m^-1 at the C-N heterojunction, indicating efficient separation of the electron-hole pair at the N doping site. Our finding offers direct atomic-level insights into the local electronic structure of the heteroatom-doped carbon-based materials.

Nitrogen, Sulfur Co-Doped Hierarchically Porous Carbon as a Metal-Free Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction and Carbon Dioxide Reduction Reaction

High-cost and low-efficiency electrocatalysts have hindered oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells and CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) for producing fuels and value-added chemicals. Here, a low-cost metal-free electrocatalyst of a N, S co-doped hierarchically porous carbon (NSHPC) for efficient ORR and CO₂RR is reported. The NSHPC is prepared by pyrolysis of glucosamine hydrochloride and thiocyanuric acid precursors using SiO₂ as hard templates. The N, S co-doping effectively enhances catalytic activity and selectivity, and the hierarchically porous structure largely exposes abundant active sites to reaction species and facilitates electrolyte transport, thereby leading to significantly increased catalytic activities for the NSHPC. The resultant NSHPC exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activities toward ORR in both acidic and alkaline electrolytes and also shows application in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). More importantly, the NSHPC enables CO₂ reduction to CO with 87.8% maximum Faraday efficiency (FE) in aqueous electrolytes. This work offers a novel insight into the development of multifunctional electrocatalysts for producing electricity, fuels, and value-added chemicals.

Dual-Template Pore Engineering of Whey Powder-Derived Carbon as an Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction Electrocatalyst for Primary Zinc-Air Battery

Cost-effective and high-performance electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) are needed for many energy storage and conversion devices. Here, we demonstrate that whey powder, a major by-product in the dairy industry, can be used as a sustainable precursor to produce heteroatom doped carbon electrocatalysts for ORR. Rich N and S compounds in whey powders can generate abundant catalytic active sites. However, these sites are not easily accessible by reactants of ORR. A dual-template method was used to create a hierarchically and interconnected porous structure with micropores created by ZnCl₂ and large mesopores generated by fumed SiO₂ particles. At the optimum mass ratio of whey power: ZnCl₂  : SiO₂ at 1 : 3 : 0.8, the resulting carbon material has a large specific surface area close to 2000 m²  g^-1 , containing 4.6 at.% of N with 39.7% as pyridinic N. This carbon material shows superior electrocatalytic activity for ORR, with an electron transfer number of 3.88 and a large kinetic limiting current density of 45.40 mA cm^-2 . They were employed as ORR catalysts to assemble primary zinc-air batteries, which deliver a power density of 84.1 mW cm^-2 and a specific capacity of 779.5 mAh g^-1 , outperforming batteries constructed using a commercial Pt/C catalyst. Our findings open new opportunities to use an abundant biomaterial, whey powder, to create high-value-added carbon electrocatalysts for emerging energy applications.

Designing an All-Solid-State Sodium-Carbon Dioxide Battery Enabled by Nitrogen-Doped Nanocarbon

All-solid-state sodium-carbon dioxide (Na-CO₂) battery is an emerging technology that effectively utilizes the greenhouse gas, CO₂, for energy storage with the virtues of minimized electrolyte leakage and suppressed Na dendrite growth for the Na metal anode. However, the sluggish reduction/evolution reactions of CO₂ on the solid electrolyte/CO₂ cathode interface have caused premature battery failure. Herein, nitrogen (N)-doped nanocarbon derived from metal-organic frameworks is designed as a cathode catalyst to solve this challenge. The porous and highly conductive N-doped nanocarbon possesses superior uptake and binding capability with CO₂, which significantly accelerates the CO₂ electroreduction and promotes the formation of thin sheetlike discharged products (200 nm in thickness) that can be easily decomposed upon charging. Accordingly, reduced discharge/charge overpotential, high discharge capacity (>10 000 mAh g^-1), long cycle life, and high energy density (180 Wh kg^-1 in pouch cells) are achieved at 50 °C.

N-Doped holey carbon materials derived from a metal-free macrocycle cucurbit[6]uril assembly as an efficient electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction

The first example of the preparation of nitrogen-doped holey carbon (NHC) with abundant in-plane holes derived from a rigid macrocycle cucurbit[6]uril self-assembly is reported. The NHC shows comparable activity, better stability and higher methanol tolerance towards the oxygen reduction reaction compared to the use of commercial Pt/C.

Transition Metal (Fe, Co, Ni) Nanoparticles on Selective Amino-N-Doped Carbon as High-Performance Oxygen Reduction Reaction Electrocatalyst

Metal-air batteries are attracting increasing attention as a superior renewable energy conversion device due to their high performance and strong potential. However, the high cost and low stability of the current Pt catalyst is the main obstacle preventing wide industrial application. In this work, we applied a plasma process to fabricate aniline and a transition metals electrode (Fe, Co, Ni) as the carbon-nitrogen and the metal nanoparticle (NP) precursors, respectively, for selective metal/amino-N-doped carbon catalysts. All three as-synthesized catalysts exhibited dominant amino-N as the major C-N bonding state. In electrochemical testing, Co/amino-N-doped carbon showed positive E1/2 potential (0.83 V vs. Reversible Hydrogen Electrode (RHE)). In addition, the calculated electron transfer number (n) of Co/amino-N-doped carbon at 0.5 V vs. RHE was 3.81, which was only slightly less than that of commercial Pt/C (3.97). This superior performance of transition metal/amino-N-doped carbon promotes it as an economical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalyst to replace expensive Pt/C in metal-air batteries.

(Photo)electrocatalysis of molecular oxygen reduction by S-doped graphene decorated with a star-shaped oligothiophene

Heteroatom-doped graphene-based materials attract great interest as non-metal electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). In this work, a straightforward approach was described to prepare nanoensembles of star-shaped oligothiophene 1 supramolecularly immobilized on sulfur-doped graphene sheets (SG). The 1/SG ensemble was comprehensively characterized by Raman and IR spectroscopy and morphologically imaged by HR-TEM, while the loading of 1 onto SG was estimated by TGA under an inert atmosphere. Based on detailed electrochemical and electrocatalytic assays, 1/SG was proved to be a highly efficient and stable electrocatalyst toward the ORR. The high catalytic activity of 1/SG was attributed to the (a) presence of chemical defects, induced by the insertion of electron rich sulfur within the lattice of SG, (b) existence of structural defects, due to the generation of vacancies along the carbon lattice in SG, and (c) high and homogeneous coverage of the SG surface by the sulfur-rich star-shaped oligothiophene 1. In addition, the optical properties of 1/SG were screened by UV-Vis and steady-state and time-resolved PL and the development of strong photoinduced intra-ensemble electronic interactions within the ensemble was revealed. Exploiting the latter, by photoirradiating 1/SG, a significantly improved photoelectrocatalytic activity towards the ORR was observed.