Bifunctional Ultrathin RhRu0.5 -Alloy Nanowire Electrocatalysts for Hydrazine-Assisted Water Splitting

Insights into the pH effect on hydrogen electrocatalysis

Hydrogen electrocatalytic reactions, including the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR), play a crucial role in a wide range of energy conversion and storage technologies. However, the HER and HOR display anomalous non-Nernstian pH dependent kinetics, showing two to three orders of magnitude sluggish kinetics in alkaline media compared to that in acidic media. Fundamental understanding of the origins of the intrinsic pH effect has attracted substantial interest from the electrocatalysis community. More critically, a fundamental molecular level understanding of this effect is still debatable, but is essential for developing active, stable, and affordable fuel cells and water electrolysis technologies. Against this backdrop, in this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the intrinsic pH effect on hydrogen electrocatalysis, covering the experimental observations, underlying principles, and strategies for catalyst design. We discuss the strengths and shortcomings of various activity descriptors, including hydrogen binding energy (HBE) theory, bifunctional theory, potential of zero free charge (pzfc) theory, 2B theory and other theories, across different electrolytes and catalyst surfaces, and outline their interrelations where possible. Additionally, we highlight the design principles and research progress in improving the alkaline HER/HOR kinetics by catalyst design and electrolyte optimization employing the aforementioned theories. Finally, the remaining controversies about the pH effects on HER/HOR kinetics as well as the challenges and possible research directions in this field are also put forward. This review aims to provide researchers with a comprehensive understanding of the intrinsic pH effect and inspire the development of more cost-effective and durable alkaline water electrolyzers (AWEs) and anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AMFCs) for a sustainable energy future.

Origin of copper dissolution under electrocatalytic reduction conditions involving amines

Cu dissolution has been identified as the dominant process that causes cathode degradation and losses even under cathodic conditions involving methylamine. Despite extensive experimental research, our fundamental and theoretical understanding of the atomic-scale mechanism for Cu dissolution under electrochemical conditions, eventually coupled with surface restructuring processes, is limited. Here, driven by the observation that the working Cu electrode is corroded using mixtures of acetone and methylamine even under reductive potential conditions (-0.75 V vs. RHE), we employed Grand Canonical density functional theory to understand this dynamic process under potential from a microscopic perspective. We show that amine ligands in solution directly chemisorb on the electrode, coordinate with the metal center, and drive the rearrangement of the copper surface by extracting Cu as adatoms in low coordination positions, where other amine ligands can coordinate and stabilize a surface copper-ligand complex, finally forming a detached Cu-amine cationic complex in solution, even under negative potential conditions. Calculations predict that dissolution would occur for a potential of -1.1 V vs. RHE or above. Our work provides a fundamental understanding of Cu dissolution facilitated by surface restructuring in amine solutions under electroreduction conditions, which is required for the rational design of durable Cu-based cathodes for electrochemical amination or other amine involving reduction processes.

Ruthenium Nanoclusters and Single Atoms on α-MoC/N-Doped Carbon Achieves Low-Input/Input-Free Hydrogen Evolution via Decoupled/Coupled Hydrazine Oxidation

The hydrazine oxidation-assisted H2 evolution method promises low-input and input-free hydrogen production. However, developing high-performance catalysts for hydrazine oxidation (HzOR) and hydrogen evolution (HER) is challenging. Here, we introduce a bifunctional electrocatalyst α-MoC/N-C/RuNSA, merging ruthenium (Ru) nanoclusters (NCs) and single atoms (SA) into cubic α-MoC nanoparticles-decorated N-doped carbon (α-MoC/N-C) nanowires, through electrodeposition. The composite showcases exceptional activity for both HzOR and HER, requiring -80 mV and -9 mV respectively to reach 10 mA cm-2. Theoretical and experimental insights confirm the importance of two Ru species for bifunctionality: NCs enhance the conductivity, and its coexistence with SA balances the H ad/desorption for HER and facilitates the initial dehydrogenation during the HzOR. In the overall hydrazine splitting (OHzS) system, α-MoC/N-C/RuNSA excels as both anode and cathode materials, achieving 10 mA cm-2 at just 64 mV. The zinc hydrazine (Zn-Hz) battery assembled with α-MoC/N-C/RuNSA cathode and Zn foil anode can exhibit 97.3 % energy efficiency, as well as temporary separation of hydrogen gas during the discharge process. Therefore, integrating Zn-Hz with OHzS system enables self-powered H2 evolution, even in hydrazine sewage. Overall, the amalgamation of NCs with SA achieves diverse catalytic activities for yielding multifold hydrogen gas through advanced cell-integrated-electrolyzer system.

Next-Generation Green Hydrogen: Progress and Perspective from Electricity, Catalyst to Electrolyte in Electrocatalytic Water Splitting

Green hydrogen from electrolysis of water has attracted widespread attention as a renewable power source. Among several hydrogen production methods, it has become the most promising technology. However, there is no large-scale renewable hydrogen production system currently that can compete with conventional fossil fuel hydrogen production. Renewable energy electrocatalytic water splitting is an ideal production technology with environmental cleanliness protection and good hydrogen purity, which meet the requirements of future development. This review summarizes and introduces the current status of hydrogen production by water splitting from three aspects: electricity, catalyst and electrolyte. In particular, the present situation and the latest progress of the key sources of power, catalytic materials and electrolyzers for electrocatalytic water splitting are introduced. Finally, the problems of hydrogen generation from electrolytic water splitting and directions of next-generation green hydrogen in the future are discussed and outlooked. It is expected that this review will have an important impact on the field of hydrogen production from water.

Constructing Ru-O-TM Bridge in NiFe-LDH Enables High Current Hydrazine-assisted H2 Production

Hydrazine oxidation-assisted water splitting is a critical technology to tackle the high energy consumption in large-scale H2 production. Ru-based electrocatalysts hold promise for synergetic hydrogen reduction (HER) and hydrazine oxidation (HzOR) catalysis but are hindered by excessive superficial adsorption of reactant intermediate. Herein, this work designs Ru cluster anchoring on NiFe-LDH (denoted as Ruc/NiFe-LDH), which effectively enhances the intermediate adsorption capacity of Ru by constructing Ru─O─Ni/Fe bridges. Notably, it achieves an industrial current density of 1 A cm-2 at an unprecedentedly low voltage of 0.43 V, saving 3.94 kWh m-3 H2 in energy, and exhibits remarkable stability over 120 h at a high current density of 5 A cm-2. Advanced characterizations and theoretical calculation reveal that the presence of Ru─O─Ni/Fe bridges widens the d-band width (Wd) of the Ru cluster, leading to a lower d-band center and higher electron occupation on antibonding orbitals, thereby facilitating moderate adsorption energy and enhanced catalytic activity of Ru.

Recent Research on Iridium-Based Electrocatalysts for Acidic Oxygen Evolution Reaction from the Origin of Reaction Mechanism

As the anode reaction of proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE), the acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is one of the main obstacles to the practical application of PEMWE due to its sluggish four-electron transfer process. The development of high-performance acidic OER electrocatalysts has become the key to improving the reaction kinetics. To date, although various excellent acidic OER electrocatalysts have been widely researched, Ir-based nanomaterials are still state-of-the-art electrocatalysts. Hence, a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the reaction mechanism of Ir-based electrocatalysts is crucial for the precise optimization of catalytic performance. In this review, the origin and nature of the conventional adsorbate evolution mechanism (AEM) and the derived volcanic relationship on Ir-based electrocatalysts for acidic OER processes are summarized and some optimization strategies for Ir-based electrocatalysts based on the AEM are introduced. To further investigate the development strategy of high-performance Ir-based electrocatalysts, several unconventional OER mechanisms including dual-site mechanism and lattice oxygen mediated mechanism, and their applications are introduced in detail. Thereafter, the active species on Ir-based electrocatalysts at acidic OER are summarized and classified into surface Ir species and O species. Finally, the future development direction and prospect of Ir-based electrocatalysts for acidic OER are put forward.

Regulation of hydrogen binding energy via oxygen vacancy enables an efficient trifunctional Rh-Rh2O3 electrocatalyst for fuel cells and water splitting

Developing multi-functional electrocatalysts is of great practical significance for fuel cells and water splitting. Herein, Rh-Rh2O3 nanoclusters are prepared and the surface oxygen vacancy content is regulated elaborately by post-treatment. The optimized Rh-Rh2O3/C-400 exhibits superior trifunctional catalytic activity for hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR), i.e., the mass activity for HOR is 2.29 mA μgRh-1, and the overpotential for HER and HzOR at 10 mA cm-2 is as low as 12 mV and 31 mV, respectively, superior to the benchmark Pt/C. Rh-Rh2O3/C-400 also displays promising performance in practical devices, with the H2-O2 anion-exchange-membrane fuel cell delivering a peak power density of 0.66 W cm-2, and the hydrazine-assisted water splitting electrolyzer requiring a low electrolysis voltage of 0.161 V at 0.1 A cm-2. The experimental and theoretical investigations discover that the hydrogen binding energy (HBE) is linearly depended on surface oxygen vacancy contents, and the HBE directly determines the catalytic activity for HOR, HER and HzOR. This work not only innovates an efficient Rh-based nanocluster tri-functional electrocatalyst, but also eludicates the intrinsic relationship of surface structure-intermediate adsorption-catalytic activity.

Highly bifunctional Rh2P on N,P-codoped carbon for hydrazine oxidation assisted energy-saving hydrogen production

Highly pure Rh2P nanoparticles on N,P-codoped carbon were synthesized by a simple "mix-and-pyrolyze" method using one kind of low-cost nucleotide as the carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus source, which exhibits excellent bifunctional activity for the hydrogen reduction and hydrazine oxidation reactions, achieving energy-efficient hydrogen production.

Platinum-Ruthenium Dual-Atomic Sites Dispersed in Nanoporous Ni0.85Se Enabling Ampere-Level Current Density Hydrogen Production

Alkaline anion-exchange-membrane water electrolyzers (AEMWEs) using earth-abundant catalysts is a promising approach for the generation of green H2. However, the AEMWEs with alkaline electrolytes suffer from poor performance at high current density compared to proton exchange membrane electrolyzers. Here, atomically dispersed Pt-Ru dual sites co-embedded in nanoporous nickel selenides (np/Pt1Ru1-Ni0.85Se) are developed by a rapid melt-quenching approach to achieve highly-efficient alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction. The np/Pt1Ru1-Ni0.85Se catalyst shows ampere-level current density with a low overpotential (46 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and 225 mV at 1000 mA cm-2), low Tafel slope (32.4 mV dec-1), and excellent long-term durability, significantly outperforming the benchmark Pt/C catalyst and other advanced large-current catalysts. The remarkable HER performance of nanoporous Pt1Ru1-Ni0.85Se is attributed to the strong intracrystal electronic metal-support interaction (IEMSI) between Pt-Se-Ru sites and Ni0.85Se support which can greatly enlarge the charge redistribution density, reduce the energy barrier of water dissociation, and optimize the potential determining step. Furthermore, the assembled alkaline AEMWE with an ultralow Pt and Ru loading realizes an industrial-level current density of 1 A cm-2 at 1.84 volts with high durability.

Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Overall and Hybrid Water Splitting

Electrocatalytic water splitting driven by renewable electricity has been recognized as a promising approach for green hydrogen production. Different from conventional strategies in developing electrocatalysts for the two half-reactions of water splitting (e.g., the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions, HER and OER) separately, there has been a growing interest in designing and developing bifunctional electrocatalysts, which are able to catalyze both the HER and OER. In addition, considering the high overpotentials required for OER while limited value of the produced oxygen, there is another rapidly growing interest in exploring alternative oxidation reactions to replace OER for hybrid water splitting toward energy-efficient hydrogen generation. This Review begins with an introduction on the fundamental aspects of water splitting, followed by a thorough discussion on various physicochemical characterization techniques that are frequently employed in probing the active sites, with an emphasis on the reconstruction of bifunctional electrocatalysts during redox electrolysis. The design, synthesis, and performance of diverse bifunctional electrocatalysts based on noble metals, nonprecious metals, and metal-free nanocarbons, for overall water splitting in acidic and alkaline electrolytes, are thoroughly summarized and compared. Next, their application toward hybrid water splitting is also presented, wherein the alternative anodic reactions include sacrificing agents oxidation, pollutants oxidative degradation, and organics oxidative upgrading. Finally, a concise statement on the current challenges and future opportunities of bifunctional electrocatalysts for both overall and hybrid water splitting is presented in the hope of guiding future endeavors in the quest for energy-efficient and sustainable green hydrogen production.

A colorimetric probe for the detection of hydrazine and its application

A colorimetric probe was developed to detect N2H4 content based on the colour change in natural light, and the recognition mechanism is the N2H4 cutting the ester bond of probe 1. As the N2H4 concentration increases, the Ultraviolet absorption ratio (A352nm/A505nm) of the probe solution was gradually increases, and the colour of the solution changed from colourless to pink under natural light. The detection limit of probe 1 for N2H4 was 0.1 μM. The probe can also be applied to test paper detection, and the test paper of probe was changed from colourless to fluorescent yellow under UV light as the concentration of N2H4 increased. There was a linear functional relationship between the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) values of the photos and the N2H4 concentration. Probe 1 is a rapid detection tool for N2H4 concentration using a smartphone. Furthermore, the probe can also be used to detect N2H4 in tap water, tea and apple juice.

Anion doping and interfacial effects in B-Ni5P4/Ni2P for promoting urea-assisted hydrogen production in alkaline media

A bifunctional catalyst used for urea oxidation-assisted hydrogen production can efficiently catalyze the urea oxidation reaction (UOR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) simultaneously, thus simplifying electrolytic cell installation and reducing the cost. Constructing the heterointerface of two components or species and doping heteroatom are effective strategies to improve the performance of electrocatalysts, which could regulate the local electronic structure of the catalysts at their interface region, adjust their orbital overlap, and achieve enhanced catalytic performance. In this study, a simple hydrothermal method was studied for the preparation of B-doped Ni5P4/Ni2P heterostructures on nickel foam (B-Ni5P4/Ni2P@NF). Under 1 M KOH at a current density of 10 mA cm-2, an overpotential of 76 mV was obtained for the HER. When 0.3 M urea was added to 1 M KOH, the performance of the prepared catalyst was greatly improved. When the current density reached 10 mA cm-2, the potential was only 1.35 V. In addition, urea-assisted overall water splitting voltage was only 1.41 V. Thus, the B-Ni5P4/Ni2P catalyst possess excellent electrocatalytic activity. The main reason for the excellent properties of the electrocatalyst is the construction of heterostructure, which regulates the electronic structure of the catalyst at its interface and generates a new efficient active site. In addition, the doping of B atoms further promotes the charge transfer rate, thus strengthening the interaction between two phases and improving the catalytic performance. This study provides a simple, environmentally friendly, and rapid design method to prepare an active bi-functional electrocatalyst that has a positive effect on urea-assisted overall water splitting.

Hierarchical Ohmic Contact Interface Engineering for Efficient Hydrazine-Assisted Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Hydrazine oxidation reaction coupled with hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is an effective strategy to achieve low energy water splitting for hydrogen production. In order to realize the application of hydrazine-assisted HER system, researchers have been focusing on the development of electrocatalysts with integrated dual active sites, while the performance under high current density is still unsatisfying. In this work, hierarchical Ohmic contact interface engineering is designed and used as a bridge between the NiMo and Ni2 P heterojunction toward industrial current density applications, with the charge transfer impedance greatly eliminated via such a pathway with low energy barrier. As a proof-of-concept, the importance of charge redistribution and energy barrier at the Ohmic contact interface is investigated by significantly reducing the voltage of overall hydrazine splitting (OHzS) at high current density. Intriguingly, the NiMo/Ni2 P hierarchical Ohmic contact heterojunction can drive current densities of 100 and 500 mA cm-2 with only 181 and 343 mV cell voltage in the OHzS electrolyzer with high electrocatalytic stability. The proposed hierarchical Ohmic contact interface engineering paves new avenue for hydrogen production with low energy consumption.

Laser Synthesis of PtMo Single-Atom Alloy Electrode for Ultralow Voltage Hydrogen Generation

Maximizing atom-utilization efficiency and high current stability are crucial for the platinum (Pt)-based electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, the Pt single-atom anchored molybdenum (Mo) foil (Pt-SA/Mo-L) as a single-atom alloy electrode is synthesized by the laser ablation strategy. The local thermal effect with fast rising-cooling rate of laser can achieve the single-atom distribution of the precious metals (e.g., Pt, Rh, Ir, and Ru) onto the Mo foil. The synthesized self-standing Pt-SA/Mo-L electrode exhibits splendid catalytic activity (31 mV at 10 mA cm-2 ) and high-current-density stability (≈850 mA cm-2 for 50 h) for HER in acidic media. The strong coordination of Pt-Mo bonding in Pt-SA/Mo-L is critical for the efficient and stable HER. In addition, the ultralow electrolytic voltage of 0.598 V to afford the current density of 50 mA cm-2 is realized by utilization of the anodic molybdenum oxidation instead of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Here a universal synthetic strategy of single-atom alloys (PtMo, RhMo, IrMo, and RuMo) as self-standing electrodes is provided for ultralow voltage and membrane-free hydrogen production.

Interface Charge Distribution Engineering of Pd-CeO2 /C for Efficient Carbohydrazide Oxidation Reaction

Carbohydrazide electrooxidation reaction (COR) is a potential alternative to oxygen evolution reaction in water splitting process. However, the sluggish kinetics process impels to develop efficient catalysts with the aim of the widespread use of such catalytic system. Since COR concerns the adsorption/desorption of reactive species on catalysts, the electronic structure of electrocatalyst can affect the catalytic activity. Interface charge distribution engineering can be considered to be an efficient strategy for improving catalytic performance, which facilitates the cleavage of chemical bond. Herein, highly dispersed Pd nanoparticles on CeO2 /C catalyst are prepared and the COR catalytic performance is investigated. The self-driven charge transfer between Pd and CeO2 can form the local nucleophilic and electrophilic region, promoting to the adsorption of electron-withdrawing and electron-donating group in carbohydrazide molecule, which facilitates the cleavage of C-N bond and the carbohydrazide oxidation. Due to the local charge distribution, the Pd-CeO2 /C exhibits superior COR catalytic activity with a potential of 0.27 V to attain 10 mA cm-2 . When this catalyst is used for energy-efficient electrolytic hydrogen production, the carbohydrazide electrolysis configuration exhibits a low cell voltage (0.6 V at 10 mA cm-2 ). This interface charge distribution engineering can provide a novel strategy for improving COR catalytic activity.

Constructing Fully-Active and Ultra-Active Sites in High-Entropy Alloy Nanoclusters for Hydrazine Oxidation-Assisted Electrolytic Hydrogen Production

The development of sufficiently high-efficiency systems and effective catalysts for electrocatalytic hydrogen production is of great significance but challenging. Here, high-entropy alloy nanoclusters (HEANCs) with full-active sites and super-active sites are innovatively constructed for hydrazine oxidation-assisted electrolytic hydrogen production. The HEANCs show an average size of only seven atomic layers (1.48 nm). As the catalysts for both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and hydrazine oxidation reaction, the HEANC/C exhibits the best-level performance among reported electrocatalysts. Especially, the HEANC/C achieves an ultrahigh mass activity of 12.85 A mg-1 noble metals at -0.07 V and overpotential of only 9.5 mV for 10 mA cm-2 for alkaline HER. Further, with HEANC/C as both anode and cathode catalysts, an overall hydrazine oxidation-assisted splitting (OHzS) electrolyzer shows a record mass activity of 250.2 mA mg-1 catalysts at 0.1 V and only requires working voltages of 0.025 and 0.181 V to reach 10 and 100 mA cm-2 , respectively, outperforming those of overall water-splitting system and other reported chemicals-assisted hydrogen production systems. Active site libraries including 72 sites on HEANC surface are originally constructed by theoretical calculations, revealing that all sites on HEANC surface are effective active sites for OHzS; especially some are super-active sites, endowing the best-level performance of HEANC/C.

Highly enhanced hydrazine oxidation on bifunctional Ni tailored by alloying for energy-efficient hydrogen production

The low-potential hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR) can replace the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and thus assemble with the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), consequently achieving energy-saving hydrogen (H2) production. Notably, developing sophisticated bifunctional electrocatalysts for HER and HzOR is a prerequisite for efficient H2 production. Alloying noble metals with eligible non-precious ones can increase affordability, catalytic activity, and stability, alongside rendering bifunctionality. Herein, RuNi alloy deposited onto carbon (RuNi/C) was directly prepared by a simple and highly practical co-reduction method, showing excellent performance for HER and HzOR. Interestingly, to achieve 10 mA cm-2, RuNi/C only required an ultralow potential of 24 mV for HER, on par with commercial 20 wt% platinum in carbon (Pt/C), and -65 mV for HzOR, surpassing most reported counterparts. Moreover, the two-electrode electrolyzer only required small operation voltages of 57.8 and 327 mV to drive 10 and 100 mA cm-2, respectively. Driven by a homemade hydrazine (N2H4) fuel cell and solar panel, appreciable H2 yields of 1.027 and 1.406 mmol h-1 were achieved, respectively, exhibiting the energy-saving advantages alongside robust practicability. Moreover, theoretical calculations revealed that alloying with Ru endows bifunctional Ni sites not only with a lower H2O dissociation barrier but also with more favorable H* adsorption alongside the reduced energy barrier between HzOR intermediates.

Ultrathin RhCo alloy nanowires with defect-rich active sites for alkaline hydrogen evolution electrocatalysis

One-dimensional RhCo alloy nanowires (NWs) with an ultrathin thickness (2.6 nm) and abundant defect sites were prepared in an aqueous solution by a nanoconfined attachment growth route within assembled columnar micelles. Thanks to dual synergies between advantageous anisotropic ultrathin structures and alloy compositions, they endowed one-dimensional RhCo NWs with superior activity and high stability for alkaline hydrogen evolution electrocatalysis.

Adsorption Site Regulations of [W-O]-Doped CoP Boosting the Hydrazine Oxidation-Coupled Hydrogen Evolution at Elevated Current Density

Hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR) assisted hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) offers a feasible path for low power consumption to hydrogen production. Unfortunately however, the total electrooxidation of hydrazine in anode and the dissociation kinetics of water in cathode are critically depend on the interaction between the reaction intermediates and surface of catalysts, which are still challenging due to the totally different catalytic mechanisms. Herein, the [W-O] group with strong adsorption capacity is introduced into CoP nanoflakes to fabricate bifunctional catalyst, which possesses excellent catalytic performances towards both HER (185.60 mV at 1000 mA cm-2) and HzOR (78.99 mV at 10,00 mA cm-2) with the overall electrolyzer potential of 1.634 V lower than that of the water splitting system at 100 mA cm-2. The introduction of [W-O] groups, working as the adsorption sites for H2O dissociation and N2H4 dehydrogenation, leads to the formation of porous structure on CoP nanoflakes and regulates the electronic structure of Co through the linked O in [W-O] group as well, resultantly boosting the hydrogen production and HzOR. Moreover, a proof-of-concept direct hydrazine fuel cell-powered H2 production system has been assembled, realizing H2 evolution at a rate of 3.53 mmol cm-2 h-1 at room temperature without external electricity supply.