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Wang Q, Guo P, Li H, Long J, Yang S, Xiao J. A Theoretical Perspective for Ammonia Synthesis: Nitric Oxide or Nitrate Electroreduction? SMALL METHODS 2024:e2401208. [PMID: 39400471 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202401208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2024] [Revised: 09/30/2024] [Indexed: 10/15/2024]
Abstract
Ammonia is an important raw material for agricultural production, playing a key role in global food production. However, conventional ammonia synthesis resulted in extensive greenhouse gas emissions and huge energy consumption. Recently, researchers have proposed electrocatalytic reverse artificial nitrogen cycle (eRANC) routes to circumvent these issues, which can be driven by electrocatalysis and sustainable electricity. Here, a theoretical and computational perspective on the challenges and opportunities with the comparison with experimental results: electrochemical reduction of nitrate (eNO3RR) and nitrite (eNO2RR), electrochemical reduction of nitric oxide (eNORR) combined with oxidative nitrogen fixation are presented. By comparison, the N2→NO→NH3 route is proposed as the most promising in case the NO solubility can be solved well in reactor design. Its high efficiency of ammonia production is demonstrated. Instead, the eNO3RR can be another choice because it is non-toxic and the solid-liquid interface is usually efficient for electrochemical reactions, while its low selectivity at low overpotentials is an issue. These fundamentals highlight the potential and key factors of eRANC as an efficient and sustainable route for ammonia production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianxiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Pu Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, P. R. China
| | - Huan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Jun Long
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, P. R. China
| | - Shaoxue Yang
- Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310022, P. R. China
- Hangzhou Institute of Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, P. R. China
| | - Jianping Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
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2
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Yu Y, Liu J, Sun M, Han J, Chi J, Huang B, Lai J, Wang L. Integrating Ozone Pollutant Elimination in N 2 Electrolysis to Produce Nitrate with Reduced Reaction Steps. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024:e2405918. [PMID: 39101599 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202405918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2024] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
The synthesis of nitrate by the electrochemical N2 oxidation reaction (NOR) is currently one of the most promising routes. However, the traditional generation of nitrate depends on the oxidation reaction between N2 and H2O (or ·OH), which involves complex reaction steps and intermediates, showing strong competition from oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Here, an effective NOR method is proposed to directly oxidize N2 by using O3 as a reactive oxygen source to reduce the reaction step. Electrochemical tests demonstrate that the nitrate yield of Pd-Mn3O4/CNT electrocatalyst reaches the milligram level, which is the highest yield reported so far for electrocatalytic NOR. Quantitative characterization is employed to establish a comprehensive set of benchmarks to confirm the intrinsic nature of nitrogen activation and test the O3-mediated reaction mechanism. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the heterostructure Pd-Mn3O4 leads to a strong adsorption preference for N2 and O3, which greatly reduces the activation energy barrier for N2. This accelerates the synthesis of nitrate based on the direct formation mechanism, which reduces energy barriers and the reaction steps, thus increasing the performance of electrocatalytic nitrate production. The techno-economic analysis underscores the promising feasibility and sustainable economic value of the presented method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaodong Yu
- State Key Laboratory Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering, Ministry of Education, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China
| | - Jiao Liu
- State Key Laboratory Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering, Ministry of Education, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China
| | - Mingzi Sun
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Jiani Han
- State Key Laboratory Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering, Ministry of Education, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China
| | - Jingqi Chi
- State Key Laboratory Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering, Ministry of Education, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China
| | - Bolong Huang
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Jianping Lai
- State Key Laboratory Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering, Ministry of Education, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China
| | - Lei Wang
- State Key Laboratory Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering, Ministry of Education, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China
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3
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Zhang T, Ye Q, Han Z, Liu Q, Liu Y, Wu D, Fan HJ. Biaxial strain induced OH engineer for accelerating alkaline hydrogen evolution. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6508. [PMID: 39095396 PMCID: PMC11297234 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50942-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The sluggish kinetics of Volmer step in the alkaline hydrogen evolution results in large energy consumption. The challenge that has yet well resolved is to control the water adsorption and dissociation. Here, we develop biaxially strained MoSe2 three dimensional nanoshells that exhibit enhanced catalytic performance with a low overpotential of 58.2 mV at 10 mA cm-2 in base, and long-term stable activity in membrane-electrode-assembly based electrolyser at 1 A cm-2. Compared to the flat and uniaxial-strained MoSe2, we establish that the stably adsorbed OH engineer on biaxially strained MoSe2 changes the water adsorption configuration from O-down on Mo to O-horizontal on OH* via stronger hydrogen bonds. The favorable water dissociation on 3-coordinated Mo sites and hydrogen adsorption on 4-coordinated Mo sites constitute a tandem electrolysis, resulting in thermodynamically favorable hydrogen evolution. This work deepens our understanding to the impact of strain dimensions on water dissociation and inspires the design of nanostructured catalysts for accelerating the rate-determining step in multi-electron reactions.
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Grants
- This study was financially supported by Tier 1 grant from Singapore Ministry of Education (RG80/22, H.J.F), Tier 2 grant from Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE-T2EP50121-0006, H.J.F.), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 22369003, Y.L.), Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 223QN185, Y.L.) and the specific research fund of the Innovation Platform for Academicians of Hainan Province (YSPTZX202123, Y.L.), Tier 1 grant from Singapore Ministry of Education (RG81/22, D.W), and NAP-SUG startup grand from NTU (D.W.).
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Zhang
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore, 637371, Singapore
| | - Qitong Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, PR China
| | - Zengyu Han
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Qingyi Liu
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore, 637371, Singapore
| | - Yipu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, PR China.
| | - Dongshuang Wu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Hong Jin Fan
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore, 637371, Singapore.
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Zheng H, Liu Y, Ma Z, Debroye E, Ye J, Zhang L, Liu T. High-Entropy Perovskite Oxides as a Family of Electrocatalysts for Efficient and Selective Nitrogen Oxidation. ACS NANO 2024; 18:17642-17650. [PMID: 38913550 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c02231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic nitrogen oxidation reaction (NOR) can convert nitrogen (N2) into nitrate (NO3-) under ambient conditions, providing an attractive approach for synthesis of NO3-, alternative to the current approach involving the harsh Haber-Bosch and Ostwald oxidation processes that necessitate high temperature, high pressure, and substantial carbon emission. Developing efficient NOR catalysts is a prerequisite, which remains a formidable challenge, owing to the weak activation/dissociation of N2. A variety of NOR electrocatalysts have been developed, but their NOR kinetics are still extremely sluggish, resulting in inferior Faradaic Efficiencies. Here, we report a high-entropy Ru-based perovskite oxide (denoted as Ru-HEP) that can function as a high-performance NOR catalyst and exhibit a high NO3- yield rate of 39.0 μmol mg-1 h-1 with a Faradaic Efficiency of 32.8%. Both our experimental results and theoretical calculations suggest that the high-entropy configuration of Ru-HEP perovskite oxide can markedly enhance the oxygen-vacancy concentration, where the Ru sites and their neighboring oxygen vacancies can serve as unsaturated centers and decrease the overall energy barrier for N2 electrooxidation, thereby leading to promoted NOR kinetics. This work presents an alternative avenue for promoting NOR catalysis on perovskite oxides through the high-entropy engineering strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Yunxia Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Ziwei Ma
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Elke Debroye
- Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, Leuven 3001, Belgium
| | - Jinyu Ye
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Longsheng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Tianxi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
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5
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Li S, Li J, Wang X, Sun Y, Tang Z, Gao X, Zhang H, Xie J, Yang Z, Yan YM. Energizing Co Active Sites via d-Band Center Engineering in CeO 2-Co 3O 4 Heterostructures: Interfacial Charge Transfer Enabling Efficient Nitrate Electrosynthesis. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2311124. [PMID: 38258393 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202311124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
The electrochemical nitrogen oxidation reaction (NOR) holds significant potential to revolutionize the traditional nitrate synthesis processes. However, the progression in NOR has been notably stymied due to the sluggish kinetics of initial N2 adsorption and activation processes. Herein, the research embarks on the development of a CeO2-Co3O4 heterostructure, strategically engineered to facilitate the electron transfer from CeO2 to Co3O4. This orchestrated transfer operates to amplify the d-band center of the Co active sites, thereby enhancing N2 adsorption and activation dynamics by strengthening the Co─N bond and diminishing the resilience of the N≡N bond. The synthesized CeO2-Co3O4 manifests promising prospects, showcasing a significant HNO3 yield of 37.96 µg h-1 mgcat -1 and an elevated Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 29.30% in a 0.1 m Na2SO4 solution at 1.81 V versus RHE. Further substantiating these findings, an array of in situ methodologies coupled with DFT calculations vividly illustrate the augmented adsorption and activation of N2 on the surface of CeO2-Co3O4 heterostructure, resulting in a substantial reduction in the energy barrier pertinent to the rate-determining step within the NOR pathway. This research carves a promising pathway to amplify N2 adsorption throughout the electrochemical NOR operations and delineates a blueprint for crafting highly efficient NOR electrocatalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Jingxian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoxuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Yanfei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Zheng Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Xueying Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Huiying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Jiangzhou Xie
- School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Zhiyu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Yi-Ming Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
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6
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Zhang G, Wu T, Yu W, Li J, Wang Y, Wang J, Liu S, Chang B, Liu X, Zhou W. Laser regulated mixed-phase TiO 2 for electrochemical overall nitrogen fixation. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 674:168-177. [PMID: 38925062 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Traditional oxide electrocatalytic materials encounter significant challenges associated with sluggish reaction kinetics and formidable energy barriers for NH intermediates formation in electrocatalytic nitrogen fixation. The implementation of phase control emerges as an effective strategy to address these challenges. Herein, leveraging the energy localization of laser, this work achieved precise phase control of TiO2. In the optimized material system, the rutile phase TiO2 facilitates nitrogen adsorption, while the anatase phase TiO2 provides proton sources and active oxygen species. The synergistic effect of the two phases effectively enhances the electrocatalytic activity for nitrogen reduction and oxidation, with an ammonia yield reaching ∼22.3 μg h-1 cm-2 and a nitrate yield reaching ∼60.9 μg h-1 cm-2. Furthermore, a coupled dual-electrode system with mixed-phase titanium dioxide as both the anode and cathode successfully achieved a breakthrough in electrochemical overall nitrogen fixation. This laser precision control strategy for manipulating phase sites lays the groundwork for designing efficient catalysts for energy conversion and even energy storage nanomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guixiang Zhang
- Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research (IAIR), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, PR China
| | - Tong Wu
- Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research (IAIR), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, PR China
| | - Wanqiang Yu
- Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research (IAIR), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, PR China
| | - Jiawei Li
- Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research (IAIR), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, PR China
| | - Yujie Wang
- Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research (IAIR), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, PR China
| | - Junjian Wang
- Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research (IAIR), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, PR China
| | - Shunyao Liu
- Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research (IAIR), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, PR China
| | - Bin Chang
- KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC), Division of Physical Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Xiaoyan Liu
- Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research (IAIR), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, PR China.
| | - Weijia Zhou
- Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research (IAIR), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, PR China.
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7
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Zhang X, Tan Y, Zhao J, Cai Z, Zhang J, Madhusudan P. NiFeB-assisted adsorption and activation of nitrogen to improve the photooxidation activity of zinc porphyrin. Chem Commun (Camb) 2024; 60:4298-4301. [PMID: 38530709 DOI: 10.1039/d4cc00249k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
This study effectively addresses the challenge of nitrogen adsorption and activation in photocatalytic nitrogen fixation by introducing an oxidizing co-catalyst, NiFeB hydroxides. The NiFeB hydroxides could provide reactive active sites and significantly enhance the nitrogen oxidation activity, offering a novel pathway for co-catalysts in nitrogen fixation reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology, School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, PR China.
| | - Yawen Tan
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology, School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, PR China.
| | - Juntao Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology, School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, PR China.
| | - Zixuan Cai
- Wuhan Jingkai Foreign Language School, Wuhan 430056, PR China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology, School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, PR China.
| | - Puttaswamy Madhusudan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea.
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8
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Xiong Y, Wang Y, Zhou J, Liu F, Hao F, Fan Z. Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction: Ammonia Synthesis and the Beyond. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2304021. [PMID: 37294062 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202304021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Natural nitrogen cycle has been severely disrupted by anthropogenic activities. The overuse of N-containing fertilizers induces the increase of nitrate level in surface and ground waters, and substantial emission of nitrogen oxides causes heavy air pollution. Nitrogen gas, as the main component of air, has been used for mass ammonia production for over a century, providing enough nutrition for agriculture to support world population increase. In the last decade, researchers have made great efforts to develop ammonia processes under ambient conditions to combat the intensive energy consumption and high carbon emission associated with the Haber-Bosch process. Among different techniques, electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) can achieve nitrate removal and ammonia generation simultaneously using renewable electricity as the power, and there is an exponential growth of studies in this research direction. Here, a timely and comprehensive review on the important progresses of electrochemical NO3RR, covering the rational design of electrocatalysts, emerging CN coupling reactions, and advanced energy conversion and storage systems is provided. Moreover, future perspectives are proposed to accelerate the industrialized NH3 production and green synthesis of chemicals, leading to a sustainable nitrogen cycle via prosperous N-based electrochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuecheng Xiong
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
- Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center (NPMM), City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Yunhao Wang
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Jingwen Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
- Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center (NPMM), City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Fu Liu
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Fengkun Hao
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Zhanxi Fan
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
- Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center (NPMM), City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, P. R. China
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9
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Zheng X, Wu H, Gao Y, Chen S, Xue Y, Li Y. Controllable Assembly of Highly Oxidized Cobalt on Graphdiyne Surface for Efficient Conversion of Nitrogen into Nitric Acid. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202316723. [PMID: 38192242 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202316723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
The manufacture of nitric acid (HNO3 ) consumes large amounts of energy and causes serious environmental pollution. Electrochemical synthesis is regarded as a key way to eliminate carbon emissions from the chemicals industry. The selective electrosynthesis of HNO3 from nitrogen was achieved by controllable assembly of cobalt metal on graphdiyne surface using a powerful tool of electrochemistry at ambient conditions. As an advanced material, graphdiyne (GDY) has a large conjugated structure on its surface and is rich in sp-C triple bond skeleton, which can achieve strong interaction with metal atoms, resulting in incomplete charge transfer between graphdiyne and cobalt atoms. The experimental and theoretical calculation results show that the highly oxidized cobalt on graphdiyne (HOCo/GDY) can selectively and efficiently activate and convert the nitrogen into the key intermediate *NO, which promotes the efficient overall conversion performance of nitrogen to nitric acid. Thus, the highest nitric acid yield (192.0 μg h-1 mg-1 ) and Faradaic efficiency (21.5 %) were achieved at low potentials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuchen Zheng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Han Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Yang Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Siao Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Yurui Xue
- CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Science of Material Creation and Energy Conversion, Science Center for Material Creation and Energy Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Yuliang Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
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10
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Zheng H, Ma Z, Liu Y, Zhang Y, Ye J, Debroye E, Zhang L, Liu T, Xie Y. Perovskite Oxide as A New Platform for Efficient Electrocatalytic Nitrogen Oxidation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202316097. [PMID: 37985423 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202316097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic nitrogen oxidation reaction (NOR) offers an efficient and sustainable approach for conversion of widespread nitrogen (N2 ) into high-value-added nitrate (NO3 - ) under mild conditions, representing a promising alternative to the traditional approach that involves harsh Haber-Bosch and Ostwald oxidation processes. Unfortunately, due to the weak absorption/activation of N2 and the competitive oxygen evolution reaction, the kinetics of NOR process is extremely sluggish accompanied with low Faradaic efficiencies and NO3 - yield rates. In this work, an oxygen-vacancy-enriched perovskite oxide with nonstoichiometric ratio of strontium and ruthenium (denoted as Sr0.9 RuO3 ) was synthesized and explored as NOR electrocatalyst, which can exhibit a high Faradaic efficiency (38.6 %) with a high NO3 - yield rate (17.9 μmol mg-1 h-1 ). The experimental results show that the amount of oxygen vacancies in Sr0.9 RuO3 is greatly higher than that of SrRuO3 , following the same trend as their NOR performance. Theoretical simulations unravel that the presence of oxygen vacancies in the Sr0.9 RuO3 can render a decreased thermodynamic barrier toward the oxidation of *N2 to *N2 OH at the rate-determining step, leading to its enhanced NOR performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, International Joint Research Laboratory for Nano Energy Composites, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Ziwei Ma
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, International Joint Research Laboratory for Nano Energy Composites, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Yunxia Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, China
| | - Yizhe Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, International Joint Research Laboratory for Nano Energy Composites, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Jinyu Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Elke Debroye
- Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Longsheng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, International Joint Research Laboratory for Nano Energy Composites, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Tianxi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, International Joint Research Laboratory for Nano Energy Composites, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Yi Xie
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
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11
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Li X, Yang L, Liu Q, Bai W, Li H, Wang M, Qian Q, Yang Q, Xiao C, Xie Y. Directional Shunting of Photogenerated Carriers in POM@MOF for Promoting Nitrogen Adsorption and Oxidation. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2304532. [PMID: 37595959 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202304532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
The efficient catalysis of nitrogen (N2 ) into high-value N-containing products plays a crucial role in the N economic cycle. However, weak N2 adsorption and invalid N2 activation remain two major bottlenecks in rate-determining steps, leading to low N2 fixation performance. Herein, an effective dual active sites photocatalyst of polyoxometalates (POMs)-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is highlighted via altering coordination microenvironment and inducing directional shunting of photogenerated carriers to facilitate N2 /catalyst interaction and enhance oxidation performance. MOFs create more open unsaturated metal cluster sites with unoccupied d orbital possessing Lewis acidity to accept electrons from the 3σg bonding orbital of N2 for storage by combining with POMs to replace bidentate linkers. POMs act as electron sponges donating electrons to MOFs, while the holes directional flow to POMs. The hole-rich POMs with strong oxidation capacity are easily involved in oxidizing adsorbed N2 . Taking UiO-66 (C48 H28 O32 Zr6 ) and Mo72 Fe30 ([Mo72 Fe30 O252 (CH3 COO)12 {Mo2 O7 (H2 O)}2 {H2 Mo2 O8 (H2 O)}(H2 O)91 ]·150H2 O) as an example, Mo72 Fe30 @UiO-66 shows twofold enhanced adsorption of N2 (250.5 cm3 g-1 ) than UiO-66 (122.9 cm3 g-1 ) at P/P0 = 1. And, the HNO3 yield of Mo72 Fe30 @UiO-66 is 702.4 µg g-1 h-1 , ≈7 times and 24 times higher than UiO-66 and Mo72 Fe30 . This work provides reliable value for the storage and relaying artificial N2 fixation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohong Li
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, P. R. China
| | - Lan Yang
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, P. R. China
| | - Qilong Liu
- Institute of Energy, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, Anhui, 230031, P. R. China
| | - Wei Bai
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, P. R. China
| | - Huiyi Li
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, P. R. China
| | - Mengxiang Wang
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, P. R. China
| | - Qizhu Qian
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, P. R. China
| | - Qinghua Yang
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, P. R. China
| | - Chong Xiao
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, P. R. China
- Institute of Energy, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, Anhui, 230031, P. R. China
| | - Yi Xie
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, P. R. China
- Institute of Energy, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, Anhui, 230031, P. R. China
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12
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Nie N, Zhang Y, Gu Y, Du H, Yuan Y, Yang Y, Li H, Yang B, Lai J, Wang L. Chelating Co-reduction Strategy for the Synthesis of High-Entropy Alloy Aerogels. Inorg Chem 2023. [PMID: 37490736 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c01326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Aerogels, as three-dimensional porous materials, have attracted much attention in almost every field owing to their unique structural properties. Designing high-entropy alloy aerogels (HEAAs) to quinary and above remains an enormous challenge due to the different reduction potentials and nucleation/growth kinetics of different constituent metals. Herein, a novel and universal chelating co-reduction strategy to prepare HEAAs at room temperature in the water phase is proposed. The addition of chelators (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid tetrasodium salt, sodium citrate, salicylic acid, and 4,4'-bipyridine) with a certain strong coordination capacity can adjust the reduction potential of different metal components, which is the key to synthesize single-phase solid solution alloys successfully. The optimized AgRuPdAuPt HEAA can be an excellent electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with an ultrasmall overpotential of 22 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and excellent stability for 24 h in an alkaline solution. In situ Raman spectroscopy unveils the enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction mechanism of HEAAs. Overall, this work provides a novel chelating co-reduction strategy for the facile and versatile synthesis and design of advanced HEAAs and broadens the development and utilization of multi-elemental alloy electrocatalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanzhu Nie
- Key Laboratory of Eco-chemical Engineering, Ministry of Education, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266042, P. R. China
- Shandong Engineering Research Center for Marine Environment Corrosion and Safety Protection, College of Environment and Safety Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266042, P. R. China
| | - Yanyun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Eco-chemical Engineering, Ministry of Education, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266042, P. R. China
| | - Yanli Gu
- Key Laboratory of Eco-chemical Engineering, Ministry of Education, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266042, P. R. China
| | - Haoyang Du
- Key Laboratory of Eco-chemical Engineering, Ministry of Education, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266042, P. R. China
| | - Yueyue Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Eco-chemical Engineering, Ministry of Education, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266042, P. R. China
| | - Yu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Eco-chemical Engineering, Ministry of Education, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266042, P. R. China
| | - Hongdong Li
- Key Laboratory of Eco-chemical Engineering, Ministry of Education, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266042, P. R. China
| | - Bo Yang
- Shandong Engineering Research Center for Marine Environment Corrosion and Safety Protection, College of Environment and Safety Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266042, P. R. China
| | - Jianping Lai
- Key Laboratory of Eco-chemical Engineering, Ministry of Education, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266042, P. R. China
| | - Lei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Eco-chemical Engineering, Ministry of Education, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266042, P. R. China
- Shandong Engineering Research Center for Marine Environment Corrosion and Safety Protection, College of Environment and Safety Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266042, P. R. China
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13
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Han S, Cheng C, He M, Li R, Gao Y, Yu Y, Zhang B, Liu C. Preferential Adsorption of Ethylene Oxide on Fe and Chlorine on Ni Enabled Scalable Electrosynthesis of Ethylene Chlorohydrin. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202216581. [PMID: 36734467 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202216581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Industrial manufacturing of ethylene chlorohydrin (ECH) critically requires excess corrosive hydrochloric acid or hypochlorous acid with dealing with massive by-products and wastes. Here we report a green and efficient electrosynthesis of ECH from ethylene oxide (EO) with NaCl over a NiFe2 O4 nanosheet anode. Theoretical results suggest that EO and Cl preferentially adsorb on Fe and Ni sites, respectively, collaboratively promoting the ECH synthesis. A Cl radical-mediated ring-opening process is proposed and confirmed, and the key Cl and carbon radical species are identified by high-resolution mass spectrometry. This strategy can enable scalable electrosynthesis of 185.1 mmol of ECH in 1 h with 92.5 % yield at a 55 mA cm-2 current density. Furthermore, a series of other chloro- and bromoethanols with good to high yields and paired synthesis of ECH and 4-amino-3,6-dichloropyridine-2-carboxylicacid via respectively loading and unloading Cl are achieved, showing the promising potential of this strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyan Han
- Institute of Molecular Plus, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Chuanqi Cheng
- Institute of New Energy Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Meng He
- Institute of Molecular Plus, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Rui Li
- Institute of Molecular Plus, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Ying Gao
- Institute of Molecular Plus, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Yifu Yu
- Institute of Molecular Plus, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.,Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations, Tianjin, 300192, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Institute of Molecular Plus, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.,Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations, Tianjin, 300192, China
| | - Cuibo Liu
- Institute of Molecular Plus, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.,Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations, Tianjin, 300192, China
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14
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Guo M, Fang L, Zhang L, Li M, Cong M, Guan X, Shi C, Gu C, Liu X, Wang Y, Ding X. Pulsed Electrocatalysis Enabling High Overall Nitrogen Fixation Performance for Atomically Dispersed Fe on TiO 2. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202217635. [PMID: 36744701 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202217635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Atomically dispersed Fe was designed on TiO2 and explored as a Janus electrocatalyst for both nitrogen oxidation reaction (NOR) and nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) in a two-electrode system. Pulsed electrochemical catalysis (PE) was firstly involved to inhibit the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Excitingly, an unanticipated yield of 7055.81 μmol h-1 g-1 cat. and 12 868.33 μmol h-1 g-1 cat. were obtained for NOR and NRR at 3.5 V, respectively, 44.94 times and 7.8 times increase in FE than the conventional constant voltage electrocatalytic method. Experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that the single-atom Fe could stabilize the oxygen vacancy, lower the energy barrier for the vital rupture of N≡N, and result in enhanced N2 fixation performance. More importantly, PE could effectively enhance the N2 supply by reducing competitive O2 and H2 agglomeration, inhibit the electrocatalytic by-product formation for longstanding *OOH and *H intermediates, and promote the non-electrocatalytic process of N2 activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxia Guo
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Institution Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, Shandong, P. R. China
| | - Long Fang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Institution Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, Shandong, P. R. China
| | - Linlin Zhang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Institution Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, Shandong, P. R. China
| | - Mingzhu Li
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Institution Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, Shandong, P. R. China
| | - Meiyu Cong
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Dalian University of Technology (DUT), Dalian, 116024, Liaoning, P. R. China
| | - Xiping Guan
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Institution Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, Shandong, P. R. China
| | - Chuanwei Shi
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Institution Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, Shandong, P. R. China
| | - ChunLei Gu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Institution Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, Shandong, P. R. China
| | - Xia Liu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Institution Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, Shandong, P. R. China
| | - Yong Wang
- Technische Universität München Department Chemie, Lichtenbergstr. 4, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Xin Ding
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Institution Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, Shandong, P. R. China.,State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Dalian University of Technology (DUT), Dalian, 116024, Liaoning, P. R. China
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15
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Yang X, Mukherjee S, O'Carroll T, Hou Y, Singh MR, Gauthier JA, Wu G. Achievements, Challenges, and Perspectives on Nitrogen Electrochemistry for Carbon-Neutral Energy Technologies. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202215938. [PMID: 36507657 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202215938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Unrestrained anthropogenic activities have severely disrupted the global natural nitrogen cycle, causing numerous energy and environmental issues. Electrocatalytic nitrogen transformation is a feasible and promising strategy for achieving a sustainable nitrogen economy. Synergistically combining multiple nitrogen reactions can realize efficient renewable energy storage and conversion, restore the global nitrogen balance, and remediate environmental crises. Here, we provide a unique aspect to discuss the intriguing nitrogen electrochemistry by linking three essential nitrogen-containing compounds (i.e., N2 , NH3 , and NO3 - ) and integrating four essential electrochemical reactions, i.e., the nitrogen reduction reaction (N2 RR), nitrogen oxidation reaction (N2 OR), nitrate reduction reaction (NO3 RR), and ammonia oxidation reaction (NH3 OR). This minireview also summarizes the acquired knowledge of rational catalyst design and underlying reaction mechanisms for these interlinked nitrogen reactions. We further underscore the associated clean energy technologies and a sustainable nitrogen-based economy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxuan Yang
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310027, China.,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Shreya Mukherjee
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Thomas O'Carroll
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Yang Hou
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310027, China.,Institute of Zhejiang University - Quzhou, Quzhou, Zhejiang, 324000, China.,Donghai Laboratory, Zhoushan, 316021, China
| | - Meenesh R Singh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60608, USA
| | - Joseph A Gauthier
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Gang Wu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
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16
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Liao W, Liu K, Wang J, Stefancu A, Chen Q, Wu K, Zhou Y, Li H, Mei L, Li M, Fu J, Miyauchi M, Cortés E, Liu M. Boosting Nitrogen Activation via Ag Nanoneedle Arrays for Efficient Ammonia Synthesis. ACS NANO 2023; 17:411-420. [PMID: 36524975 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c08853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic N2 reduction reaction (eNRR) provides a promising carbon-neutral and sustainable ammonia-synthesizing alternative to the Haber-Bosch process. However, the nonpolar N2 has significant thermodynamic stability and requires ultrahigh energy to break down the N≡N bond. Here, we report the construction of local enhanced electric fields (LEEFs) by Ag nanoneedle arrays to promote N≡N fracture thus assisting the eNRR. The LEEFs could induce charge polarization on nitrogen atoms and reduce the energy barrier in the N2 first-protonation step. The detected N─N and N─H intermediates prove the cleavage of the N≡N bond and the hydrogenation of N2 by LEEFs. The increased LEEFs lead to logarithmic growth rates for the targeted eNRR and exponential growth rates for the unavoidable competitive hydrogen evolution reaction. Thus, regulation and tuning of LEEFs to ∼4 × 104 kV m-1 endows the raise of eNRR to the summit, achieving high ammonia selectivity with a Faradaic efficiency of 72.3 ± 4.0%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanru Liao
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha410083, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Kang Liu
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha410083, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Jun Wang
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha410083, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Andrei Stefancu
- Nanoinstitut München, Fakultät für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München80539, Germany
| | - Qin Chen
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha410083, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Kuangzhe Wu
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha410083, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Yajiao Zhou
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha410083, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Hongmei Li
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha410083, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Lin Mei
- State Key Laboratory for Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha410083, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Ming Li
- College of Science & Ministry-province jointly constructed Cultivation Base for State Key Laboratory of Processing for Mom-ferrous Metal and Featured Materials & Key Lab. of Nonferrous Materials and New Processing Technology, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin541004, P. R. China
| | - Junwei Fu
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha410083, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Masahiro Miyauchi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo152-8552, Japan
| | - Emiliano Cortés
- Nanoinstitut München, Fakultät für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München80539, Germany
| | - Min Liu
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha410083, Hunan, P. R. China
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17
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Jin J, Wang L, Sun W, Yang Z, Chen X, Wang H, Liu G. Membrane-less Paired Electrolysis for Cooperative Conversion of Complex NO in a Complexing Absorption System. Ind Eng Chem Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.2c02312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Jin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, No. 2, Linggong Road, Dalian116024, China
| | - Lida Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, No. 2, Linggong Road, Dalian116024, China
- Dalian Key Laboratory of Flue Gas Purification and Waste Heat Utilization, Dalian116024, China
| | - Wen Sun
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, No. 2, Linggong Road, Dalian116024, China
- Dalian Key Laboratory of Flue Gas Purification and Waste Heat Utilization, Dalian116024, China
| | - Zhengqing Yang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, No. 2, Linggong Road, Dalian116024, China
| | - Xu Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, No. 2, Linggong Road, Dalian116024, China
| | - Haiyan Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, No. 2, Linggong Road, Dalian116024, China
| | - Guichang Liu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, No. 2, Linggong Road, Dalian116024, China
- Dalian Key Laboratory of Flue Gas Purification and Waste Heat Utilization, Dalian116024, China
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