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Wang H, Wang S, Song Y, Zhao Y, Li Z, Shen Y, Peng Z, Gao D, Wang G, Bao X. Boosting Electrocatalytic Ethylene Epoxidation by Single Atom Modulation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202402950. [PMID: 38512110 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202402950] [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: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
The electrochemical synthesis of ethylene oxide (EO) using ethylene and water under ambient conditions presents a low-carbon alternative to existing industrial production process. Yet, the electrocatalytic ethylene epoxidation route is currently hindered by largely insufficient activity, EO selectivity, and long-term stability. Here we report a single atom Ru-doped hollandite structure KIr4O8 (KIrRuO) nanowire catalyst for efficient EO production via a chloride-mediated ethylene epoxidation process. The KIrRuO catalyst exhibits an EO partial current density up to 0.7 A cm-2 and an EO yield as high as 92.0 %. The impressive electrocatalytic performance towards ethylene epoxidation is ascribed to the modulation of electronic structures of adjacent Ir sites by single Ru atoms, which stabilizes the *CH2CH2OH intermediate and facilitates the formation of active Cl2 species during the generation of 2-chloroethanol, the precursor of EO. This work provides a single atom modulation strategy for improving the reactivity of adjacent metal sites in heterogeneous electrocatalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, iChEM (Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials), Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Shuo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, iChEM (Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials), Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Yanpeng Song
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, iChEM (Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials), Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Yang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, iChEM (Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials), Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Zhenyu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, iChEM (Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials), Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Yuxiang Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, iChEM (Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials), Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhangquan Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, iChEM (Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials), Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Dunfeng Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, iChEM (Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials), Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Guoxiong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, iChEM (Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials), Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Xinhe Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, iChEM (Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials), Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
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Liu C, Chen F, Zhao BH, Wu Y, Zhang B. Electrochemical hydrogenation and oxidation of organic species involving water. Nat Rev Chem 2024; 8:277-293. [PMID: 38528116 DOI: 10.1038/s41570-024-00589-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Fossil fuel-driven thermochemical hydrogenation and oxidation using high-pressure H2 and O2 are still popular but energy-intensive CO2-emitting processes. At present, developing renewable energy-powered electrochemical technologies, especially those using clean, safe and easy-to-handle reducing agents and oxidants for organic hydrogenation and oxidation reactions, is urgently needed. Water is an ideal carrier of hydrogen and oxygen. Electrochemistry provides a powerful route to drive water splitting under ambient conditions. Thus, electrochemical hydrogenation and oxidation transformations involving water as the hydrogen source and oxidant, respectively, have been developed to be mild and efficient tools to synthesize organic hydrogenated and oxidized products. In this Review, we highlight the advances in water-participating electrochemical hydrogenation and oxidation reactions of representative organic molecules. Typical electrode materials, performance metrics and key characterization techniques are firstly introduced. General electrocatalyst design principles and controlling the microenvironment for promoting hydrogenation and oxygenation reactions involving water are summarized. Furthermore, paired hydrogenation and oxidation reactions are briefly introduced before finally discussing the challenges and future opportunities of this research field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuibo Liu
- Institute of Molecular Plus, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Fanpeng Chen
- Institute of Molecular Plus, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Bo-Hang Zhao
- Institute of Molecular Plus, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yongmeng Wu
- Institute of Molecular Plus, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Institute of Molecular Plus, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
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Tang D, Wu L, Li L, Fu N, Chen C, Zhang Y, Zhao J. A controlled non-radical chlorine activation pathway on hematite photoanodes for efficient oxidative chlorination reactions. Chem Sci 2024; 15:3018-3027. [PMID: 38404385 PMCID: PMC10882502 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc06337b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Photo(electro)catalytic chlorine oxidation has emerged as a useful method for chemical transformation and environmental remediation. However, the reaction selectivity usually remains low due to the high activity and non-selectivity characteristics of free chlorine radicals. In this study, we report a photoelectrochemical (PEC) strategy for achieving controlled non-radical chlorine activation on hematite (α-Fe2O3) photoanodes. High selectivity (up to 99%) and faradaic efficiency (up to 90%) are achieved for the chlorination of a wide range of aromatic compounds and alkenes by using NaCl as the chlorine source, which is distinct from conventional TiO2 photoanodes. A comprehensive PEC study verifies a non-radical "Cl+" formation pathway, which is facilitated by the accumulation of surface-trapped holes on α-Fe2O3 surfaces. The new understanding of the non-radical Cl- activation by semiconductor photoelectrochemistry is expected to provide guidance for conducting selective chlorine atom transfer reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daojian Tang
- Key Laboratory of Photochemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 P. R. China
| | - Lei Wu
- Key Laboratory of Photochemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 P. R. China
| | - Liubo Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 P. R. China
| | - Niankai Fu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 P. R. China
| | - Chuncheng Chen
- Key Laboratory of Photochemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 P. R. China
| | - Yuchao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Photochemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 P. R. China
| | - Jincai Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Photochemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 P. R. China
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Yao J, Yang R, Liu C, Zhao BH, Zhang B, Wu Y. Alkynes Electrooxidation to α,α-Dichloroketones in Seawater with Natural Chlorine Participation via Competitive Reaction Inhibition and Tip-Enhanced Reagent Concentration. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2024; 10:155-162. [PMID: 38292614 PMCID: PMC10823507 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.3c01277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
The traditional synthesis of α,α-dichloroketones usually requires corrosive chlorine, harsh reaction conditions, or excessive electrolytes. Here, we report an electrooxidation strategy of ethynylbenzenes to α,α-dichloroketones by directly utilizing seawater as the chlorine source and electrolyte solution without an additional supporting electrolyte. High-curvature NiCo2O4 nanocones are designed to inhibit competitive O2 and Cl2 evolution reactions and concentrate Cl- and OH- ions, accelerating α,α-dichloroketone electrosynthesis. NiCo2O4 nanocones produce 81% yield, 61% Faradaic efficiency, and 44.2 mmol gcat.-1 h-1 yield rate of α,α-dichloroketones, outperforming NiCo2O4 nanosheets. A Cl• radical triggered Cl• and OH• radical addition mechanism is revealed by a variety of radical-trapping and control experiments. The feasibility of a solar-powered electrosynthesis system, methodological universality, and extended synthesis of α,α-dichloroketone-drug blocks confirm its practical potential. This work may provide a sustainable solution to the electrocatalytic synthesis of α,α-dichloroketones via the utilization of seawater resources.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Cuibo Liu
- Department of Chemistry,
School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Bo-Hang Zhao
- Department of Chemistry,
School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Chemistry,
School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yongmeng Wu
- Department of Chemistry,
School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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Gao Y, Yan M, Cheng C, Zhong H, Zhao BH, Liu C, Wu Y, Zhang B. Membrane-Free Electrosynthesis of Epichlorohydrins Mediated by Bromine Radicals over Nanotips. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:714-722. [PMID: 38157544 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c10585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The industrial manufacture of epichlorohydrin (ECH) often suffers from excessive corrosive chlorine and multistep processes. Here, we report a one-pot membrane-free Br radical-mediated ECH electrosynthesis. Bromine radicals electro-oxidized from Br- ions initiate the reaction and then eliminate HBr from bromohydrin to give ECH and release Br- ions for reuse. A high energy barrier for *OH oxidation and isolated Br adsorption sites enables NiCo2O4 to suppress the competitive oxygen and bromine evolution reactions. The high-curvature nanotips with an increased electric field concentrate Br- and OH- ions to accelerate ECH electrosynthesis. This strategy delivers ECH with a Faradaic efficiency of 47% and a reaction rate of 1.4 mol h-1 gcat-1 at a high current density of 100 mA cm-2, exceeding the profitable target from the techno-economic analysis. Economically profitable electrosynthesis, methodological universality, and the extended synthesis of epoxide-drug blocks highlight their promising potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Gao
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Institute of Molecular Plus, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Mingming Yan
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Institute of Molecular Plus, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Chuanqi Cheng
- Institute of New Energy Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Hao Zhong
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Institute of Molecular Plus, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Bo-Hang Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Institute of Molecular Plus, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Cuibo Liu
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Institute of Molecular Plus, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yongmeng Wu
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Institute of Molecular Plus, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Institute of Molecular Plus, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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Liu C, Wu Y, Zhao B, Zhang B. Designed Nanomaterials for Electrocatalytic Organic Hydrogenation Using Water as the Hydrogen Source. Acc Chem Res 2023. [PMID: 37316974 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.3c00192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
ConspectusThe hydrogenation reaction is one of the most frequently used transformations in organic synthesis. Electrocatalytic hydrogenation by using water (H2O) as the hydrogen source offers an efficient and sustainable approach to synthesize hydrogenated products under ambient conditions. Such a technique can avoid the use of high-pressure and flammable hydrogen gas or other toxic/expensive hydrogen donors, which usually cause environmental, safety, and cost concerns. Interestingly, utilizing easily available heavy water (D2O) for deuterated syntheses is also attractive due to the widespread applications of deuterated molecules in organic synthesis and the pharmaceutical industry. Despite impressive achievements, electrode selection mainly relies on trial-and-error modes, and how electrodes dictate reaction outcomes remains elusive. Therefore, the rational design of nanostructured electrodes for driving the electrocatalytic hydrogenation of a series of organics via H2O electrolysis is developed.In this Account, we review recent advances in the electrocatalytic hydrogenation of different types of organic functional groups, including C≡C, C≡N, C═C, C═O, and C-Br/I bonds, -NO2, and N-heterocycles, with H2O over nanostructured cathodes. First, the general reaction steps (reactant/intermediate adsorption, active atomic hydrogen (H*) formation, surface hydrogenation reaction, product desorption) are analyzed, and key factors are proposed to optimize hydrogenation performance (e.g., selectivity, activity, Faradaic efficiency (FE), reaction rate, and productivity) and inhibit side reactions. Then, ex situ and in situ spectroscopic tools to study key intermediates and interpret mechanisms are introduced. Third, based on the knowledge of key reaction steps and mechanisms, we introduce catalyst design principles in detail on how to optimize the adoption of reactants and key intermediates, promote the formation of H* from water electrolysis, inhibit hydrogen evolution and side reactions, and improve the selectivity, reaction rate, FEs, and space-time productivity of products. We then introduce some typical examples. (i) P- and S-modified Pd can decrease C═C adsorption and promote H* formation, enabling semihydrogenation of alkynes with high selectivity and FEs at lower potentials. Then, creating high-curvature nanotips to concentrate the substrates further speeds up the hydrogenation process. (ii) By introducing low-coordination sites into Fe and combining low-coordination sites and surface fluorine to modify Co to optimize the adsorption of intermediates and facilitate H* formation, hydrogenation of nitriles and N-heterocycles with high activity and selectivity is obtained. (iii) By forming isolated Pd sites to induce a specific σ-alkynyl adsorption of alkynes and steering S vacancies of Co3S4-x to preferentially adsorb -NO2, hydrogenation of easily reduced group-decorated alkynes and nitroarenes with high chemoselectivity is realized. (iv) For gas reactant participated reactions, by designing hydrophobic gas diffusion layer-supported ultrasmall Cu nanoparticles to enhance mass transfer, improve H2O activation, inhibit H2 formation, and decrease ethylene adsorption, ampere-level ethylene production with a 97.7% FE is accomplished. Finally, we provide an outlook on the current challenges and promising opportunities in this area. We believe that the electrode selection principles summarized here provide a paradigm for designing highly active and selective nanomaterials to achieve electrocatalytic hydrogenation and other organic transformations with fascinating performances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuibo Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Molecular Plus, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yongmeng Wu
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Molecular Plus, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Bohang Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Molecular Plus, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Molecular Plus, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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