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Chen Z, Fang P, Zou X, Shi Z, Zhang J, Sun Z, Guo S, Yan F. Interlayer Polymerization to Construct a Fully Conjugated Covalent Organic Framework as a Metal-Free Oxygen Reduction Reaction Catalyst for Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2401880. [PMID: 38678520 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202401880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Two-dimensional (2D) covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have a multilayer skeleton with a periodic π-conjugated molecular array, which can facilitate charge carrier transport within a COF layer. However, the lack of an effective charge carrier transmission pathway between 2D COF layers greatly limits their applications in electrocatalysis. Herein, by employing a side-chain polymerization strategy to form polythiophene along the nanochannels, a conjugated bridge is constructed between the COF layers. The as-synthesized fully conjugated COF (PTh-COF) exhibits high oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity with narrowed energy band gaps. Correspondingly, PTh-COF is tested as a metal-free cathode catalyst for anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) which showed a maximum power density of 176 mW cm-2 under a current density of 533 mA cm-2. The density functional theory (DFT) calculation reveals that interlayer conjugated polythiophene optimizes the electron cloud distribution, which therefore enhances the ORR performance. This work not only provides new insight into the construction of a fully conjugated covalent organic framework but also promotes the development of new metal-free ORR catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwei Chen
- Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Negative Carbon Technologies, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Soft Material and New Energy, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Pengda Fang
- Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Negative Carbon Technologies, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Soft Material and New Energy, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Xiuyang Zou
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huaiyin Normal University, No.111 West Changjiang Road, Huaian, 223300, China
| | - Zheng Shi
- Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Negative Carbon Technologies, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Soft Material and New Energy, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Jiamin Zhang
- Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Negative Carbon Technologies, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Soft Material and New Energy, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Zhe Sun
- Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Negative Carbon Technologies, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Soft Material and New Energy, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Siyu Guo
- Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Negative Carbon Technologies, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Soft Material and New Energy, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Feng Yan
- Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Negative Carbon Technologies, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Soft Material and New Energy, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
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Cai M, Zhang Y, He P, Zhang Z. Recent Advances in Revealing the Electrocatalytic Mechanism for Hydrogen Energy Conversion System. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024:e2405008. [PMID: 39075971 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202405008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
In light of the intensifying global energy crisis and the mounting demand for environmental protection, it is of vital importance to develop advanced hydrogen energy conversion systems. Electrolysis cells for hydrogen production and fuel cell devices for hydrogen utilization are indispensable in hydrogen energy conversion. As one of the electrolysis cells, water splitting involves two electrochemical reactions, hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction. And oxygen reduction reaction coupled with hydrogen oxidation reaction, represent the core electrocatalytic reactions in fuel cell devices. However, the inherent complexity and the lack of a clear understanding of the structure-performance relationship of these electrocatalytic reactions, have posed significant challenges to the advancement of research in this field. In this work, the recent development in revealing the mechanism of electrocatalytic reactions in hydrogen energy conversion systems is reviewed, including in situ characterization and theoretical calculation. First, the working principles and applications of operando measurements in unveiling the reaction mechanism are systematically introduced. Then the application of theoretical calculations in the design of catalysts and the investigation of the reaction mechanism are discussed. Furthermore, the challenges and opportunities are also summarized and discussed for paving the development of hydrogen energy conversion systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxin Cai
- Materials Tech Laboratory for Hydrogen & Energy Storage, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China
- College of Materials Sciences and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yiran Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuit, Ministry of Education & Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Peilei He
- Materials Tech Laboratory for Hydrogen & Energy Storage, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China
- College of Materials Sciences and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- CISRI & NIMTE Joint Innovation Center for Rare Earth Permanent Magnets, Ningbo Institute of Material Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China
| | - Zhicheng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuit, Ministry of Education & Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300072, China
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Yang S, Meng F, Li X, Fu Y, Xu Q, Zhang F. Tuning the Pyridine Units in Vinylene-Linked Covalent Organic Frameworks Boosting 2e - Oxygen Reduction Reaction. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2308801. [PMID: 38295007 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202308801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
The N-doped carbon materials are supposed to be the efficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts with the undefined N-doped carbon ring groups. It is essential to well define the role of the nitrogen atoms of these carbon structures in active behavior. Even though, the covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with precise structures are well developed, but unable to exclude the polar linkages influence. This study presents a series of pyridine-containing COFs linked via nonpolar carbon-carbon double bonds (C = C). Their catalytic activity and selectivity for 2e- ORR are successfully modulated by locating the embedded pyridine nitrogen in the backbones through the linking modes of pyridine moieties within the frameworks. Such phenomena can be attributed to their different binding abilities toward O2, leading to the different binding strength of the intermediate OH* to the catalytic sites, also verified by the theoretical calculation. This work provides us a new insight to design high-efficiency ORR catalysts through the exact location of pyridine nitrogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Low-Carbon Conversion Science and Engineering, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Fancheng Meng
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Xiaomeng Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Yubin Fu
- Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (cfaed), Faculty of Chemistry, Food Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - Qing Xu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Low-Carbon Conversion Science and Engineering, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Fan Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P. R. China
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