1
|
Yu J, Li Z, Wang C, Xu X, Liu T, Chen D, Shao Z, Ni M. Engineering advanced noble-metal-free electrocatalysts for energy-saving hydrogen production from alkaline water via urea electrolysis. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 661:629-661. [PMID: 38310771 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.01.183] [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: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
When the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) of water splitting is replaced by the urea oxidation reaction (UOR), the electrolyzer can fulfill hydrogen generation in an energy-economic manner for urea electrolysis as well as sewage purification. However, owing to the sluggish kinetics from a six-electron process for UOR, it is in great demand to design and fabricate high-performance and affordable electrocatalysts. Over the past years, numerous non-precious materials (especially nickel-involved samples) have offered huge potential as catalysts for urea electrolysis under alkaline conditions, even in comparison with frequently used noble-metal ones. In this review, recent efforts and progress in these high-efficiency noble-metal-free electrocatalysts are comprehensively summarized. The fundamentals and principles of UOR are first described, followed by highlighting UOR mechanism progress, and then some discussion about density functional theory (DFT) calculations and operando investigations is given to disclose the real reaction mechanism. Afterward, aiming to improve or optimize UOR electrocatalytic properties, various noble-metal-free catalytic materials are introduced in detail and classified into different classes, highlighting the underlying activity-structure relationships. Furthermore, new design trends are also discussed, including targetedly designing nanostructured materials, manipulating anodic products, combining theory and in situ experiments, and constructing bifunctional catalysts. Ultimately, we point out the outlook and explore the possible future opportunities by analyzing the remaining challenges in this booming field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yu
- School of Energy and Power, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, PR China; Department of Building and Real Estate, Research Institute for Sustainable Urbanization (RISUD), Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, PR China
| | - Zheng Li
- Department of Building and Real Estate, Research Institute for Sustainable Urbanization (RISUD), Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, PR China
| | - Chen Wang
- Department of Building and Real Estate, Research Institute for Sustainable Urbanization (RISUD), Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, PR China
| | - Xiaomin Xu
- WA School of Mines: Minerals, Energy and Chemical Engineering (WASM-MECE), Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, 6102, Australia
| | - Tong Liu
- Department of Building and Real Estate, Research Institute for Sustainable Urbanization (RISUD), Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, PR China
| | - Daifen Chen
- School of Energy and Power, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, PR China
| | - Zongping Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, PR China; WA School of Mines: Minerals, Energy and Chemical Engineering (WASM-MECE), Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, 6102, Australia.
| | - Meng Ni
- Department of Building and Real Estate, Research Institute for Sustainable Urbanization (RISUD), Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Huo J, Chang Y, Xu A, Jia M, Jia J. NiSe 2/CeO 2 catalysts from Ce-UiO-66 metal-organic skeletons and their electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol, urea and glycerol. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:9413-9423. [PMID: 38446037 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp06273b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Hydrogen is a viable alternative energy source to fossil fuels. In order to manufacture enough hydrogen to meet the needs of social growth, finding an alternate energy source that is more effective is essential. Electrochemical water cracking is a more appropriate method for producing hydrogen. The methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), urea oxidation reaction (UOR) and glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR) can be used to replace the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and indirectly accelerate the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), which has the advantages of saving energy and reducing environmental pollution. In this study, Ni/CeO2 catalysts were prepared by thermal annealing of MOFs (Ce-UiO-66) containing nickel species and NiSe2/CeO2 nanocrystalline catalysts were obtained through the selenation reaction at different temperatures. The NiSe2/CeO2-450 °C catalysts exhibited superior catalytic performance for the MOR, UOR, and GOR. The MOR showed a peak current density of roughly 186.68 mA cm-2 and a low oxidation potential of around 1.34 V. Similarly, the UOR demonstrated a peak current density of approximately 142.28 mA cm-2 and a low oxidation potential of around 1.32 V. Furthermore, the GOR exhibited a peak current density of approximately 82.56 mA cm-2 and a low oxidation potential of around 1.37 V. NiSe2/CeO2-450 °C could improve electrocatalytic performance for the MOR, UOR, and GOR, which is attributed to the more active sites that were exposed as a result of utilizing MOFs (Ce-UiO-66) as a precursor. Additionally, selenation increased the ability to transfer electrons. This research is crucial for the production of inexpensive, easily accessible transition metals in place of expensive noble metals, for the reduction of wastewater pollution from methanol and urea, and for the creation of effective anodic oxidation electrocatalysts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Huo
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Green Catalysis and Inner Mongolia Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Environment Safety, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, 010022, China.
| | - Ying Chang
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Green Catalysis and Inner Mongolia Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Environment Safety, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, 010022, China.
| | - Aiju Xu
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Green Catalysis and Inner Mongolia Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Environment Safety, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, 010022, China.
| | - Meilin Jia
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Green Catalysis and Inner Mongolia Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Environment Safety, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, 010022, China.
| | - Jingchun Jia
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Green Catalysis and Inner Mongolia Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Environment Safety, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, 010022, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Jiang Y, Fu H, Liang Z, Zhang Q, Du Y. Rare earth oxide based electrocatalysts: synthesis, properties and applications. Chem Soc Rev 2024; 53:714-763. [PMID: 38105711 DOI: 10.1039/d3cs00708a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
As an important strategic resource, rare earths (REs) constitute 17 elements in the periodic table, namely 15 lanthanides (Ln) (La-Lu, atomic numbers from 57 to 71), scandium (Sc, atomic number 21) and yttrium (Y, atomic number 39). In the field of catalysis, the localization and incomplete filling of 4f electrons endow REs with unique physical and chemical properties, including rich electronic energy level structures, variable coordination numbers, etc., making them have great potential in electrocatalysis. Among various RE catalytic materials, rare earth oxide (REO)-based electrocatalysts exhibit excellent performances in electrocatalytic reactions due to their simple preparation process and strong structural variability. At the same time, the electronic orbital structure of REs exhibits excellent electron transfer ability, which can reduce the band gap and energy barrier values of rate-determining steps, further accelerating the electron transfer in the electrocatalytic reaction process; however, there is a lack of systematic review of recent advances in REO-based electrocatalysis. This review systematically summarizes the synthesis, properties and applications of REO-based nanocatalysts and discusses their applications in electrocatalysis in detail. It includes the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR), methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) and other electrocatalytic reactions and further discusses the catalytic mechanism of REs in the above reactions. This review provides a timely and comprehensive summary of the current progress in the application of RE-based nanomaterials in electrocatalytic reactions and provides reasonable prospects for future electrocatalytic applications of REO-based materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yong Jiang
- Tianjin Key Lab for Rare Earth Materials and Applications, Center for Rare Earth and Inorganic Functional Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering & National Institute for Advanced Materials, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China.
| | - Hao Fu
- Tianjin Key Lab for Rare Earth Materials and Applications, Center for Rare Earth and Inorganic Functional Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering & National Institute for Advanced Materials, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China.
- College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Zhong Liang
- Tianjin Key Lab for Rare Earth Materials and Applications, Center for Rare Earth and Inorganic Functional Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering & National Institute for Advanced Materials, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China.
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an, 710048, China
| | - Yaping Du
- Tianjin Key Lab for Rare Earth Materials and Applications, Center for Rare Earth and Inorganic Functional Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering & National Institute for Advanced Materials, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Yue T, Shi Y, Ji Y, Jia J, Chang Y, Chen J, Jia M. Interfacial engineering of nickel selenide with CeO 2 on N-doped carbon nanosheets for efficient methanol and urea electro-oxidation. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 653:1369-1378. [PMID: 37801847 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.09.101] [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: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
The design of low cost, high efficiency electrocatalysts for methanol oxidation reactions (MOR) and urea oxidation reactions (UOR) is a pressing need to address the energy crisis and water pollution. In the present work, we developed Cerium dioxide (CeO2) and nickel selenide (Ni0.85Se) nanoparticles integrated into three-dimensional N-doped carbon nanosheets to be used as efficient and stable bifunctional electrocatalysts for MOR and UOR. By optimizing the selenization temperature, the CeO2-modified Ni0.85Se obtained at selenization temperature of 550 °C (CeO2-Ni0.85Se-550-NC) has the best MOR and UOR electrochemical performance. The CeO2-Ni0.85Se-550-NC potential only requires 1.309 V (MOR) and 1.294 V (UOR) to reach 10 mA cm-2, respectively. The DFT study reveals that CeO2-Ni0.85Se-550-NC has the best reaction path with the synergistic effect between CeO2 and Ni0.85Se. The outstanding catalytic performance of CeO2-Ni0.85Se-550-NC may be due to the cointeraction between CeO2 and Ni0.85Se, allowing more defects that function as catalytic sites while promoting fast electron transfer in the N-doped carbon substrate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Yue
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Green Catalysis and Inner Mongolia Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Environment Safety, Inner Mongolia Normal University, China
| | - Yue Shi
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Green Catalysis and Inner Mongolia Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Environment Safety, Inner Mongolia Normal University, China
| | - Yaxin Ji
- Key Laboratory of Design and Assembly of Functional Nanostructures, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Nanomaterials, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Jingchun Jia
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Green Catalysis and Inner Mongolia Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Environment Safety, Inner Mongolia Normal University, China; Key Laboratory of Infinite-dimensional Hamiltonian System and Its Algorithm Application (Inner Mongolia Normal University), Ministry of Education Hohhot, 010022, China.
| | - Ying Chang
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Green Catalysis and Inner Mongolia Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Environment Safety, Inner Mongolia Normal University, China; Key Laboratory of Infinite-dimensional Hamiltonian System and Its Algorithm Application (Inner Mongolia Normal University), Ministry of Education Hohhot, 010022, China
| | - Junxiang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Design and Assembly of Functional Nanostructures, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Nanomaterials, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China.
| | - Meilin Jia
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Green Catalysis and Inner Mongolia Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Environment Safety, Inner Mongolia Normal University, China; Key Laboratory of Infinite-dimensional Hamiltonian System and Its Algorithm Application (Inner Mongolia Normal University), Ministry of Education Hohhot, 010022, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
You M, Yi S, Zhang G, Long W, Chen D. Novel trifunctional electrocatalyst of nickel foam supported Co 2P/NiMoO 4 heterostructures for overall water splitting and urea oxidation. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 648:278-286. [PMID: 37301152 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.05.184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The process of electrocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen generation is significantly limited by sluggish kinetics of the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The efficiency of H2 electrocatalytic generation can be improved by reducing the anode potential or substituting urea oxidation reaction (UOR) for oxygen evolution process. Here, we report a robust catalyst based on Co2P/NiMoO4 heterojunction arrays supported on nickel foam (NF) for water splitting and urea oxidation. In the hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline media, the optimized catalyst Co2P/NiMoO4/NF displayed a lower overpotential (169 mV) at a large current density (150 mA cm-2) compared to 20 wt% Pt/C/NF (295 mV@150 mA cm-2). In the OER and UOR, the potentials were as low as 1.45 and 1.34 V. These values surpass (for OER), or compare favorably to (for UOR), the most advanced commercial catalyst RuO2/NF (at 10 mA cm-2). This outstanding performance was attributed to the addition of Co2P, which has a significant effect on the chemical environment and electron structure of NiMoO4, while increasing the number of active sites and promoting charge transfer across the Co2P/NiMoO4 interface. This work proposes a high-performance and cost-effective electrocatalyst for water splitting and urea oxidation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhu You
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Brazing Filler Metals & Technology, Zhengzhou Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering Co., LTD, Zhengzhou 450001, PR China.
| | - Shasha Yi
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, PR China
| | - Guanxing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Brazing Filler Metals & Technology, Zhengzhou Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering Co., LTD, Zhengzhou 450001, PR China
| | - Weimin Long
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Brazing Filler Metals & Technology, Zhengzhou Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering Co., LTD, Zhengzhou 450001, PR China
| | - Deliang Chen
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, PR China; School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, PR China; Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Key Materials for High-Performance Copper Clad Laminates (KM-CCL), Dongguan 523808, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Mott-Schottky Heterojunction of Se/NiSe2 as Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Energy Efficient Hydrogen Production via Urea Assisted Seawater Electrolysis. J Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 630:844-854. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.10.149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
|
7
|
Cerium oxide carbonate/nickel hydroxide hybrid nanowires with enhanced performance and stability for urea electrooxidation. J Electroanal Chem (Lausanne) 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jelechem.2021.115457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|
8
|
NiMoO4 nanoparticles embedded in nanoporous carbon nanosheets derived from peanut shells: Efficient electrocatalysts for urea oxidation. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2020.125276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
|