Novel rGO@Fe3O4 nanostructures: An active electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline media

Hydrothermally Synthesized rGO/MnO2/MoS2 Nanohybrids as Superior Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Oxygen and Hydrogen Evolution Reactions

This investigation delved into the field of bifunctional electrocatalyst water splitting, aimed at advancing sustainable energy by addressing the scarcity of efficient nonprecious electrocatalysts capable of facilitating both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). This study focused on nanohybrids consisting of hydrothermally synthesized rGO/MnO2/MoS2 composites and highlighted their efficacy as bifunctional electrocatalysts. The synergistic integration of rGO/MnO2/MoS2 enhanced the surface area, magnified electroactive sites, established a customized conductive arrangement, and provoked the efficiency in splitting of water. The nanohybrid displayed exceptional catalytic performance for the OER and HER, with significantly reduced overpotentials of 208 and 205 mV in 1 M KOH at 10 mA cm-2 current density, respectively. The findings underscore the potential of these cost-effective and environmentally friendly rGO/MnO2/MoS2 nanohybrids in advancing the field of electrocatalysis for renewable energy applications.

V-MXenes for Energy Storage/Conversion Applications

MXenes, a two-dimensional (2D) material, exhibit excellent optical, electrical, chemical, mechanical, and electrochemical properties. Titanium-based MXene (Ti-MXene) has been extensively studied and serves as the foundation for 2D MXenes. However, other transition metals possess the potential to offer excellent properties in various applications. This comprehensive review aims to provide an overview of the properties, challenges, key findings, and applications of less-explored vanadium-based MXenes (V-MXenes) and their composites. The current trends in V-MXene and their composites for energy storage and conversion applications have been thoroughly summarized. Overall, this review offers valuable insights, identifies potential opportunities, and provides key suggestions for future advancements in the MXenes and energy storage/conversion applications.

Synergistic reductive catalytic effects of an organic and inorganic hybrid covalent organic framework for hydrogen fuel production

Electrocatalytic hydrogen generation in alkaline medium has become widely used in a variety of sectors. However, the possibility for additional performance improvement is hampered by slow kinetics. Because of this restriction, careful control over processes such as water dissociation, hydroxyl desorption and hydrogen recombination is required. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) based on porphyrin and polyoxometalates (POMs) show encouraging electrocatalytic performance, offering a viable route for effective and sustainable hydrogen generation. Their specific architectures lead to increased electrocatalytic activity, which makes them excellent choices for developing water electrolysis as a clean energy conversion method in the alkaline medium. In this regard, TTris@ZnPor and Lindqvist POM were coordinated to create a new eco-friendly and highly active covalent organic framework (TP@VL-COF). In order to describe TP@VL-COF, extensive structural and morphological investigations were carried out through FTIR, 1H NMR, elemental analysis, SEM, fluorescence, UV-visible, PXRD, CV, N2-adsorption isotherm, TGA and DSC analyses. In an alkaline medium, the electrocatalytic capability of 20%C/Pt, TTris@ZnPor, Lindqvist POM and TP@VL-COF was explored and compared for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The TP@VL-COF showed the best catalytic efficiency for HER in an alkaline electrolyte, requiring just a 75 mV overpotential to drive 10 mA cm-2 and outperforming 20%C/Pt, TTris@ZnPor, Lindqvist POM and other reported catalysts. The Tafel slope value also indicates faster kinetics for TP@VL-COF (114 mV dec-1) than for 20%C/Pt (182 mV dec-1) TTris@ZnPor (116 mV dec-1) and Lindqvist POM (125 mV dec-1).

Transition metal-based electrocatalysts for alkaline overall water splitting: advancements, challenges, and perspectives

Water electrolysis is a promising method for efficiently producing hydrogen and oxygen, crucial for renewable energy conversion and fuel cell technologies. The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are two key electrocatalytic reactions occurring during water splitting, necessitating the development of active, stable, and low-cost electrocatalysts. Transition metal (TM)-based electrocatalysts, spanning noble metals and TM oxides, phosphides, nitrides, carbides, borides, chalcogenides, and dichalcogenides, have garnered significant attention due to their outstanding characteristics, including high electronic conductivity, tunable valence electron configuration, high stability, and cost-effectiveness. This timely review discusses developments in TM-based electrocatalysts for the HER and OER in alkaline media in the last 10 years, revealing that the exposure of more accessible surface-active sites, specific electronic effects, and string effects are essential for the development of efficient electrocatalysts towards electrochemical water splitting application. This comprehensive review serves as a guide for designing and constructing state-of-the-art, high-performance bifunctional electrocatalysts based on TMs, particularly for applications in water splitting.

Acenaphthenediimine complex-bridged porphyrin porous organic polymer with enriched active sites as a robust water splitting electrocatalyst

To realize efficient water splitting, a highly promising hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalyst is needed for the generation of hydrogen. Herein, we demonstrate a novel acenaphthenediimine complex-bridged porphyrin porous organic polymer (NiTAPP-NiACQ) with enriched active metal sites and hierarchical pores. The as-prepared NiTAPP-NiACQ exhibits good long-term durability and remarkable HER performance in 1.0 M KOH with a low overpotential of 117 mV at 10 mA cm-2, which is comparable to many previously reported electrocatalytic HER systems. Furthermore, a simple water-alkali electrolyzer using NiTAPP-NiACQ as the cathode requires a small cell voltage of 1.59 V to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm-2 at room temperature, along with outstanding durability. NiTAPP-NiACQ features not only a metal ion as the catalytic active center in the porphyrin core but also metal ion coordination on the anthraquinone component to promote HER performance, enabling multiple metal ions as the electrocatalytic active sites for the HER reaction. The excellent HER activity of NiTAPP-NiACQ is ascribed to a combination of mechanisms. These findings highlight the viability of porphyrin-derived porous organic polymers in energy conversion processes.

Mo-based MXenes: Synthesis, properties, and applications

Ti-MXene allows a range of possibilities to tune their compositional stoichiometry due to their electronic and electrochemical properties. Other than conventionally explored Ti-MXene, there have been ample opportunities for the non-Ti-based MXenes, especially the emerging Mo-based MXenes. Mo-MXenes are established to be remarkable with optoelectronic and electrochemical properties, tuned energy, catalysis, and sensing applications. In this timely review, we systematically discuss the various organized synthesis procedures, associated experimental tunning parameters, physiochemical properties, structural evaluation, stability challenges, key findings, and a wide range of applications of emerging Mo-MXene over Ti-MXenes. We also critically examined the precise control of Mo-MXenes to cater to advanced applications by comprehensively evaluating the summary of recent studies using artificial intelligence and machine learning tools. The critical future perspectives, significant challenges, and possible outlooks for successfully developing and using Mo-MXenes for various practical applications are highlighted.

Rapid cold plasma synthesis of cobalt metal-organic framework/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites for use as supercapacitor electrodes

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are recognized as a desirable class of porous materials for energy storage applications, despite their limited conductivity. In the present study, Co-MOF-71 was fabricated as a high-performance supercapacitor electrode at ambient temperature using a fast and straightforward, one-pot cold plasma method. A supercapacitor electrode based on Co-MOF@rGO was also synthesized by adding reduced graphene oxide (rGO) during processing to increase the capacitance retention and stability after 4000 cycles from 80 to 95.4%. The Co-MOF-71 electrode provided a specific capacitance (Cs) of 651.7 Fg-1 at 1 Ag-1, whereas the Co-MOF@rGO electrode produced a Cs value of 967.68 Fg-1 at 1 Ag-1. In addition, we fabricated an asymmetric device (Co-MOF@rGO||AC) using Co-MOF-rGO as a high-rate positive electrode and activated carbon (AC) as a negative electrode. This hybrid device has a remarkable specific energy and power density. The combination of MOFs with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) in a cold plasma environment resulted in the formation of a three-dimensional nanostructure composed of nanosheets. This nanostructure exhibited an increased number of electroactive sites, providing benefits for energy storage applications.

In situ construction of Fe3O4@FeOOH for efficient electrocatalytic urea oxidation

Substituting water oxidation half of water splitting with anodic oxidation of urea can reduce the cost of H₂ production and provide an avenue for treating urea-rich wastewater. However, developing an efficient and stable electrocatalyst is necessary to overcome the indolent kinetics of the urea oxidation reaction (UOR). Accordingly, we have used the Schikorr reaction to deposit Fe₃O₄ particles on the nickel foam (Fe₃O₄/NF). Results from the various analysis indicated that under the operational conditions, Fe₃O₄ underwent surface reconstruction to produce a heterolayered structure wherein a catalytically active FeOOH layer encased a conducting Fe₃O₄. Fe₃O₄/NF outperformed RuO₂ as a UOR catalyst and delivered a current density of 10 50 and 100 mA cm^-2 at low applied potentials of 1.38 1.42 and 1.46 V, respectively, with a Tafel slope of 28 mV dec^-1. At the applied potential of 1.4 V, Fe₃O₄/NF demonstrated a turnover frequency (TOF) of 2.8 × 10^-3 s^-1, highlighting its superior intrinsic activity. In addition, a symmetrical urea electrolyzer constructed using Fe₃O₄/NF produced the current density of 10 mA cm^-2 at a cell voltage of 1.54 V.