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Clarke TB, Krushinski LE, Vannoy KJ, Colón-Quintana G, Roy K, Rana A, Renault C, Hill ML, Dick JE. Single Entity Electrocatalysis. Chem Rev 2024; 124:9015-9080. [PMID: 39018111 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Making a measurement over millions of nanoparticles or exposed crystal facets seldom reports on reactivity of a single nanoparticle or facet, which may depart drastically from ensemble measurements. Within the past 30 years, science has moved toward studying the reactivity of single atoms, molecules, and nanoparticles, one at a time. This shift has been fueled by the realization that everything changes at the nanoscale, especially important industrially relevant properties like those important to electrocatalysis. Studying single nanoscale entities, however, is not trivial and has required the development of new measurement tools. This review explores a tale of the clever use of old and new measurement tools to study electrocatalysis at the single entity level. We explore in detail the complex interrelationship between measurement method, electrocatalytic material, and reaction of interest (e.g., carbon dioxide reduction, oxygen reduction, hydrazine oxidation, etc.). We end with our perspective on the future of single entity electrocatalysis with a key focus on what types of measurements present the greatest opportunity for fundamental discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas B Clarke
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Lynn E Krushinski
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Kathryn J Vannoy
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | | | - Kingshuk Roy
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Ashutosh Rana
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Christophe Renault
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60660, United States
| | - Megan L Hill
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Jeffrey E Dick
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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Jin Z. High-Spatiotemporal-Resolution Electrochemical Measurements of Electrocatalytic Reactivity. Anal Chem 2023; 95:6477-6489. [PMID: 37023363 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c05755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
The real-time measurement of the individual or local electrocatalytic reactivity of catalyst particles instead of ensemble behavior is considerably challenging but very critical to uncover fundamental insights into catalytic mechanisms. Recent remarkable efforts have been made to the development of high-spatiotemporal-resolution electrochemical techniques, which allow the imaging of the topography and reactivity of fast electron-transfer processes at the nanoscale. This Perspective summarizes emerging powerful electrochemical measurement techniques for studying various electrocatalytic reactions on different types of catalysts. Principles of scanning electrochemical microscopy, scanning electrochemical cell microscopy, single-entity measurement, and molecular probing technique have been discussed for the purpose of measuring important parameters in electrocatalysis. We further demonstrate recent advances in these techniques that reveal quantitative information about the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of catalysts for various electrocatalytic reactions associated with our perspectives. Future research on the next-generation electrochemical techniques is anticipated to be focused on the development of instrumentation, correlative multimodal techniques, and new applications, thus enabling new opportunities for elucidating structure-reactivity relationships and dynamic information at the single active-site level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoyu Jin
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
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Lu SM, Chen JF, Wang HF, Hu P, Long YT. Mass Transport and Electron Transfer at the Electrochemical-Confined Interface. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:1113-1123. [PMID: 36705310 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c03479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Single entity measurements based on the stochastic collision electrochemistry provide a promising and versatile means to study single molecules, single particles, single droplets, etc. Conceptually, mass transport and electron transfer are the two main processes at the electrochemically confined interface that underpin the most transient electrochemical responses resulting from the stochastic and discrete behaviors of single entities at the microscopic scale. This perspective demonstrates how to achieve controllable stochastic collision electrochemistry by effectively altering the two processes. Future challenges and opportunities for stochastic collision electrochemistry are also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si-Min Lu
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai200237, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023P. R. China
| | - Jian-Fu Chen
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai200237, P. R. China
| | - Hai-Feng Wang
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai200237, P. R. China
| | - Peijun Hu
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai200237, P. R. China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, The Queen's University of Belfast, BelfastBT9 5AG, U.K
| | - Yi-Tao Long
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023P. R. China
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Lu SM, Li MY, Long YT. Dynamic Chemistry Interactions: Controlled Single-Entity Electrochemistry. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:4653-4659. [PMID: 35604854 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c00960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Single-entity electrochemistry (SEE) provides powerful means to measure single cells, single particles, and even single molecules at the nanoscale by diverse well-defined interfaces. The nanoconfined electrode interface has significantly enhanced structural, electrical, and compositional characteristics that have great effects on the assay limitation and selectivity of single-entity measurement. In this Perspective, after introducing the dynamic chemistry interactions of the target and electrode interface, we present a fundamental understanding of how these dynamic interactions control the features of the electrode interface and thus the stochastic and discrete electrochemical responses of single entities under nanoconfinement. Both stochastic single-entity collision electrochemistry and nanopore electrochemistry as examples in this Perspective explore how these interactions alter the transient charge transfer and mass transport. Finally, we discuss the further challenges and opportunities in SEE, from the design of sensing interfaces to hybrid spectro-electrochemical methods, theoretical models, and advanced data processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si-Min Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P.R. China
| | - Meng-Yin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P.R. China
| | - Yi-Tao Long
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P.R. China
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