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Rocca T, Gurel A, Schaming D, Limoges B, Balland V. Multivalent-Ion versus Proton Insertion into Nanostructured Electrochromic WO 3 from Mild Aqueous Electrolytes. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024. [PMID: 38656169 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c02152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Mild aqueous electrolytes containing multivalent metal salts are currently scrutinized for the development of ecosustainable energy-related devices. However, the role of soluble multivalent metal ions in the electrochemical reactivity of transition metal oxides is a matter of debate, especially when they are performed in protic aqueous electrolytes. Here, we have compared, by means of (spectro)electrochemistry, the reversible electrochromic reduction of transparent nanostructured γ-WO3 thin films in mild aqueous electrolytes of various chemical composition and pH. This study reveals that reversible proton insertion is the only charge storage mechanism over a large pH range and that it is effective for aqueous electrolytes prepared from either organic (such as acetic acid) or inorganic (such as solvated multivalent cations) Bro̷nsted acids. By refuting charge storage mechanisms relying on the reversible insertion of multivalent metal ions, notably in aqueous electrolytes based on Al3+ ions or a mixture of Al3+ and Zn2+ ions, these fundamental results pave the way for the rational development of electrolytes and active materials for a range of aqueous-based devices, such as the emerging concept of an energy-saving smart window, which we also address in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Rocca
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Electrochimie Moléculaire, F-75013, Paris 75006 CEDEX 05, France
| | - Ari Gurel
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, ITODYS, F-75013, Paris 75006 CEDEX 05, France
| | - Delphine Schaming
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, ITODYS, F-75013, Paris 75006 CEDEX 05, France
| | - Benoît Limoges
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Electrochimie Moléculaire, F-75013, Paris 75006 CEDEX 05, France
| | - Véronique Balland
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Electrochimie Moléculaire, F-75013, Paris 75006 CEDEX 05, France
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2
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Proe KR, Towarnicky A, Fertig A, Lu Z, Mpourmpakis G, Matson EM. Impact of Surface Ligand Identity and Density on the Thermodynamics of H Atom Uptake at Polyoxovanadate-Alkoxide Surfaces. Inorg Chem 2024; 63:7206-7217. [PMID: 38592922 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c04435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
An understanding of how molecular structure influences the thermodynamics of H atom transfer is critical to designing efficient catalysts for reductive chemistries. Herein, we report experimental and theoretical investigations summarizing structure-function relationships of polyoxovanadate-alkoxides that influence bond dissociation free energies of hydroxide ligands located at the surface of the cluster. We evaluate the thermochemical descriptors of O-H bond strength for a series of clusters, namely [V6O13-x(OH)x(TRIOLR)2]-2 (x = 2, 4, 6; R = NO2, Me) and [V6O11-x(OMe)2(OH)x(TRIOLNO2)2]-2, via computational analysis and open circuit potential measurements. Our findings reveal that modifications to the TRIOL ligand (e.g., changing from the previously reported electron withdrawing nitro-backed ligand to the electron-donating methyl variant) have limited influence on the strength of surface O-H bonds as a result of near complete thermodynamic compensation in these systems (i.e., correlated changes in redox potential and cluster basicity). In contrast, changes in surface density of alkoxide ligands via direct alkoxylation of the polyoxovanadate-alkoxide surface result in measurable increases in bond dissociation free energies of surface O-H bonds for the mixed-valent derivatives. Our findings indicate that the extent of (de)localization of electron density across the cluster core has an impact on the bond dissociation free energies of surface O-H bonds across all oxidation states of the assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn R Proe
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, United States
| | - Andreas Towarnicky
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Alex Fertig
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, United States
| | - Zhou Lu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, United States
| | - Giannis Mpourmpakis
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Ellen M Matson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, United States
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3
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Lu Z, Cooney SE, McKone JR, Matson EM. Selective Hydrogenation of Azobenzene to Hydrazobenzene via Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer from a Polyoxotungstate Cluster. JACS AU 2024; 4:1310-1314. [PMID: 38665657 PMCID: PMC11041919 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.4c00127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
In this report, we describe proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactivity at the surface of the Keggin-type polyoxotungstate cluster [nBu4N]3[PWVI12O40] (PW12) in acetonitrile. Bond dissociation free energies (BDFEs) of the O-H groups generated upon reduction of PW12 in the presence of acid are determined through the construction of a potential-pKa diagram. The surface O-H bonds are found to be weak (BDFE(O-H)avg < 48 kcal mol-1), comparable to the BDFE of H2. This is consistent with the observed formation of H2 upon addition of a suitably strong organic acid, H2NPh2+ (pKa MeCN = 5.98), to the reduced form of the cluster. The one-electron reduced form of PW12 is isolated and used in conjunction with acid to realize the stoichiometric semihydrogenation of azobenzene via PCET from the surface of the reduced cluster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhou Lu
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, United States
| | - Shannon E. Cooney
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, United States
| | - James R. McKone
- Departments
of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering and Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
| | - Ellen M. Matson
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, United States
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Nedzbala HS, Westbroek D, Margavio HRM, Yang H, Noh H, Magpantay SV, Donley CL, Kumbhar AS, Parsons GN, Mayer JM. Photoelectrochemical Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer of TiO 2 Thin Films on Silicon. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:10559-10572. [PMID: 38564642 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
TiO2 thin films are often used as protective layers on semiconductors for applications in photovoltaics, molecule-semiconductor hybrid photoelectrodes, and more. Experiments reported here show that TiO2 thin films on silicon are electrochemically and photoelectrochemically reduced in buffered acetonitrile at potentials relevant to photoelectrocatalysis of CO2 reduction, N2 reduction, and H2 evolution. On both n-type Si and irradiated p-type Si, TiO2 reduction is proton-coupled with a 1e-:1H+ stoichiometry, as demonstrated by the Nernstian dependence of the Ti4+/3+ E1/2 on the buffer pKa. Experiments were conducted with and without illumination, and a photovoltage of ∼0.6 V was observed across 20 orders of magnitude in proton activity. The 4 nm films are almost stoichiometrically reduced under mild conditions. The reduced films catalytically transfer protons and electrons to hydrogen atom acceptors, based on cyclic voltammogram, bulk electrolysis, and other mechanistic evidence. TiO2/Si thus has the potential to photoelectrochemically generate high-energy H atom carriers. Characterization of the TiO2 films after reduction reveals restructuring with the formation of islands, rendering TiO2 films as a potentially poor choice as protecting films or catalyst supports under reducing and protic conditions. Overall, this work demonstrates that atomic layer deposition TiO2 films on silicon photoelectrodes undergo both chemical and morphological changes upon application of potentials only modestly negative of RHE in these media. While the results should serve as a cautionary tale for researchers aiming to immobilize molecular monolayers on "protective" metal oxides, the robust proton-coupled electron transfer reactivity of the films introduces opportunities for the photoelectrochemical generation of reactive charge-carrying mediators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah S Nedzbala
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8107, United States
| | - Dalaney Westbroek
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8107, United States
| | - Hannah R M Margavio
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27603, United States
| | - Hyuenwoo Yang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27603, United States
| | - Hyunho Noh
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8107, United States
| | - Samantha V Magpantay
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8107, United States
| | - Carrie L Donley
- Department of Chemistry, Chapel Hill Analytical and Nanofabrication Laboratory (CHANL), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Amar S Kumbhar
- Department of Chemistry, Chapel Hill Analytical and Nanofabrication Laboratory (CHANL), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Gregory N Parsons
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27603, United States
| | - James M Mayer
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8107, United States
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5
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Miu EV, McKone JR, Mpourmpakis G. Global and Local Connectivities Describe Hydrogen Intercalation in Metal Oxides. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 131:108001. [PMID: 37739359 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.131.108001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
We introduce global connectivity, Ω, which quantifies the detailed connectivity of a material and accurately captures reactivity behavior. We demonstrate that combining global and local connectivity describes how metal oxides interact with hydrogen. Blending density functional theory, graph theory, and machine learning we built a reactivity model which accurately predicts hydrogen intercalation potentials of different metal oxides experimentally measured in the lab. The use of global connectivity can accelerate materials design through the development of novel structure-property relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan V Miu
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15216
| | - James R McKone
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15216
| | - Giannis Mpourmpakis
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15216
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Wen Y, Liu C, Huang R, Zhang H, Li X, García de Arquer FP, Liu Z, Li Y, Zhang B. Introducing Brønsted acid sites to accelerate the bridging-oxygen-assisted deprotonation in acidic water oxidation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4871. [PMID: 35982041 PMCID: PMC9388623 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32581-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) consists of four sequential proton-coupled electron transfer steps, which suffer from sluggish kinetics even on state-of-the-art ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) catalysts. Understanding and controlling the proton transfer process could be an effective strategy to improve OER performances. Herein, we present a strategy to accelerate the deprotonation of OER intermediates by introducing strong Brønsted acid sites (e.g. tungsten oxides, WOx) into the RuO2. The Ru-W binary oxide is reported as a stable and active iridium-free acidic OER catalyst that exhibits a low overpotential (235 mV at 10 mA cm−2) and low degradation rate (0.014 mV h−1) over a 550-hour stability test. Electrochemical studies, in-situ near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory show that the W-O-Ru Brønsted acid sites are instrumental to facilitate proton transfer from the oxo-intermediate to the neighboring bridging oxygen sites, thus accelerating bridging-oxygen-assisted deprotonation OER steps in acidic electrolytes. The universality of the strategy is demonstrated for other Ru-M binary metal oxides (M = Cr, Mo, Nb, Ta, and Ti). While water electrolysis devices represent a technology for renewable energy, there are few stable catalysts that survive the acidic conditions. Here, authors enhance acidic oxygen evolution by introducing strong Brønsted acid sites into RuO2 to accelerate bridging-oxygen-assisted deprotonation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunzhou Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Cheng Liu
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM) and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Rui Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, China
| | - Xiaobao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, China
| | - F Pelayo García de Arquer
- ICFO - Institut de Ciències Fotòniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, 08860, Spain
| | - Zhi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, China.,School of Physical Science and Technology and Center for Transformative Science, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Youyong Li
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM) and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China.
| | - Bo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China.
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Ndala ZB, Shumbula NP, Nkabinde S, Kolokoto T, Gqoba S, Linganiso C, Moloto N. Electrocatalytic activity of pristine and electrochemically activated SnSe2 nanoplates for the hydrogen evolution reaction. J Electroanal Chem (Lausanne) 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jelechem.2022.116464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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8
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Miu EV, McKone JR, Mpourmpakis G. The Sensitivity of Metal Oxide Electrocatalysis to Bulk Hydrogen Intercalation: Hydrogen Evolution on Tungsten Oxide. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:6420-6433. [PMID: 35289172 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c00825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Metal oxides are attracting increased attention as electrocatalysts owing to their affordability, tunability, and reactivity. However, these materials can undergo significant chemical changes under reaction conditions, presenting challenges for characterization and optimization. Herein, we combine experimental and computational methods to demonstrate that bulk hydrogen intercalation governs the activity of tungsten trioxide (WO3) toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In contrast to the focus on surface processes in heterogeneous catalysis, we demonstrate that bulk oxide modification is responsible for experimental HER activity. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that intercalation enables the HER by altering the acid-base character of surface sites and preventing site blocking by hydration. First-principles microkinetic modeling supports that the experimental HER rates can only be explained by intercalated HxWO3, whereas nonintercalated WO3 does not catalyze the HER. Overall, this work underscores the critical influence of hydrogen intercalation on aqueous cathodic electrocatalysis at metal oxides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan V Miu
- Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - James R McKone
- Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Giannis Mpourmpakis
- Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
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9
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Abdelgaid M, Mpourmpakis G. Structure–Activity Relationships in Lewis Acid–Base Heterogeneous Catalysis. ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.2c00229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mona Abdelgaid
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Giannis Mpourmpakis
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
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10
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Spencer M, Fortunato J, Augustyn V. Electrochemical Proton Insertion Modulates the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction on Tungsten Oxides. J Chem Phys 2022; 156:064704. [DOI: 10.1063/5.0082459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Spencer
- NC State University Department of Materials Science and Engineering, United States of America
| | - Jenelle Fortunato
- NC State University Department of Materials Science and Engineering, United States of America
| | - Veronica Augustyn
- NC State University Department of Materials Science and Engineering, United States of America
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