Mesoporous Hollow Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanospheres with Embedded MnFe2O4/Fe Hybrid Nanoparticles as Efficient Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalysts in Alkaline Media

Nanoreactor of Fe, N Co-Doped Hollow Carbon Spheres for Oxygen Reduction Catalysis

A simple template strategy was applied to prepare a Fe, N co-doped hollow carbon (Fe-NHC) nanoreactor for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) by coating Fe nanoparticles (Fe-NPs) with polydopamine (PDA), followed by high temperature pyrolysis and acid-leaching. With this method, Fe-NPs were used as both the template and the metal precursor, so that the nanoreactors can preserve the original spherical morphology and embed Fe single atoms on the inner walls. The carbonized PDA contained abundant N content, offering an ideal coordination environment for Fe atoms. By regulating the mass ratio of Fe-NPs and PDA, an optimal sample with a carbon layer thickness of 12 nm (Fe-NHC-3) was obtained. The hollow spherical structure of the nanoreactors and the atomically dispersed Fe were verified by various physical characterizations. As a result, Fe-NHC-3 performed well in ORR tests under alkaline conditions, with high catalytic activity, durability, and methanol resistance, demonstrating that the as-fabricated materials have the potential to be applied in the cathodic catalysis of fuel cells.

Construction of a Co/MnO Mott-Schottky Heterostructure to Achieve Interfacial Synergy in the Oxygen Reduction Reaction for Aluminum-Air Batteries

The rational design of non-noble metal-based electrocatalysts for an efficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is an important research topic to promote the advancement of aluminum-air batteries. In this work, heterostructural Co/MnO nanoparticles encapsulated in a N-doped carbon electrocatalyst were prepared via one-step pyrolysis utilizing different reduction potentials of Co and Mn ions, and the heterointerface between the two phases was confirmed. The prepared catalyst displays Pt/C competitive ORR performance because of the interfacial synergy of a Co/MnO Mott-Schottky (M-S) heterostructure, which leads to boosted conductivity, formation of an M-S barrier, and a reduced oxygen reduction energy barrier for excited electrons. Furthermore, the Co/MnO-based aluminum-air battery displays good discharge performance, demonstrating good feasibility for practical application.

"Electron Complementation"-Induced Molybdenum Nitride/Co-Anchored Graphitic Carbon Nitride Porous Nanoparticles for Efficient Overall Water Splitting

Maximizing the usable space of electrocatalysts and fine-tuning the interface geometry as well as the electronic structure to facilitate hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions (HER and OER) have always been the focus of research. Herein, a homogeneous porous nanoparticle construction strategy was proposed, in which molybdenum nitride (Mo₂N) particles were prepared by controlled heat treatment of the precursor nanoparticle induced by polyethylene glycol, and the Mo₂N/Co-C₃N₄ heterostructure with a pore size of about 1.13 nm was obtained by compounding Co-anchored graphitic carbon nitride. In particular, exploring the change of charge distribution at the interface based on the principle of "electron complementation" shows that under the regulation of nitrogen with high electronegativity, the affinity of active site Co to oxygenated species in the OER process and the adsorption as well as cleavage ability of HER reactants in the active site were effectively optimized. Thus, Mo₂N/Co-C₃N₄ not only inherits the functions of each component, but also provides an ideal heterogeneous interface for exhibiting impressive bifunctional activity, which only needs 100 and 210 mV to deliver 10 mA cm^-2 for the HER and OER, respectively. In addition, the Mo₂N/Co-C₃N₄ catalyst also demonstrates high overall water splitting stability with a slight current decrease after 95 h. Manipulating the electronic structure of multiple sites by constructing electronically complementary interfaces may provide another avenue to develop highly active catalysts for overall water splitting and other applications.

Transition metal oxides with perovskite and spinel structures for electrochemical energy production applications

Transition metal oxide-based materials are an interesting alternative to substitute noble-metal based catalyst in energy conversion devices designed for oxygen reduction (ORR), oxygen evolution (OER) and hydrogen evolution reactions (HER). Perovskite (ABO₃) and spinel (AB₂O₄) oxides stand out against other structures due to the possibility of tailoring their chemical composition and, consequently, their properties. Particularly, the electrocatalytic performance of these materials depends on features such as chemical composition, crystal structure, nanostructure, cation substitution level, e_g orbital filling or oxygen vacancies. However, they suffer from low electrical conductivity and surface area, which affects the catalytic response. To mitigate these drawbacks, they have been combined with carbon materials (e.g. carbon black, carbon nanotubes, activated carbon, and graphene) that positively influence the overall catalytic activity. This review provides an overview on tunable perovskites (mainly lanthanum-based) and spinels featuring 3d metal cations such as Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu on octahedral sites, which are known to be active for the electrochemical energy conversion.

Recent Progress on Bimetallic-Based Spinels as Electrocatalysts for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Electrocatalytic water splitting is a promising and viable technology to produce clean, sustainable, and storable hydrogen as an energy carrier. However, to meet the ever-increasing global energy demand, it is imperative to develop high-performance non-precious metal-based electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), as the OER is considered the bottleneck for electrocatalytic water splitting. Spinels, in particular, are considered promising OER electrocatalysts due to their unique properties, precise structures, and compositions. Herein, the recent progress on the application of bimetallic-based spinels (AFe₂ O₄ , ACo₂ O₄ , and AMn₂ O₄ ; where A = Ni, Co, Cu, Mn, and Zn) as electrocatalysts for the OER is presented. The fundamental concepts of the OER are highlighted after which the family of spinels, their general formula, and classifications are introduced. This is followed by an overview of the various classifications of bimetallic-based spinels and their recent developments and applications as OER electrocatalysts, with special emphasis on enhancing strategies that have been formulated to improve the OER performance of these spinels. In conclusion, this review summarizes all studies mentioned therein and provides the challenges and future perspectives for bimetallic-based spinel OER electrocatalysts.

Tuning the coordination environment of Fe atoms enables 3D porous Fe/N-doped carbons as bifunctional electrocatalyst for rechargeable zinc-air battery

As one of the most promising candidates for power sources, the rechargeable Zn-air batteries have attracted much attention due to their high energy density. However, Zn-air batteries suffer from sluggish kinetics of oxygen reduction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) during the discharge and charge process. Herein, a FeN₂-doped carbon with a unique three-dimensional (3D) porous structure (CeO₂-FeNC-5) was synthesized as an electrocatalyst for Zn-air batteries by one-step pyrolysis and introducing CeO₂ to tune the coordination environment of Fe atoms. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) results indicate that the introduction of CeO₂ can convert FeN₃ moieties into FeN₂ moieties. The CeO₂-FeNC-5 exhibits a more positive half-wave potential of 0.902 V for ORR, and a low overpotential of 0.327 V at 10 mA cm^-2 for OER. Furthermore, the Zn-air battery with CeO₂-FeNC-5 achieve a maximum power density (169 mW cm^-2), a high open voltage platform (1.47 V) and superior cycling stability (200 h). The unique 3D porous structure provides channels for mass transport and exposes sufficient active sites to facilitate the ORR and OER processes. Calculations prove that FeN₂ moieties are beneficial to O₂ adsorption on Fe/N-doped carbon surface. This work provides an effective strategy for designing and synthesizing FeN_x-doped carbon matrix electrocatalysts for sustainable metal-air batteries.

Electrocatalytic Water Oxidation: An Overview With an Example of Translation From Lab to Market

Water oxidation has become very popular due to its prime role in water splitting and metal–air batteries. Thus, the development of efficient, abundant, and economical catalysts, as well as electrode design, is very demanding today. In this review, we have discussed the principles of electrocatalytic water oxidation reaction (WOR), the electrocatalyst and electrode design strategies for the most efficient results, and recent advancement in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst design. Finally, we have discussed the use of OER in the Oxygen Maker (OM) design with the example of OM REDOX by Solaire Initiative Private Ltd. The review clearly summarizes the future directions and applications for sustainable energy utilization with the help of water splitting and the way forward to develop better cell designs with electrodes and catalysts for practical applications. We hope this review will offer a basic understanding of the OER process and WOR in general along with the standard parameters to evaluate the performance and encourage more WOR-based profound innovations to make their way from the lab to the market following the example of OM REDOX.

V2 O3 /MnS Arrays as Bifunctional Air Electrode for Long-Lasting and Flexible Rechargeable Zn-Air Batteries

Exploring highly efficient, stable, and cost-effective bifunctional electrocatalysts is crucial for the wide commercialization of rechargeable Zn-air batteries. Herein, a vanadium-oxide-based hybrid air electrode comprising a heterostructure of V₂ O₃ and MnS (V₂ O₃ /MnS) is reported. The V₂ O₃ /MnS catalyst shows a decent catalytic activity that is comparable to Pt/C toward the oxygen reduction reaction and acceptable toward oxygen evolution. The extraordinary stability as well as the low cost set the V₂ O₃ /MnS among the best bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts. In a demonstration of an assembled liquid-state Zn-air battery using V₂ O₃ /MnS as cathode, high power density (118 mW cm^-2 ), specific capacity (808 mAh g_Zn ^-1 ), and energy density (970 Wh kg_Zn ^-1 ), as well as the outstanding rechargeability and durability for 4000 cycles (>1333 h, i.e., >55 days) are enabled. The V₂ O₃ /MnS is also integrated into an all-solid-state Zn-air battery to demonstrate its great potential as a flexible power source for next-generation electronics. Density functional theory calculations further elucidate the origin of the intrinsic activity and stability of the V₂ O₃ /MnS heterostructure.

Electrocatalytic activity of calcined manganese ferrite solid nanospheres in the oxygen reduction reaction

In this study, we synthesized MnFe₂O₄ solid nanospheres (MSN) calcined at different temperatures (200-500 °C) and MSN-based materials mixed with carbon black, for their use as electrocatalysts in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline medium (0.1 M KOH). It was demonstrated that the calcination temperature of MSN material determined its chemical surface composition and microstructure and it had an important effect on the electrocatalytic properties for ORR, which in turn was reflected in the performance of MSN/CB-based electrocatalysts. The study revealed that the presence of Mn species plays a key role in the ORR activity. Among tested, MSN200/CB and MSN350/CB exhibited the best electrochemical performances together with outstanding stability.

Preparation and Characterization of Multi-Doped Porous Carbon Nanofibers from Carbonization in Different Atmospheres and Their Oxygen Electrocatalytic Properties Research

Recently, electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) as well as oxygen evolution reaction (OER) hinged on electrospun nanofiber composites have attracted wide research attention. Transition metal elements and heteroatomic doping are important methods used to enhance their catalytic performances. Lately, the construction of electrocatalysts based on metal-organic framework (MOF) electrospun nanofibers has become a research hotspot. In this work, nickel-cobalt zeolitic imidazolate frameworks with different molar ratios (Ni_xCo_y-ZIFs) were synthesized in an aqueous solution, followed by Ni_xCo_y-ZIFs/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) electrospun nanofiber precursors, which were prepared by a simple electrospinning method. Bimetal (Ni-Co) porous carbon nanofiber catalysts doped with nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur elements were obtained at high-temperature carbonization treatment in different atmospheres (argon (Ar), Air, and hydrogen sulfide (H₂S)), respectively. The morphological properties, structures, and composition were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Moreover, the specific surface area of materials and their pore size distribution was characterized by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET). Linear sweep voltammetry curves investigated catalyst performances towards oxygen reduction and evolution reactions. Importantly, Ni₁Co₂-ZIFs/PAN-Ar yielded the best ORR activity, whereas Ni₁Co₁-ZIFs/PAN-Air exhibited the best OER performance. This work provides significant guidance for the preparation and characterization of multi-doped porous carbon nanofibers carbonized in different atmospheres.

NiSe2 Nanoparticles Encapsulated in N-Doped Carbon Matrix Derived from a One-Dimensional Ni-MOF: An Efficient and Sustained Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

The spherical-type NiSe₂ nanoparticles encapsulated in a N-doped carbon (NC) matrix (NiSe₂-T@NC, temperature (T) = 400-800 °C) are derived from a 1D Ni-MOF precursor of the formula [Ni(BPY)(DDE)] [(BPY = 2,2'-bipyridyl), (DDE = 4,4'-dicarboxy diphenyl ether)] via a facile solvothermal technique followed by annealing at different temperatures and selenylation strategies. The combined effect of a NC matrix and the Ni nanoparticles has been optimized during varied annealing processes with subsequent selenylation, leading to the formation of the series NiSe₂-400@NC, NiSe₂-500@NC, NiSe₂-600@NC, NiSe₂-700@NC, and NiSe₂-800@NC, respectively. The variation of annealing temperature plays a vital role in optimizing the catalytic behavior of the NiSe₂-T@NCs. Among different high-temperature annealed products, NiSe₂-600@NC shows superior electrocatalytic performance because of the unique spherical-type morphology and higher specific surface area (57.95 m² g^-1) that provides a large number of electrochemical active sites. The synthesized material exhibits a lower overpotential of 196 mV to deliver 10 mA cm^-2 current density, a small Tafel slope of 45 mV dec^-1 for better surface kinetics, and outstanding durability in an acidic solution, respectively. Consequently, the post stability study of the used electrocatalyst gives insight into surface phase analysis. Therefore, we presume that the synthesized 1D MOF precursor derived NiSe₂ nanoparticles encapsulated in a NC matrix has excellent potential to replace the noble-metal-based electrocatalyst for enhanced hydrogen evolution through simple water electrolysis.

Heteroatom-Doped Metal-Free Carbon Nanomaterials as Potential Electrocatalysts

In recent years, heteroatom-incorporated specially structured metal-free carbon nanomaterials have drawn huge attention among researchers. In comparison to the undoped carbon nanomaterials, heteroatoms such as nitrogen-, sulphur-, boron-, phosphorous-, etc., incorporated nanomaterials have become well-accepted as potential electrocatalysts in water splitting, supercapacitors and dye-sensitized solar cells. This review puts special emphasis on the most popular synthetic strategies of heteroatom-doped and co-doped metal-free carbon nanomaterials, viz., chemical vapor deposition, pyrolysis, solvothermal process, etc., utilized in last two decades. These specially structured nanomaterials’ extensive applications as potential electrocatalysts are taken into consideration in this article. Their comparative enhancement of electrocatalytic performance with incorporation of heteroatoms has also been discussed.

In situ synthesis of advantageously united copper stannate nanoparticles for a new high powered supercapacitor electrode

A novel CuNi2O4@SnS@rGO/NF multicomponent hybrid material leads to fast ion/electron transfers at the electrode/electrolyte interface.

Mesoporous Mn-Fe oxyhydroxides for oxygen evolution

Development of high-performance and earth-abundant catalysts is imperative for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and mesoporous oxyhydroxides show huge potential as advanced catalysts toward OER due to large specific surface...

Constructing Porous Carbon Electrocatalysts from Cobalt Complex-Decorated Micelles of Mesoporous Silica for Oxygen Reduction/Evolution Reaction

The construction of a porous carbon structure with a high specific surface area is conducive to enhanced electrocatalytic activity due to the accessibility of active sites and improvement of the mass transfer. Herein, we explored the possibility of using micelles of mesoporous silica (MCM-48) as the carbon source to generate porous carbon under the confinement of MCM-48 channels. The complexes formed by Co²⁺ and 4,4'-bipyridine were in situ incorporated into the micelles to derive Co-related active sites (Co-N_x, Co, and Co₃O₄) for catalyzing the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). After pyrolysis in the N₂ atmosphere and subsequent removal of the MCM-48 skeleton, the target porous carbon electrocatalyst was obtained, which exhibited promising performance for both ORR and OER and has great potential as the cathode material for Zn-air battery application. This work not only confirms the effectiveness of using the micelles of MCM-48 as the carbon source for preparing the porous carbon materials, but also provides a new platform for design and synthesis of structurally controllable materials for energy-related electrocatalytic applications.

Hollow porous nitrogen-doped carbon embedded with ultrafine Co nanoparticles boosting lithium-ion storage

Hollow porous nitrogen-doped carbon embedded with ultrafine Co nanoparticles (Co@NC) was synthesized by a facile self-template strategy, which exhibited excellent cycling stability and remarkable rate performance.

Current trends and perspectives on emerging Fe-derived noble-metal-free oxygen electrocatalysts

This article discusses recent progress in the development of Fe-derived noble metal-free electrocatalysts, including the strategies used for design, synthesis, and assessment of their performance in alkaline conditions.

Flaky cobalt phosphide-modified manganese iron oxide as a highly efficient OER catalyst

Novel CoP modified manganese ferrite was synthesized by a new strategy, showing efficient OER catalytic performance.

Ru-Doping Enhanced Electrocatalysis of Metal-Organic Framework Nanosheets toward Overall Water Splitting

An Ru-doping strategy is reported to substantially improve both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalytic activity of Ni/Fe-based metal-organic framework (MOF) for overall water splitting. As-synthesized Ru-doped Ni/Fe MIL-53 MOF nanosheets grown on nickel foam (MIL-53(Ru-NiFe)@NF) afford HER and OER current density of 50 mA cm^-2 at an overpotential of 62 and 210 mV, respectively, in alkaline solution with a nominal Ru loading of ≈110 μg cm^-2 . When using as both anodic and cathodic (pre-)catalyst, MIL-53(Ru-NiFe)@NF enables overall water splitting at a current density of 50 mA cm^-2 for a cell voltage of 1.6 V without iR compensation, which is much superior to state-of-the-art RuO₂ -Pt/C-based electrolyzer. It is discovered that the Ru-doping considerably modulates the growth of MOF to form thin nanosheets, and enhances the intrinsic HER electrocatalytic activity by accelerating the sluggish Volmer step and improving the intermediate oxygen adsorption for increased OER catalytic activity.

Rational prediction of multifunctional bilayer single atom catalysts for the hydrogen evolution, oxygen evolution and oxygen reduction reactions

Bimetallic atom catalysts (BACs), which can exhibit remarkable catalytic performance compared with single atom catalysts (SACs) due to their higher metal loading and the synergy between two metal atoms, have attracted great attention in research. Herein, by means of density functional theory calculations, novel BACs with a bilayer structure composed of monolayers FeN4 (Fe and nitrogen co-doped graphene) and MN4 (Fe/M, M represents transition metal atoms) as electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are investigated. Among these bilayer SACs, a series of highly efficient monofunctional, bifunctional, and even trifunctional electrocatalysts have been screened. For example, the overpotentials for the HER, ORR, and OER can reach -0.02 (Fe/Cu), 0.31 (Fe/Hg), and 0.27 V (Fe/Hf), respectively; Fe/Hf and Ir/Fe can serve as promising bifunctional catalysts for the ORR/OER and HER/OER, respectively and Fe/Rh is considered as an excellent trifunctional catalyst for the HER, OER, and ORR. This work not only provides a new idea for understanding and optimizing the active sites of BACs, but also proposes a new strategy for designing high-performance multifunctional electrocatalysts for fuel cells and metal-air batteries.

Hollow Porous MnFe2 O4 Sphere Grown on Elm-Money-Derived Biochar towards Energy-Saving Full Water Electrolysis

The development of inexpensive and efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts is significant for widespread practical applications of overall water splitting technology. Herein, a one-pot solvothermal method is used to prepare hollow porous MnFe₂ O₄ spheres, which are grown on natural-abundant elm-money-derived biochar material to construct MnFe₂ O₄ /BC composite. When the overpotential is 156 mV for both the oxygen evolution reaction and the hydrogen evolution reaction, the current density reaches up to 10 mA cm^-2 , and its duration is 10 h. At 1.51 V, the overall water decomposition current density of 10 mA cm^-2 can be obtained in 1 m KOH. This work proves that elm-money-derived biochar is a valid substrate for growing hollow porous spheres. MnFe₂ O₄ /BC give a promising general strategy for preparing the effective and stable bifunctional catalysis that can be expand to multiple transition metal oxide.

S/N Co-Doped Hollow Carbon Particles for Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts Prepared by Spontaneous Polymerization at Oil-Water Interfaces

We herein report that sulfur and nitrogen co-doped hollow spherical carbon particles can be applied to oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts prepared by calcination of polydopamine (PDA) hollow particles. The hollow structure of PDA was formed by auto-oxidative interfacial polymerization of dopamine at the oil and water interface of emulsion microdroplets. The PDA was used as the nitrogen source as well as a platform for sulfur-doping. The obtained sulfur and nitrogen co-doped hollow particles showed a higher catalytic activity than that of nonsulfur-doped particles and nonhollow particles. The high ORR activity of the calcined S-doped PDA hollow particles could be attributed to the combination of nitrogen and sulfur active sites and the large surface areas owing to a hollow spherical structure.

Nitrogen-rich graphitic-carbon@graphene as a metal-free electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

The metal-free nitrogen-doped graphitic-carbon@graphene (Ng-C@G) is prepared from a composite of polyaniline and graphene by a facile polymerization following by pyrolysis for electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Pyrolysis creates a sponge-like with ant-cave-architecture in the polyaniline derived nitrogenous graphitic-carbon on graphene. The nitrogenous carbon is highly graphitized and most of the nitrogen atoms are in graphitic and pyridinic forms with less oxygenated is found when pyrolyzed at 800 °C. The electrocatalytic activity of Ng-C@G-800 is even better than the benchmarked Pt/C catalyst resulting in the higher half-wave potential (8 mV) and limiting current density (0.74 mA cm^-2) for ORR in alkaline medium. Higher catalytic performance is originated from the special porous structure at microscale level and the abundant graphitic- and pyridinic-N active sites at the nanoscale level on carbon-graphene matrix which are beneficial to the high O₂-mass transportation to those accessible sites. Also, it possesses a higher cycle stability resulting in the negligible potential shift and slight oxidation of pyridinic-N with better tolerance to the methanol.

Rational Design of Spinel Oxide Nanocomposites with Tailored Electrochemical Oxygen Evolution and Reduction Reactions for ZincAir Batteries

The unique physical and chemical properties of spinels have made them highly suitable electrocatalysts in oxygen evolution reaction and oxygen reduction reaction (OER & ORR). Zinc–air batteries (ZABs), which are safer and more cost-effective power sources than commercial lithium-ion batteries, hinge on ORR and OER. The slow kinetics of the air electrode reduce its high theoretical energy density and specific capacity, which limits its practical applications. Thus, tuning the performance of the electrocatalyst and cathode architecture is vital for improving the performance of ZABs, which calls for exploring spinel, a material that delivers improved performance. However, the structure–activity relationship of spinel is still unclear because there is a lack of extensive information about it. This study was performed to address the promising potential of spinel as the bifunctional electrocatalyst in ZABs based on an in-depth understanding of spinel structure and active sites at the atomic level.

Rational Synthesis of Iron/Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Catalyst through a Spatial Isolation Strategy for Efficient Oxygen Reduction in Acidic and Alkaline Media

It remains challenging to rationally synthesize iron/nitrogen-doped carbon (Fe/N-C) catalysts with rich Fe-N_x atomic active sites for improved oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysis. A highly efficient Fe/N-C catalyst, which has been synthesized through a spatial isolation strategy, is reported. Derived from bioinspired polydopamine (PDA)-based hybrid microsphere precursors, it is a multifunctional carrier that loads atomically dispersed Fe³⁺ /Zn²⁺ ions through coordination interactions and N-rich melamine through electrostatic attraction and covalent bonding. The Zn²⁺ ions and melamine in the precursor efficiently isolate Fe³⁺ atoms upon pyrolysis to form rich Fe-N_x atomic active sites, and generate abundant micropores during high-temperature treatment; as a consequence, the resultant Fe-N/C catalyst contains rich catalytically active Fe-N_x sites and a hierarchical porous structure. The catalyst exhibits improved ORR activity that is superior to and close to that of Pt/C in alkaline and acidic solutions, respectively.

Catalytic Chemistry Predicted by a Charge Polarization Descriptor: Synergistic O2 Activation and CO Oxidation by Au-Cu Bimetallic Clusters on TiO2(101)

The versatile properties of bimetallic nanoparticles greatly expand the range of catalyzed chemical reactions. We demonstrate that surface chemistry can be understood and predicted using a simple adsorbate-surface interaction descriptor that relates charge polarization to chemical reactivity. Our density functional theory studies of O₂ activation and CO oxidation catalyzed by Au₇-Cu₁ bimetallic nanoparticles supported on the TiO₂(101) surface demonstrate that the generated oxidized Cu atom (CuO _x) can efficiently inhibit the aggregation of the active Cu sites. Moreover, because of the strong dipole-dipole interaction between the surface and the adsorbate on the oxidized Cu site, the adsorption of CO + O₂/CO + O can be significantly enhanced, which can decrease the CO oxidation barriers and further improve catalytic performance. The product of the two electric dipole moments provides a parameter that allows us to predict the key catalytic properties for different adsorption sites and reaction pathways. The reported findings provide important insights into the mechanism of chemical reactivity of metallic clusters and generate a valuable principle for catalyst design.

Boosting the Electrocatalytic Water Oxidation Performance of CoFe2O4 Nanoparticles by Surface Defect Engineering

Spinel oxides have attracted widespread interest for electrocatalytic applications owing to their unique crystal structure and properties. The surface structure of spinel oxides significantly influences the electrocatalytic performance of spinel oxides. Herein, we report a Li reduction strategy that can quickly tune the surface structure of CoFe₂O₄ (CFO) nanoparticles and optimize its electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance. Results show that a large number of defective domains have been successfully introduced at the surface of CFO nanopowders after Li reduction treatment. The defective CFO nanoparticles demonstrate significantly improved electrocatalytic OER activity. The OER potential observed a negative shift from 1.605 to 1.513 V at 10 mA cm^-2, whereas the Tafel slope is greatly decreased to 42.1 mV dec^-1 after 4 wt % Li reduction treatment. This efficient Li reduction strategy can also be applied to engineer the surface defect structure of other material systems and broaden their applications.

Effect of nanoparticle composition on oxygen reduction reaction activity of Fe/N–C catalysts: a comparative study

The Fe/N–C catalyst is a type of promising catalyst to replace costly Pt/C for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).