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Zheng S, Yao J, Huang Y, Ren J, Hou Y, Yang B, Lei L, Fu J, Al-Anazi A, Jiang G, Li Z. Impacts of chloride ions on the electrochemical decomplexation and degradation of Cr(III)-EDTA: Reaction mechanisms of HO • and RCS. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 478:135636. [PMID: 39186846 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2024] [Revised: 08/13/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
The removal of Cr(III)-organic complexes, encompassing both decomplexation and ligand degradation, presents significant challenges in industrial wastewater treatment. As one of the most common anions in wastewater, Cl- significantly improves the efficiency of electrochemically removing Cr(III)-organic complexes through generated reactive chlorine species (RCS). In the electrochemical chlorine (EC/Cl2) process, extensive experimentation revealed that ClO• plays a dominant role in the degradation of Cr(III)-EDTA, surpassing the effects of free chlorine, direct electrooxidation, HO•, and other RCS. Density functional theory calculations indicated that RCS, primarily Cl• and ClO•, preferentially oxidize the ligand in Cr(III)-EDTA via H-abstraction, whereas HO• trends to attack the Cr atom through electron transfer. The influential factors on the degradation efficiency of Cr(III)-EDTA, Cr(VI) yield, and total organic carbon removal in EC/Cl2 were also assessed, including Cl- concentration, current density, and pH. Real industrial wastewater was employed as a reaction matrix to evaluate the application of the EC/Cl2 process for treating Cr(III)-EDTA, accompanied by energy efficiency calculations. Additionally, a two-chamber reactor was established to simultaneously oxidize Cr(III)-EDTA at the anode and reduce Cr(VI) at the cathode. This study provided insight into developing RCS-dominated AOPs to effectively decomplex and decompose organic Cr(III)-complexes in Cl--containing industrial wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujie Zheng
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Jiani Yao
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China; Zhejiang Academy of Science & Technology for Inspection & Quarantine, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ying Huang
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou 310024, China.
| | - Jiaqi Ren
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Yang Hou
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Bin Yang
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China; Institute of Zhejiang University - Quzhou, Quzhou 324000, China
| | - Lecheng Lei
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China; Institute of Zhejiang University - Quzhou, Quzhou 324000, China
| | - Jianjie Fu
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Abdulaziz Al-Anazi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia
| | - Guibin Jiang
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Zhongjian Li
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China; Institute of Zhejiang University - Quzhou, Quzhou 324000, China.
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2
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Cui WG, Gao F, Na G, Wang X, Li Z, Yang Y, Niu Z, Qu Y, Wang D, Pan H. Insights into the pH effect on hydrogen electrocatalysis. Chem Soc Rev 2024. [PMID: 39239864 DOI: 10.1039/d4cs00370e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/07/2024]
Abstract
Hydrogen electrocatalytic reactions, including the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR), play a crucial role in a wide range of energy conversion and storage technologies. However, the HER and HOR display anomalous non-Nernstian pH dependent kinetics, showing two to three orders of magnitude sluggish kinetics in alkaline media compared to that in acidic media. Fundamental understanding of the origins of the intrinsic pH effect has attracted substantial interest from the electrocatalysis community. More critically, a fundamental molecular level understanding of this effect is still debatable, but is essential for developing active, stable, and affordable fuel cells and water electrolysis technologies. Against this backdrop, in this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the intrinsic pH effect on hydrogen electrocatalysis, covering the experimental observations, underlying principles, and strategies for catalyst design. We discuss the strengths and shortcomings of various activity descriptors, including hydrogen binding energy (HBE) theory, bifunctional theory, potential of zero free charge (pzfc) theory, 2B theory and other theories, across different electrolytes and catalyst surfaces, and outline their interrelations where possible. Additionally, we highlight the design principles and research progress in improving the alkaline HER/HOR kinetics by catalyst design and electrolyte optimization employing the aforementioned theories. Finally, the remaining controversies about the pH effects on HER/HOR kinetics as well as the challenges and possible research directions in this field are also put forward. This review aims to provide researchers with a comprehensive understanding of the intrinsic pH effect and inspire the development of more cost-effective and durable alkaline water electrolyzers (AWEs) and anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AMFCs) for a sustainable energy future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Gang Cui
- Institute of Science and Technology for New Energy, Xi'an Technological University, Xi'an, 710021, P. R. China
| | - Fan Gao
- Institute of Science and Technology for New Energy, Xi'an Technological University, Xi'an, 710021, P. R. China
| | - Guoquan Na
- Institute of Science and Technology for New Energy, Xi'an Technological University, Xi'an, 710021, P. R. China
| | - Xingqiang Wang
- Institute of Science and Technology for New Energy, Xi'an Technological University, Xi'an, 710021, P. R. China
| | - Zhenglong Li
- Institute of Science and Technology for New Energy, Xi'an Technological University, Xi'an, 710021, P. R. China
| | - Yaxiong Yang
- Institute of Science and Technology for New Energy, Xi'an Technological University, Xi'an, 710021, P. R. China
| | - Zhiqiang Niu
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Yongquan Qu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China.
| | - Dingsheng Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Hongge Pan
- Institute of Science and Technology for New Energy, Xi'an Technological University, Xi'an, 710021, P. R. China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, P. R. China.
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3
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Pan D, Austeria P M, Lee S, Bae HS, He F, Gu GH, Choi W. Integrated electrocatalytic synthesis of ammonium nitrate from dilute NO gas on metal organic frameworks-modified gas diffusion electrodes. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7243. [PMID: 39174506 PMCID: PMC11341735 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51256-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The electrocatalytic conversion of NO offers a promising technology for not only removing the air pollutant but also synthesizing valuable chemicals. We design an integrated-electrocatalysis cell featuring metal organic framework (MOF)-modified gas diffusion electrodes for simultaneous capture of NO and generation of NH4NO3 under low-concentration NO flow conditions. Using 2% NO gas, the modified cathode exhibits a higher NH4+ yield and Faradaic efficiency than an unmodified cathode. Notably, the modified cathode shows a twofold increase in NH4+ production with 20 ppm NO gas supply. Theoretical calculations predict favorable transfer of adsorbed NO from the adsorption layer to the catalyst layer, which is experimentally confirmed by enhanced NO mass transfer from gas to electrolyte across the modified electrode. The adsorption layer-modified anode also exhibits a higher NO3- yield for NO electro-oxidation compared to the unmodified electrode under low NO concentration flow. Among various integrated-cell configurations, a single-chamber setup produces a higher NH4NO3 yield than a double-chamber setup. Furthermore, a higher NO utilization efficiency is obtained with a single-gasline operation mode, where the NO-containing gas flows sequentially from the cathode to the anode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donglai Pan
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Muthu Austeria P
- Department of Energy Engineering, Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KENTECH), Naju, Republic of Korea
| | - Shinbi Lee
- Department of Energy Engineering, Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KENTECH), Naju, Republic of Korea
| | - Ho-Sub Bae
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Fei He
- Department of Energy Engineering, Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KENTECH), Naju, Republic of Korea
| | - Geun Ho Gu
- Department of Energy Engineering, Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KENTECH), Naju, Republic of Korea
| | - Wonyong Choi
- Department of Energy Engineering, Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KENTECH), Naju, Republic of Korea.
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4
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Jones TE, Teschner D, Piccinin S. Toward Realistic Models of the Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution Reaction. Chem Rev 2024; 124:9136-9223. [PMID: 39038270 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.4c00171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
The electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) supplies the protons and electrons needed to transform renewable electricity into chemicals and fuels. However, the OER is kinetically sluggish; it operates at significant rates only when the applied potential far exceeds the reversible voltage. The origin of this overpotential is hidden in a complex mechanism involving multiple electron transfers and chemical bond making/breaking steps. Our desire to improve catalytic performance has then made mechanistic studies of the OER an area of major scientific inquiry, though the complexity of the reaction has made understanding difficult. While historically, mechanistic studies have relied solely on experiment and phenomenological models, over the past twenty years ab initio simulation has been playing an increasingly important role in developing our understanding of the electrocatalytic OER and its reaction mechanisms. In this Review we cover advances in our mechanistic understanding of the OER, organized by increasing complexity in the way through which the OER is modeled. We begin with phenomenological models built using experimental data before reviewing early efforts to incorporate ab initio methods into mechanistic studies. We go on to cover how the assumptions in these early ab initio simulations─no electric field, electrolyte, or explicit kinetics─have been relaxed. Through comparison with experimental literature, we explore the veracity of these different assumptions. We summarize by discussing the most critical open challenges in developing models to understand the mechanisms of the OER.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis E Jones
- Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max-Planck-Society, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Detre Teschner
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max-Planck-Society, Berlin 14195, Germany
- Department of Heterogeneous Reactions, Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Mülheim an der Ruhr 45470, Germany
| | - Simone Piccinin
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto Officina dei Materiali, Trieste 34136, Italy
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5
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Zhu X, Huang J, Eikerling M. Hierarchical Modeling of the Local Reaction Environment in Electrocatalysis. Acc Chem Res 2024; 57:2080-2092. [PMID: 39031075 PMCID: PMC11308366 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
ConspectusElectrocatalytic reactions, such as oxygen reduction/evolution reactions and CO2 reduction reaction that are pivotal for the energy transition, are multistep processes that occur in a nanoscale electric double layer (EDL) at a solid-liquid interface. Conventional analyses based on the Sabatier principle, using binding energies or effective electronic structure properties such as the d-band center as descriptors, are able to grasp overall trends in catalytic activity in specific groups of catalysts. However, thermodynamic approaches often fail to account for electrolyte effects that arise in the EDL, including pH, cation, and anion effects. These effects exert strong impacts on electrocatalytic reactions. There is growing consensus that the local reaction environment (LRE) prevailing in the EDL is the key to deciphering these complex and hitherto perplexing electrolyte effects. Increasing attention is thus paid to designing electrolyte properties, positioning the LRE at center stage. To this end, unraveling the LRE is becoming essential for designing electrocatalysts with specifically tailored properties, which could enable much needed breakthroughs in electrochemical energy science.Theory and modeling are getting more and more important and powerful in addressing this multifaceted problem that involves physical phenomena at different scales and interacting in a multidimensional parametric space. Theoretical models developed for this purpose should treat intrinsic multistep kinetics of electrocatalytic reactions, EDL effects from subnm scale to the scale of 10 nm, and mass transport phenomena bridging scales from <0.1 to 100 μm. Given the diverse physical phenomena and scales involved, it is evident that the challenge at hand surpasses the capabilities of any single theoretical or computational approach.In this Account, we present a hierarchical theoretical framework to address the above challenge. It seamlessly integrates several modules: (i) microkinetic modeling that accounts for various reaction pathways; (ii) an LRE model that describes the interfacial region extending from the nanometric EDL continuously to the solution bulk; (iii) first-principles calculations that provide parameters, e.g., adsorption energies, activation barriers and EDL parameters. The microkinetic model considers all elementary steps without designating an a priori rate-determining step. The kinetics of these elementary steps are expressed in terms of local concentrations, potential and electric field that are codetermined by EDL charging and mass transport in the LRE model. Vital insights on electrode kinetic phenomena, i.e., potential-dependent Tafel slopes, cation effects, and pH effects, obtained from this hierarchical framework are then reviewed. Finally, an outlook on further improvement of the model framework is presented, in view of recent developments in first-principles based simulation of electrocatalysis, observations of dynamic reconstruction of catalysts, and machine-learning assisted computational simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinwei Zhu
- Theory
and Computation of Energy Materials (IEK-13), Institute of Energy
and Climate Research, Forschungszentrum
Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Chair
of Theory and Computation of Energy Materials, Faculty of Georesources
and Materials Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, 52062 Aachen, Germany
| | - Jun Huang
- Theory
and Computation of Energy Materials (IEK-13), Institute of Energy
and Climate Research, Forschungszentrum
Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Theory
of Electrocatalytic Interfaces, Faculty of Georesources and Materials
Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, 52062 Aachen, Germany
| | - Michael Eikerling
- Theory
and Computation of Energy Materials (IEK-13), Institute of Energy
and Climate Research, Forschungszentrum
Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Chair
of Theory and Computation of Energy Materials, Faculty of Georesources
and Materials Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, 52062 Aachen, Germany
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6
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Levell Z, Le J, Yu S, Wang R, Ethirajan S, Rana R, Kulkarni A, Resasco J, Lu D, Cheng J, Liu Y. Emerging Atomistic Modeling Methods for Heterogeneous Electrocatalysis. Chem Rev 2024; 124:8620-8656. [PMID: 38990563 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Heterogeneous electrocatalysis lies at the center of various technologies that could help enable a sustainable future. However, its complexity makes it challenging to accurately and efficiently model at an atomic level. Here, we review emerging atomistic methods to simulate the electrocatalytic interface with special attention devoted to the components/effects that have been challenging to model, such as solvation, electrolyte ions, electrode potential, reaction kinetics, and pH. Additionally, we review relevant computational spectroscopy methods. Then, we showcase several examples of applying these methods to understand and design catalysts relevant to green hydrogen. We also offer experimental views on how to bridge the gap between theory and experiments. Finally, we provide some perspectives on opportunities to advance the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Levell
- Texas Materials Institute and Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Jiabo Le
- Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1219 Zhongguan West Road, Ningbo 315201, China
| | - Saerom Yu
- Texas Materials Institute and Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Ruoyu Wang
- Texas Materials Institute and Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Sudheesh Ethirajan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Rachita Rana
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Ambarish Kulkarni
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Joaquin Resasco
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Deyu Lu
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Jun Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, iChEM, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
- Laboratory of AI for Electrochemistry (AI4EC), Tan Kah Kee Innovation Laboratory, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Yuanyue Liu
- Texas Materials Institute and Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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7
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Kowalski RM, Banerjee A, Yue C, Gracia SG, Cheng D, Morales-Guio CG, Sautet P. Electroreduction of Captured CO 2 on Silver Catalysts: Influence of the Capture Agent and Proton Source. J Am Chem Soc 2024. [PMID: 39037349 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c03915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
In the context of carbon reutilization, the direct electroreduction of captured CO2 (c-CO2RR) appears as an appealing approach since it avoids the energetically costly separation of CO2 from the capture agent. In this process, CO2 is directly reduced from its captured form. Here, we investigate the influence of the capture agent and proton source on that reaction from a combination of theory and experiment. Specifically, we consider methoxide-captured CO2, NH3-captured CO2, and bicarbonate on silver electrocatalysts. We show that the proton source plays a key role in the interplay of the chemistries for the electroreduction of protons, free CO2, and captured CO2. Our density functional theory calculations, including the influence of the potential, demonstrate that a proton source with smaller pKa improves the reactivity for c-CO2RR, but also increases the selectivity toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) on silver surfaces. Since c-CO2RR requires an additional chemical protonation step, the influence of the proton source is stronger than that of the HER. However, c-CO2RR cannot compete with the HER on Ag, Experimentally, the dominant product observed is H2 with low amounts of CO being produced. Through a rotating cylinder electrode cell of well-defined mass-transport properties, we conclude that although methanol solvent exhibits a lower HER activity, HER remains dominant over c-CO2RR. Our work suggests that methoxide is a potential alternative capture agent to NH3 for direct reduction of captured CO2, though challenges in catalyst design, particularly in reducing the onset potential of c-CO2RR to surpass the HER, remain to be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Michael Kowalski
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Avishek Banerjee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Chudi Yue
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Sara G Gracia
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Dongfang Cheng
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Carlos G Morales-Guio
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Philippe Sautet
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
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8
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Zeng M, Fang W, Cen Y, Zhang X, Hu Y, Xia BY. Reaction Environment Regulation for Electrocatalytic CO 2 Reduction in Acids. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202404574. [PMID: 38638104 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202404574] [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: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
The electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is a sustainable route for converting CO2 into value-added fuels and feedstocks, advancing a carbon-neutral economy. The electrolyte critically influences CO2 utilization, reaction rate and product selectivity. While typically conducted in neutral/alkaline aqueous electrolytes, the CO2RR faces challenges due to (bi)carbonate formation and its crossover to the anolyte, reducing efficiency and stability. Acidic media offer promise by suppressing these processes, but the low Faradaic efficiency, especially for multicarbon (C2+) products, and poor electrocatalyst stability persist. The effective regulation of the reaction environment at the cathode is essential to favor the CO2RR over the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and improve long-term stability. This review examines progress in the acidic CO2RR, focusing on reaction environment regulation strategies such as electrocatalyst design, electrode modification and electrolyte engineering to promote the CO2RR. Insights into the reaction mechanisms via in situ/operando techniques and theoretical calculations are discussed, along with critical challenges and future directions in acidic CO2RR technology, offering guidance for developing practical systems for the carbon-neutral community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zeng
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoelectronic Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Hubei University, 368 Youyi Road, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Wensheng Fang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology, Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry and Service Failure, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), 1037 Luoyu Rd, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Yiren Cen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoelectronic Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Hubei University, 368 Youyi Road, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Xinyi Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoelectronic Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Hubei University, 368 Youyi Road, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Yongming Hu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoelectronic Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Hubei University, 368 Youyi Road, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Bao Yu Xia
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology, Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry and Service Failure, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), 1037 Luoyu Rd, Wuhan, 430074, China
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9
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Kastlunger G, Vijay S, Chen X, Sharma S, Peterson A. On the Thermodynamic Equivalence of Grand Canonical, Infinite-Size, and Capacitor-Based Models in First-Principle Electrochemistry. Chemphyschem 2024; 25:e202300950. [PMID: 38511569 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202300950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
First principles-based computational and theoretical methods are constantly evolving trying to overcome the many obstacles towards a comprehensive understanding of electrochemical processes on an atomistic level. One of the major challenges has been the determination of reaction energetics under a constant potential. Here, a theoretical framework was proposed applying standard electronic structure methods and extrapolating to the infinite-cell size limit where reactions do not alter the potential. Today, electronically grand canonical modifications to electronic structure methods, holding the potential constant by varying the number of electrons in a finite simulation cell, become increasingly popular. In this perspective, we show that these two schemes are thermodynamically equivalent. Further, we link these methods to capacitive models of the interface, in the limit that the capacitance of the charging components (whether continuum or atomistic) are equal and invariant along the reaction pathway. We benchmark the three approaches with an example of alkali cation adsorption on Pt(111) showing that all three approaches converge in the cases of Li, Na and K. For Cs, however, strong deviation from the ideal conditions leads to a spread in the respective results. We discuss the latter by highlighting the cases of broken equivalence and assumptions among the approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Kastlunger
- Catalysis Theory Center, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Fysikvej, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sudarshan Vijay
- Catalysis Theory Center, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Fysikvej, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Xi Chen
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Hope Street, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Shubham Sharma
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Hope Street, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Andrew Peterson
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Hope Street, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
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10
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Luo Y, Zhang Y, Zhu J, Tian X, Liu G, Feng Z, Pan L, Liu X, Han N, Tan R. Material Engineering Strategies for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Catalysts. SMALL METHODS 2024:e2400158. [PMID: 38745530 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202400158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Water electrolysis, a key enabler of hydrogen energy production, presents significant potential as a strategy for achieving net-zero emissions. However, the widespread deployment of water electrolysis is currently limited by the high-cost and scarce noble metal electrocatalysts in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Given this challenge, design and synthesis of cost-effective and high-performance alternative catalysts have become a research focus, which necessitates insightful understandings of HER fundamentals and material engineering strategies. Distinct from typical reviews that concentrate only on the summary of recent catalyst materials, this review article shifts focus to material engineering strategies for developing efficient HER catalysts. In-depth analysis of key material design approaches for HER catalysts, such as doping, vacancy defect creation, phase engineering, and metal-support engineering, are illustrated along with typical research cases. A special emphasis is placed on designing noble metal-free catalysts with a brief discussion on recent advancements in electrocatalytic water-splitting technology. The article also delves into important descriptors, reliable evaluation parameters and characterization techniques, aiming to link the fundamental mechanisms of HER with its catalytic performance. In conclusion, it explores future trends in HER catalysts by integrating theoretical, experimental and industrial perspectives, while acknowledging the challenges that remain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Luo
- School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Yulong Zhang
- College of Mechatronical and Electrical Engineering, Hebei Agricultrual Univesity, Baoding, 07001, China
| | - Jiayi Zhu
- Warwick Electrochemical Engineering, WMG, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Xingpeng Tian
- Warwick Electrochemical Engineering, WMG, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Gang Liu
- IDTECH (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Suzhou, 215217, China
| | - Zhiming Feng
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Liwen Pan
- School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
- Education Department of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Key Laboratory of High Performance Structural Materials and Thermo-surface Processing (Guangxi University), Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Xinhua Liu
- School of Transportation Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Ning Han
- Department of Materials Engineering, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 44, bus 2450, Heverlee, B-3001, Belgium
| | - Rui Tan
- Warwick Electrochemical Engineering, WMG, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
- Department of Chemcial Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, SA1 8EN, United Kingdom
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11
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Kong S, Ouyang M, An Y, Cao W, Chen X. Surface Charge Effects for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction on Pt(111) Using a Modified Grand-Canonical Potential Kinetics Method. Molecules 2024; 29:1813. [PMID: 38675633 PMCID: PMC11055056 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29081813] [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: 02/17/2024] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Surface charges of catalysts have important influences on the thermodynamics and kinetics of electrochemical reactions. Herein, we develop a modified version of the grand-canonical potential kinetics (GCP-K) method based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations to explore the effect of surface charges on reaction thermodynamics and kinetics. Using the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) on the Pt(111) surface as an example, we show how to track the change of surface charge in a reaction and how to analyze its influence on the kinetics. Grand-canonical calculations demonstrate that the optimum hydrogen adsorption energy on Pt under the standard hydrogen electrode condition (SHE) is around -0.2 eV, rather than 0 eV established under the canonical ensemble, due to the high density of surface negative charges. By separating the surface charges that can freely exchange with the external electron reservoir, we obtain a Tafel barrier that is in good agreement with the experimental result. During the Tafel reaction, the net electron inflow into the catalyst leads to a stabilization of canonical energy and a destabilization of the charge-dependent grand-canonical component. This study provides a practical method for obtaining accurate grand-canonical reaction energetics and analyzing the surface charge induced changes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Xiaobo Chen
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Vacuum Coating Technologies and New Energy Materials, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Vacuum Coating Technologies and New Energy Materials, Department of Physics, College of Physics & Optoelectronic Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; (S.K.); (M.O.); (Y.A.); (W.C.)
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12
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Shah AH, Zhang Z, Wan C, Wang S, Zhang A, Wang L, Alexandrova AN, Huang Y, Duan X. Platinum Surface Water Orientation Dictates Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Kinetics in Alkaline Media. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:9623-9630. [PMID: 38533830 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c12934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
The fundamental understanding of sluggish hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics on a platinum (Pt) surface in alkaline media is a topic of considerable debate. Herein, we combine cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrical transport spectroscopy (ETS) approaches to probe the Pt surface at different pH values and develop molecular-level insights into the pH-dependent HER kinetics in alkaline media. The change in HER Tafel slope from ∼110 mV/decade in pH 7-10 to ∼53 mV/decade in pH 11-13 suggests considerably enhanced kinetics at higher pH. The ETS studies reveal a similar pH-dependent switch in the ETS conductance signal at around pH 10, suggesting a notable change of surface adsorbates. Fixed-potential calculations and chemical bonding analysis suggest that this switch is attributed to a change in interfacial water orientation, shifting from primarily an O-down configuration below pH 10 to a H-down configuration above pH 10. This reorientation weakens the O-H bond in the interfacial water molecules and modifies the reaction pathway, leading to considerably accelerated HER kinetics at higher pH. Our integrated studies provide an unprecedented molecular-level understanding of the nontrivial pH-dependent HER kinetics in alkaline media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aamir Hassan Shah
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Zisheng Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Chengzhang Wan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Sibo Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Ao Zhang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Laiyuan Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Anastassia N Alexandrova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Yu Huang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Xiangfeng Duan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
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13
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Vijay S, H Heenen H, Singh AR, Chan K, Voss J. Number of sites-based solver for determining coverages from steady-state mean-field micro-kinetic models. J Comput Chem 2024; 45:546-551. [PMID: 38009447 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.27263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
Kinetic models parameterized by ab-initio calculations have led to significant improvements in understanding chemical reactions in heterogeneous catalysis. These studies have been facilitated by implementations which determine steady-state coverages and rates of mean-field micro-kinetic models. As implemented in the open-source kinetic modeling program, CatMAP, the conventional solution strategy is to use a root-finding algorithm to determine the coverage of all intermediates through the steady-state expressions, constraining all coverages to be non-negative and to properly sum to unity. Though intuitive, this root-finding strategy causes issues with convergence to solution due to these imposed constraints. In this work, we avoid explicitly imposing these constraints, solving the mean-field steady-state micro-kinetic model in the space of number of sites instead of solving it in the space of coverages. We transform the constrained root-finding problem to an unconstrained least-squares minimization problem, leading to significantly improved convergence in solving micro-kinetic models and thus enabling the efficient study of more complex catalytic reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudarshan Vijay
- CatTheory, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Hendrik H Heenen
- CatTheory, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
- Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Berlin, Germany
| | - Aayush R Singh
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California, USA
| | - Karen Chan
- CatTheory, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Johannes Voss
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California, USA
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14
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Miao L, Jia W, Cao X, Jiao L. Computational chemistry for water-splitting electrocatalysis. Chem Soc Rev 2024; 53:2771-2807. [PMID: 38344774 DOI: 10.1039/d2cs01068b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic water splitting driven by renewable electricity has attracted great interest in recent years for producing hydrogen with high-purity. However, the practical applications of this technology are limited by the development of electrocatalysts with high activity, low cost, and long durability. In the search for new electrocatalysts, computational chemistry has made outstanding contributions by providing fundamental laws that govern the electron behavior and enabling predictions of electrocatalyst performance. This review delves into theoretical studies on electrochemical water-splitting processes. Firstly, we introduce the fundamentals of electrochemical water electrolysis and subsequently discuss the current advancements in computational methods and models for electrocatalytic water splitting. Additionally, a comprehensive overview of benchmark descriptors is provided to aid in understanding intrinsic catalytic performance for water-splitting electrocatalysts. Finally, we critically evaluate the remaining challenges within this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Licheng Miao
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
| | - Wenqi Jia
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
| | - Xuejie Cao
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
| | - Lifang Jiao
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
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15
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Lewis NB, Bisbey RP, Westendorff KS, Soudackov AV, Surendranath Y. A molecular-level mechanistic framework for interfacial proton-coupled electron transfer kinetics. Nat Chem 2024; 16:343-352. [PMID: 38228851 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-023-01400-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Electrochemical proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions can proceed via an outer-sphere electron transfer to solution (OS-PCET) or through an inner-sphere mechanism by interfacial polarization of surface-bound active sites (I-PCET). Although OS-PCET has been extensively studied with molecular insight, the inherent heterogeneity of surfaces impedes molecular-level understanding of I-PCET. Herein we employ graphite-conjugated carboxylic acids (GC-COOH) as molecularly well-defined hosts of I-PCET to isolate the intrinsic kinetics of I-PCET. We measure I-PCET rates across the entire pH range, uncovering a V-shaped pH-dependence that lacks the pH-independent regions characteristic of OS-PCET. Accordingly, we develop a mechanistic model for I-PCET that invokes concerted PCET involving hydronium/water or water/hydroxide donor/acceptor pairs, capturing the entire dataset with only four adjustable parameters. We find that I-PCET is fourfold faster with hydronium/water than water/hydroxide, while both reactions display similarly high charge transfer coefficients, indicating late proton transfer transition states. These studies highlight the key mechanistic distinctions between I-PCET and OS-PCET, providing a framework for understanding and modelling more complex multistep I-PCET reactions critical to energy conversion and catalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah B Lewis
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ryan P Bisbey
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Karl S Westendorff
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Yogesh Surendranath
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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16
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Chen C, Jin H, Wang P, Sun X, Jaroniec M, Zheng Y, Qiao SZ. Local reaction environment in electrocatalysis. Chem Soc Rev 2024; 53:2022-2055. [PMID: 38204405 DOI: 10.1039/d3cs00669g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Beyond conventional electrocatalyst engineering, recent studies have unveiled the effectiveness of manipulating the local reaction environment in enhancing the performance of electrocatalytic reactions. The general principles and strategies of local environmental engineering for different electrocatalytic processes have been extensively investigated. This review provides a critical appraisal of the recent advancements in local reaction environment engineering, aiming to comprehensively assess this emerging field. It presents the interactions among surface structure, ions distribution and local electric field in relation to the local reaction environment. Useful protocols such as the interfacial reactant concentration, mass transport rate, adsorption/desorption behaviors, and binding energy are in-depth discussed toward modifying the local reaction environment. Meanwhile, electrode physical structures and reaction cell configurations are viable optimization methods in engineering local reaction environments. In combination with operando investigation techniques, we conclude that rational modifications of the local reaction environment can significantly enhance various electrocatalytic processes by optimizing the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of the reaction interface. We also outline future research directions to attain a comprehensive understanding and effective modulation of the local reaction environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaojie Chen
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
| | - Huanyu Jin
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
| | - Pengtang Wang
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
| | - Xiaogang Sun
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
| | - Mietek Jaroniec
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry & Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
| | - Yao Zheng
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
| | - Shi-Zhang Qiao
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
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17
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Liu BY, Zhen EF, Zhang LL, Cai J, Huang J, Chen YX. The pH-Induced Increase of the Rate Constant for HER at Au(111) in Acid Revealed by Combining Experiments and Kinetic Simulation. Anal Chem 2024; 96:67-75. [PMID: 38153001 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c02818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Origins of pH effects on the kinetics of electrocatalytic reactions involving the transfer of both protons and electrons, including the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) considered in this study, are heatedly debated. By taking the HER at Au(111) in acid solutions of different pHs and ionic concentrations as the model systems, herein, we report how to derive the intrinsic kinetic parameters of such reactions and their pH dependence through the measurement of j-E curves and the corresponding kinetic simulation based on the Frumkin-Butler-Volmer theory and the modified Poisson-Nernst-Planck equation. Our study reveals the following: (i) the same set of kinetic parameters, such as the standard activation Gibbs free energy, charge transfer coefficient, and Gibbs adsorption energy for Had at Au(111), can simulate well all the j-E curves measured in solutions with different pH and temperatures; (ii) on the reversible hydrogen electrode scale, the intrinsic rate constant increases with the increase of pH, which is in contrast with the decrease of the HER current with the increase of pH; and (iii) the ratio of the rate constants for HER at Au(111) in x M HClO4 + (0.1 - x) M NaClO4 (pH ≤ 3) deduced before properly correcting the electric double layer (EDL) effects to the ones estimated with EDL correction is in the range of ca. 10 to 40, and even in a solution of x M HClO4 + (1 - x) M NaClO4 (pH ≤ 2) there is a difference of ca. 5× in the rate constants without and with EDL correction. The importance of proper correction of the EDL effects as well as several other important factors on unveiling the intrinsic pH-dependent reaction kinetics are discussed to help converge our analysis of pH effects in electrocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing-Yu Liu
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Er-Fei Zhen
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Lu-Lu Zhang
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Jun Cai
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Jun Huang
- Institute of Energy and Climate Research, IEK-13: Theory and Computation of Energy Materials, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Theorie Elektrokatalytischer Grenzflächen, Fakultät für Georessourcen und Materialtechnik, RWTH Aachen University, 52062 Aachen, Germany
| | - Yan-Xia Chen
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
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18
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Zhao K, Yu H, Xiong H, Lu Q, Gao YQ, Xu B. Action at a distance: organic cation induced long range organization of interfacial water enhances hydrogen evolution and oxidation kinetics. Chem Sci 2023; 14:11076-11087. [PMID: 37860648 PMCID: PMC10583708 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc03300g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Engineering efficient electrode-electrolyte interfaces for the hydrogen evolution and oxidation reactions (HOR/HER) is central to the growing hydrogen economy. Existing descriptors for HOR/HER catalysts focused on species that could directly impact the immediate micro-environment of surface-mediated reactions, such as the binding energies of adsorbates. In this work, we demonstrate that bulky organic cations, such as tetrapropyl ammonium, are able to induce a long-range structure of interfacial water molecules and enhance the HOR/HER kinetics even though they are located outside the outer Helmholtz plane. Through a combination of electrokinetic analysis, molecular dynamics and in situ spectroscopic investigations, we propose that the structure-making ability of bulky hydrophobic cations promotes the formation of hydrogen-bonded water chains connecting the electrode surface to the bulk electrolyte. In alkaline electrolytes, the HOR/HER involve the activation of interfacial water by donating or abstracting protons. The structural diffusion mechanism of protons in aqueous electrolytes enables water molecules and cations located at a distance from the electrode to influence surface-mediated reactions. The findings reported in this work highlight the prospect of leveraging the nonlocal mechanism to enhance electrocatalytic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyue Zhao
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University Beijing 100871 China
| | - Hao Yu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University Beijing 100871 China
| | - Haocheng Xiong
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University Beijing 100871 China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Qi Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Yi Qin Gao
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University Beijing 100871 China
| | - Bingjun Xu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University Beijing 100871 China
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19
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Yuan X, Lee K, Schmidt JR, Choi KS. Halide Adsorption Enhances Electrochemical Hydrogenolysis of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural by Suppressing Hydrogenation. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:20473-20484. [PMID: 37682732 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c06289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Reductive upgrading of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a biomass-derived platform molecule, to 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF), a biofuel with an energy density 40% greater than that of ethanol, involves hydrogenolysis of both the aldehyde (C═O) and the alcohol (C-OH) groups of HMF. It is known that when hydrogenation of the aldehyde occurs to form 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan (BHMF), BHMF cannot be further reduced to DMF. Thus, aldehyde hydrogenation must be suppressed to increase the selectivity for DMF production. Previously, it was shown that on a Cu electrode hydrogenolysis occurs mainly through proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET), where a proton from the solution and an electron from the electrode are transferred to the organic species. In contrast, hydrogenation occurs not only through PCET but also through hydrogen atom transfer (HAT), where a surface-adsorbed hydrogen atom (H*) is transferred to the organic species. This study shows that halide adsorption on Cu can effectively suppress HAT by decreasing the steady-state H* coverage on Cu during HMF reduction. As HAT enables only aldehyde hydrogenation, a striking suppression of BHMF is observed, thereby enhancing DMF production. We discuss how the identity and concentration of the halide, along with the reduction conditions (i.e., potential and pH), affect halide adsorption on Cu and identify when optimal halide coverages are achieved to maximize DMF selectivity. Our experimental results are presented alongside computational results that elucidate how halide adsorption affects the adsorption energy of hydrogen and the steady-state H* coverage on Cu, which provide an atomic-level understanding of all experimentally observed effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Yuan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Kwanpyung Lee
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - J R Schmidt
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Kyoung-Shin Choi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
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20
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Liu H, Zhang D, Holmes SM, D'Agostino C, Li H. Origin of the superior oxygen reduction activity of zirconium nitride in alkaline media. Chem Sci 2023; 14:9000-9009. [PMID: 37655027 PMCID: PMC10466308 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc01827j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC), which can operate in alkaline media, paves a promising avenue for the broad application of earth-abundant element based catalysts. Recent pioneering studies found that zirconium nitride (ZrN) with low upfront capital cost can exhibit high activity, even surpassing that of Pt in alkaline oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, the origin of its superior ORR activity was not well understood. Herein, we propose a new theoretical framework to uncover the ORR mechanism of ZrN by integrating surface state analysis, electric field effect simulations, and pH-dependent microkinetic modelling. The ZrN surface was found to be covered by ∼1 monolayer (ML) HO* under ORR operating conditions, which can accommodate the adsorbates in a bridge-site configuration for the ORR. Electric field effect simulations demonstrate that O* adsorption on a 1 ML HO* covered surface only induces a consistently small dipole moment change, resulting in a moderate bonding strength that can account for the superior activity. Based on the identified surface state of ZrN and electric field simulations, pH-dependent microkinetic modelling found that ZrN reaches the Sabatier optimum of the kinetic ORR volcano model in alkaline media, with the simulated polarization curves being in excellent agreement with the experimental data of ZrN and Pt/C. Finally, we show that this theoretical framework can lead to a good explanation for the alkaline oxygen electrocatalysis of other transition metal nitrites such as Fe3N, TiN, and HfN. In summary, this study proposes a new framework to rationalize and design transition metal nitrides for alkaline ORR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Liu
- Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), Tohoku University Sendai 980-8577 Japan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Manchester Oxford Road M13 9PL UK
| | - Di Zhang
- Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), Tohoku University Sendai 980-8577 Japan
| | - Stuart M Holmes
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Manchester Oxford Road M13 9PL UK
| | - Carmine D'Agostino
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Manchester Oxford Road M13 9PL UK
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Chimica, Ambientale e dei Materiali (DICAM), Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna Via Terracini, 28 40131 Bologna Italy
| | - Hao Li
- Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), Tohoku University Sendai 980-8577 Japan
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21
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Liu S, Mukadam Z, Scott SB, Sarma SC, Titirici MM, Chan K, Govindarajan N, Stephens IEL, Kastlunger G. Unraveling the reaction mechanisms for furfural electroreduction on copper. EES CATALYSIS 2023; 1:539-551. [PMID: 37426696 PMCID: PMC10323714 DOI: 10.1039/d3ey00040k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Electrochemical routes for the valorization of biomass-derived feedstock molecules offer sustainable pathways to produce chemicals and fuels. However, the underlying reaction mechanisms for their electrochemical conversion remain elusive. In particular, the exact role of proton-electron coupled transfer and electrocatalytic hydrogenation in the reaction mechanisms for biomass electroreduction are disputed. In this work, we study the reaction mechanism underlying the electroreduction of furfural, an important biomass-derived platform chemical, combining grand-canonical (constant-potential) density functional theory-based microkinetic simulations and pH dependent experiments on Cu under acidic conditions. Our simulations indicate the second PCET step in the reaction pathway to be the rate- and selectivity-determining step for the production of the two main products of furfural electroreduction on Cu, i.e., furfuryl alcohol and 2-methyl furan, at moderate overpotentials. We further identify the source of Cu's ability to produce both products with comparable activity in their nearly equal activation energies. Furthermore, our microkinetic simulations suggest that surface hydrogenation steps play a minor role in determining the overall activity of furfural electroreduction compared to PCET steps due to the low steady-state hydrogen coverage predicted under reaction conditions, the high activation barriers for surface hydrogenation and the observed pH dependence of the reaction. As a theoretical guideline, low pH (<1.5) and moderate potential (ca. -0.5 V vs. SHE) conditions are suggested for selective 2-MF production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sihang Liu
- Department of Physics, Catalysis Theory Center, Technical University of Denmark (DTU) 2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Zamaan Mukadam
- Department of Materials, Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London London SW27 AZ England UK
| | - Soren B Scott
- Department of Materials, Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London London SW27 AZ England UK
| | - Saurav Ch Sarma
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London London SW7 2AZ England UK
| | - Maria-Magdalena Titirici
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London London SW7 2AZ England UK
- Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), Tohoku University Sendai Miyagi 980-8577 Japan
| | - Karen Chan
- Department of Physics, Catalysis Theory Center, Technical University of Denmark (DTU) 2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Nitish Govindarajan
- Department of Physics, Catalysis Theory Center, Technical University of Denmark (DTU) 2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
- Materials Science Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Livermore California 94550 USA
| | - Ifan E L Stephens
- Department of Materials, Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London London SW27 AZ England UK
| | - Georg Kastlunger
- Department of Physics, Catalysis Theory Center, Technical University of Denmark (DTU) 2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
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22
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López M, Exner KS, Viñes F, Illas F. Theoretical study of the mechanism of the hydrogen evolution reaction on the V2C MXene: Thermodynamic and kinetic aspects. J Catal 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcat.2023.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
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23
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Wilson JC, Caratzoulas S, Vlachos DG, Yan Y. Insights into solvent and surface charge effects on Volmer step kinetics on Pt (111). Nat Commun 2023; 14:2384. [PMID: 37185242 PMCID: PMC10130056 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37935-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanism of pH-dependent hydrogen oxidation and evolution kinetics is still a matter of significant debate. To make progress, we study the Volmer step kinetics on platinum (111) using classical molecular dynamics simulations with an embedded Anderson-Newns Hamiltonian for the redox process and constant potential electrodes. We investigate how negative electrode electrostatic potential affects Volmer step kinetics. We find that the redox solvent reorganization energy is insensitive to changes in interfacial field strength. The negatively charged surface attracts adsorbed H as well as H+, increasing hydrogen binding energy, but also trapping H+ in the double layer. While more negative electrostatic potential in the double layer accelerates the oxidation charge transfer, it becomes difficult for the proton to move to the bulk. Conversely, reduction becomes more difficult because the transition state occurs farther from equilibrium solvation polarization. Our results help to clarify how the charged surface plays a role in hydrogen electrocatalysis kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon C Wilson
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy St, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
- Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation, University of Delaware, 221 Academy St, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Stavros Caratzoulas
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy St, Newark, DE, 19716, USA.
- Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation, University of Delaware, 221 Academy St, Newark, DE, 19716, USA.
| | - Dionisios G Vlachos
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy St, Newark, DE, 19716, USA.
- Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation, University of Delaware, 221 Academy St, Newark, DE, 19716, USA.
| | - Yushan Yan
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy St, Newark, DE, 19716, USA.
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24
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Zhu X, Huang J, Eikerling M. pH Effects in a Model Electrocatalytic Reaction Disentangled. JACS AU 2023; 3:1052-1064. [PMID: 37124300 PMCID: PMC10131201 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.2c00662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Varying the solution pH not only changes the reactant concentrations in bulk solution but also the local reaction environment (LRE) that is shaped furthermore by macroscopic mass transport and microscopic electric double layer (EDL) effects. Understanding ubiquitous pH effects in electrocatalysis requires disentangling these interwoven factors, which is a difficult, if not impossible, task without physical modeling. Herein, we demonstrate how a hierarchical model that integrates microkinetics, double-layer charging, and macroscopic mass transport can help understand pH effects of the formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR). In terms of the relation between the peak activity and the solution pH, intrinsic pH effects without consideration of changes in the LRE would lead to a bell-shaped curve with a peak at pH = 6. Adding only macroscopic mass transport, we can already reproduce qualitatively the experimentally observed trapezoidal shape with a plateau between pH 5 and 10 in perchlorate and sulfate solutions. A quantitative agreement with experimental data requires consideration of EDL effects beyond Frumkin correlations. Specifically, the peculiar nonmonotonic surface charging relation affects the free energies of adsorbed intermediates. We further discuss pH effects of FAOR in phosphate and chloride-containing solutions, for which anion adsorption becomes important. This study underpins the importance of a full consideration of multiple interrelated factors for the interpretation of pH effects in electrocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinwei Zhu
- Theory
and Computation of Energy Materials (IEK-13), Institute of Energy
and Climate Research, Forschungszentrum
Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Chair
of Theory and Computation of Energy Materials, Faculty of Georesources
and Materials Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, 52062 Aachen, Germany
| | - Jun Huang
- Theory
and Computation of Energy Materials (IEK-13), Institute of Energy
and Climate Research, Forschungszentrum
Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Michael Eikerling
- Theory
and Computation of Energy Materials (IEK-13), Institute of Energy
and Climate Research, Forschungszentrum
Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Chair
of Theory and Computation of Energy Materials, Faculty of Georesources
and Materials Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, 52062 Aachen, Germany
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25
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Kastlunger G, Heenen HH, Govindarajan N. Combining First-Principles Kinetics and Experimental Data to Establish Guidelines for Product Selectivity in Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction. ACS Catal 2023. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.3c00228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
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26
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Chen J, Aliasgar M, Zamudio FB, Zhang T, Zhao Y, Lian X, Wen L, Yang H, Sun W, Kozlov SM, Chen W, Wang L. Diversity of platinum-sites at platinum/fullerene interface accelerates alkaline hydrogen evolution. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1711. [PMID: 36973303 PMCID: PMC10042996 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37404-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Membrane-based alkaline water electrolyser is promising for cost-effective green hydrogen production. One of its key technological obstacles is the development of active catalyst-materials for alkaline hydrogen-evolution-reaction (HER). Here, we show that the activity of platinum towards alkaline HER can be significantly enhanced by anchoring platinum-clusters onto two-dimensional fullerene nanosheets. The unusually large lattice distance (~0.8 nm) of the fullerene nanosheets and the ultra-small size of the platinum-clusters (~2 nm) leads to strong confinement of platinum clusters accompanied by pronounced charge redistributions at the intimate platinum/fullerene interface. As a result, the platinum-fullerene composite exhibits 12 times higher intrinsic activity for alkaline HER than the state-of-the-art platinum/carbon black catalyst. Detailed kinetic and computational investigations revealed the origin of the enhanced activity to be the diverse binding properties of the platinum-sites at the interface of platinum/fullerene, which generates highly active sites for all elementary steps in alkaline HER, particularly the sluggish Volmer step. Furthermore, encouraging energy efficiency of 74% and stability were achieved for alkaline water electrolyser assembled using platinum-fullerene composite under industrially relevant testing conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mohammed Aliasgar
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Fernando Buendia Zamudio
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tianyu Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yilin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xu Lian
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lan Wen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Haozhou Yang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wenping Sun
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China.
| | - Sergey M Kozlov
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, 2 Science Drive 3, Singapore, Singapore
- Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Binhai New City, Fuzhou, China
- Centre for Hydrogen Innovations, National University of Singapore, 1 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, Singapore.
- Centre for Hydrogen Innovations, National University of Singapore, 1 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore, Singapore.
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27
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Chen W, Zhang LL, Wei Z, Zhang MK, Cai J, Chen YX. The electrostatic effect and its role in promoting electrocatalytic reactions by specifically adsorbed anions. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:8317-8330. [PMID: 36892566 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp04547h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
The adsorption of anions and its impact on electrocatalytic reactions are fundamental topics in electrocatalysis. Previous studies revealed that adsorbed anions display an overall poisoning effect in most cases. However, for a few reactions such as the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxidation of small organic molecules (SOMs), and reduction of CO2 and O2, some specifically adsorbed anions can promote their reaction kinetics under certain conditions. The promotion effect is frequently attributed to the adsorbate induced modification of the nature of the active sites, the change of the adsorption configuration and free energy of the key reactive intermediate which consequently change the activation energy, the pre-exponential factor of the rate determining step etc. In this paper, we will give a mini review of the indispensable role of the classical double layer effect in enhancing the kinetics of electrocatalytic reactions by anion adsorption. The ubiquitous electrostatic interactions change both the potential distribution and the concentration distribution of ionic species across the electric double layer (EDL), which alters the electrochemical driving force and effective concentration of the reactants. The contribution to the overall kinetics is highlighted by taking HER, oxidation of SOMs, reduction of CO2 and O2, as examples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Chen
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
| | - Lu-Lu Zhang
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
| | - Zhen Wei
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
| | - Meng-Ke Zhang
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
| | - Jun Cai
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
| | - Yan-Xia Chen
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
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28
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Electric Double Layer: The Good, the Bad, and the Beauty. ELECTROCHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/electrochem3040052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The electric double layer (EDL) is the most important region for electrochemical and heterogeneous catalysis. Because of it, its modeling and investigation are something that can be found in the literature for a long time. However, nowadays, it is still a hot topic of investigation, mainly because of the improvement in simulation and experimental techniques. The present review aims to present the classical models for the EDL, as well as presenting how this region affects electrochemical data in everyday experimentation, how to obtain and interpret information about EDL, and, finally, how to obtain some molecular point of view insights on it.
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29
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Oshchepkov AG, Simonov PA, Kuznetsov AN, Shermukhamedov SA, Nazmutdinov RR, Kvon RI, Zaikovskii VI, Kardash TY, Fedorova EA, Cherstiouk OV, Bonnefont A, Savinova ER. Bimetallic NiM/C (M = Cu and Mo) Catalysts for the Hydrogen Oxidation Reaction: Deciphering the Role of Unintentional Surface Oxides in the Activity Enhancement. ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.2c03720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandr G. Oshchepkov
- Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Lavrentiev Avenue 5, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Pavel A. Simonov
- Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Lavrentiev Avenue 5, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Aleksey N. Kuznetsov
- Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Lavrentiev Avenue 5, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Shokir A. Shermukhamedov
- Kazan National Research Technological University, Kazan 420015, Russia
- Institute of Ion Physics and Applied Physics, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | | | - Ren I. Kvon
- Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Lavrentiev Avenue 5, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Vladimir I. Zaikovskii
- Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Lavrentiev Avenue 5, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Tatyana Yu. Kardash
- Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Lavrentiev Avenue 5, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | | | - Olga V. Cherstiouk
- Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Lavrentiev Avenue 5, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Antoine Bonnefont
- Institut de Chimie de Strasbourg, UMR 7177 CNRS-University of Strasbourg, 4 rue Blaise Pascal, Strasbourg 67070, France
| | - Elena R. Savinova
- Institut de Chimie et Procédés pour l’Energie, l’Environnement et la Santé, UMR 7515 CNRS-University of Strasbourg, 25 rue Becquerel, Strasbourg Cedex 67087, France
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30
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Zhong G, Cheng T, Shah AH, Wan C, Huang Z, Wang S, Leng T, Huang Y, Goddard WA, Duan X. Determining the hydronium pK[Formula: see text] at platinum surfaces and the effect on pH-dependent hydrogen evolution reaction kinetics. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2208187119. [PMID: 36122216 PMCID: PMC9522355 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2208187119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is critical for green hydrogen generation and exhibits distinct pH-dependent kinetics that have been elusive to understand. A molecular-level understanding of the electrochemical interfaces is essential for developing more efficient electrochemical processes. Here we exploit an exclusively surface-specific electrical transport spectroscopy (ETS) approach to probe the Pt-surface water protonation status and experimentally determine the surface hydronium pKa [Formula: see text] 4.3. Quantum mechanics (QM) and reactive dynamics using a reactive force field (ReaxFF) molecular dynamics (RMD) calculations confirm the enrichment of hydroniums (H3O[Formula: see text]) near Pt surface and predict a surface hydronium pKa of 2.5 to 4.4, corroborating the experimental results. Importantly, the observed Pt-surface hydronium pKa correlates well with the pH-dependent HER kinetics, with the protonated surface state at lower pH favoring fast Tafel kinetics with a Tafel slope of 30 mV per decade and the deprotonated surface state at higher pH following Volmer-step limited kinetics with a much higher Tafel slope of 120 mV per decade, offering a robust and precise interpretation of the pH-dependent HER kinetics. These insights may help design improved electrocatalysts for renewable energy conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangyan Zhong
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Tao Cheng
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Joint International Research Laboratory of Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, People’s Republic of China
- Materials and Process Simulation Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - Aamir Hassan Shah
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Chengzhang Wan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Zhihong Huang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Sibo Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Tianle Leng
- Materials and Process Simulation Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - Yu Huang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - William A. Goddard
- Materials and Process Simulation Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
- Liquid Sunlight Alliance, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - Xiangfeng Duan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
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31
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Bender MT, Yuan X, Goetz MK, Choi KS. Electrochemical Hydrogenation, Hydrogenolysis, and Dehydrogenation for Reductive and Oxidative Biomass Upgrading Using 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural as a Model System. ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.2c03606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael T. Bender
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Xin Yuan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - McKenna K. Goetz
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Kyoung-Shin Choi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
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32
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Zhao K, Chang X, Su H, Nie Y, Lu Q, Xu B. Enhancing Hydrogen Oxidation and Evolution Kinetics by Tuning the Interfacial Hydrogen‐Bonding Environment on Functionalized Platinum Surfaces. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202207197. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.202207197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyue Zhao
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering Peking University Beijing 100871 China
| | - Xiaoxia Chang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering Peking University Beijing 100871 China
| | - Hai‐Sheng Su
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering Peking University Beijing 100871 China
| | - Yiming Nie
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry School of Pharmaceutical Sciences Cheeloo College of Medicine Shandong University Jinan Shandong 250012 China
| | - Qi Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering Department of Chemical Engineering Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Bingjun Xu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering Peking University Beijing 100871 China
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33
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Zhang J, Zhang L, Liu J, Zhong C, Tu Y, Li P, Du L, Chen S, Cui Z. OH spectator at IrMo intermetallic narrowing activity gap between alkaline and acidic hydrogen evolution reaction. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5497. [PMID: 36127343 PMCID: PMC9489878 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33216-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The sluggish kinetics of the hydrogen evolution reaction in base has resulted in large activity gap between acidic and alkaline electrolytes. Here, we present an intermetallic IrMo electrocatalyst supported on carbon nanotubes that exhibits a specific activity of 0.95 mA cm-2 at the overpotential of 15 mV, which is 14.4 and 9.5 times of those for Ir/C and Pt/C, respectively. More importantly, its activities in base are fairly close to that in acidic electrolyte and the activity gap between acidic and alkaline media is only one fourth of that for Ir/C. DFT calculations reveal that the stably-adsorbed OH spectator at Mo site of IrMo can stabilize the water dissociation product, resulting in a thermodynamically favorable water dissociation process. Beyond offering an advanced electrocatalyst, this work provides a guidance to rationally design the desirable HER electrocatalysts for alkaline water splitting by the stably-adsorbed OH spectator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxi Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fuel Cell Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510641, China
| | - Longhai Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fuel Cell Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510641, China
| | - Jiamin Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fuel Cell Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510641, China
| | - Chengzhi Zhong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fuel Cell Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510641, China
| | - Yuanhua Tu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fuel Cell Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510641, China
| | - Peng Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Electrochemical Power Sources, College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Li Du
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fuel Cell Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510641, China
| | - Shengli Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Electrochemical Power Sources, College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.
| | - Zhiming Cui
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fuel Cell Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510641, China.
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34
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Yuan X, Lee K, Bender MT, Schmidt JR, Choi K. Mechanistic Differences between Electrochemical Hydrogenation and Hydrogenolysis of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural and Their pH Dependence. CHEMSUSCHEM 2022; 15:e202200952. [PMID: 35731931 PMCID: PMC9542785 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202200952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis are two important reactions for electrochemical reductive valorization of biomass-derived oxygenates such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). In general, hydrogenolysis (which combines hydrogenation and deoxygenation) is more challenging than hydrogenation (which does not involve the cleavage of carbon-oxygen bonds). Thus, identifying factors and conditions that can promote hydrogenolysis is of great interest for reductive valorization of biomass-derived oxygenates. For the electrochemical reduction of HMF and its derivatives, it is known that aldehyde hydrogenation is not a part of aldehyde hydrogenolysis but rather a competing reaction; however, no atomic-level understanding is currently available to explain their electrochemical mechanistic differences. In this study, combined experimental and computational investigations were performed using Cu electrodes to elucidate the key mechanistic differences between electrochemical hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis of HMF. The results revealed that hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis of HMF involve the formation of different surface-adsorbed intermediates via different reduction mechanisms and that lowering the pH promoted the formation of the intermediates required for aldehyde and alcohol hydrogenolysis. This study for the first time explains the origins of the experimentally observed pH-dependent selectivities for hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis and offers a new mechanistic foundation upon which rational strategies to control electrochemical hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis can be developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Yuan
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonWI 53706USA
| | - Kwanpyung Lee
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonWI 53706USA
| | - Michael T. Bender
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonWI 53706USA
| | - J. R. Schmidt
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonWI 53706USA
| | - Kyoung‐Shin Choi
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonWI 53706USA
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35
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Qin X, Zhu S, Wang Y, Pan D, Shao M. Full atomistic mechanism study of hydrogen evolution reaction on Pt surfaces at universal pHs: Ab initio simulations at electrochemical interfaces. Electrochim Acta 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2022.140709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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36
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Zhao K, Chang X, Su HS, Nie Y, Lu Q, Xu B. Enhancing Hydrogen Oxidation and Evolution Kinetics by Tuning Interfacial Hydrogen‐Bonding Environment on Functionalized Pt Surface. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202207197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyue Zhao
- Peking University College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering CHINA
| | - Xiaoxia Chang
- Peking University College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering CHINA
| | - Hai-Sheng Su
- Peking University College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering CHINA
| | - Yiming Nie
- Shandong University School of Medicine: Shandong University Cheeloo College of Medicine School of Pharmaceutical Sciences CHINA
| | - Qi Lu
- Tsinghua University Department of Chemical Engineering CHINA
| | - Bingjun Xu
- Peking University College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering 202 Chengfu Road, Haidian District 100871 Beijing CHINA
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37
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Kuo DY, Lu X, Hu B, Abruña HD, Suntivich J. Rate and Mechanism of Electrochemical Formation of Surface-Bound Hydrogen on Pt(111) Single Crystals. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:6383-6390. [PMID: 35797962 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c01734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The formation of surface-bound hydrogen from one proton and one electron plays an enabling role in renewable hydrogen production. Quantifying the surface-bound hydrogen formation, however, requires decoupling the delicate interplay of numerous processes. We study cyclic voltammetry (CV) at fast scan rates to characterize the rate constant for the surface-bound hydrogen formation (also known as underpotential deposition hydrogen, UPD Had). We find that the formation of Had on Pt(111) single crystals is ∼100× faster in acid than in base. Reaction-order analysis indicates that the formation of Had occurs as a standard proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reaction in acid, whereas in base, it displays a pH-independent rate constant, indicating the presence of a chemical step such as the reorganization of interfacial water. Our results provide a methodology for quantifying the interfacial PCET kinetics and reveal the mechanistic nature of the UPD Had formation as the reason the hydrogen evolution electrocatalysis on Pt is faster in acid than in base.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ding-Yuan Kuo
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Xinyao Lu
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Bintao Hu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Héctor D Abruña
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
- Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Jin Suntivich
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
- Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
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38
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Sun F, Tang Q, Jiang DE. Theoretical Advances in Understanding and Designing the Active Sites for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction. ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.2c02081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fang Sun
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Qing Tang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - De-en Jiang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
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39
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Liu Y, Ding X, Chen M, Xu S. A caveat of the charge-extrapolation scheme for modeling electrochemical reactions on semiconductor surfaces: an issue induced by a discontinuous Fermi level change. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:15511-15521. [PMID: 35713226 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp00642a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
(Photo)electrochemical surface reactions in realistic experimental systems occur under a constant-potential condition, while the ab initio simulations of electrochemical reactions are mostly performed under a constant-charge condition. A charge-extrapolation scheme proposed by earlier theoretical studies converts constant-charge reaction energies to constant-potential reaction energies for electrochemical reactions on metal surfaces, which is based on a capacitor-model assumption to approximate the surface electrical double layer. However, the charge-extrapolation approach may be problematic when applied to models of photoelectrochemical reactions on semiconductor surfaces with a cross-bandgap Fermi level change along the reaction path. We perform density-functional-theory calculations to show that the error is induced by an abrupt change of the modeling system's potential making the capacitor model assumption invalid. We further propose an approach to avoid the cross-bandgap Fermi level change in the simulations of semiconductor surface reactions, with which the charge-extrapolation scheme still can be employed to compute the constant-potential reaction energies for the semiconductor photoelectrode cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Liu
- HEDPS, Center for Applied Physics and Technology, College of Engineering and School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinlong Ding
- Department of Energy and Resources Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Mohan Chen
- HEDPS, Center for Applied Physics and Technology, College of Engineering and School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Shenzhen Xu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China.
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40
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Xie Y, Ou P, Wang X, Xu Z, Li YC, Wang Z, Huang JE, Wicks J, McCallum C, Wang N, Wang Y, Chen T, Lo BTW, Sinton D, Yu JC, Wang Y, Sargent EH. High carbon utilization in CO2 reduction to multi-carbon products in acidic media. Nat Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1038/s41929-022-00788-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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41
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Beinlich SD, Hörmann NG, Reuter K. Field Effects at Protruding Defect Sites in Electrocatalysis at Metal Electrodes? ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.2c00997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simeon D. Beinlich
- Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Faradayweg 4-6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Chair for Theoretical Chemistry and Catalysis Research Center, Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstr. 4, 85747 Garching, Germany
| | - Nicolas G. Hörmann
- Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Faradayweg 4-6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Karsten Reuter
- Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Faradayweg 4-6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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42
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Wang J, Zheng M, Zhao X, Fan W. Structure-Performance Descriptors and the Role of the Axial Oxygen Atom on M–N 4–C Single-Atom Catalysts for Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction. ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.2c00429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mingyue Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xian Zhao
- Center for Optics Research and Engineering of Shandong University, Shandong University, Oingdao 266237, People’s Republic of China
| | - Weiliu Fan
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, People’s Republic of China
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43
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García-Jareño JJ, García-Jareño JJ, Agrisuelas J, Roig AF, Vicente F. Digital video electrochemistry (DVEC) applied to the study of Prussian Blue films. ChemElectroChem 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/celc.202200046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- José J. García-Jareño
- University of Valencia: Universitat de Valencia Physical-Chemistry Dr Moliner 50 46100 Burjassot SPAIN
| | | | | | - Antoni F. Roig
- Jaume I University: Universitat Jaume I Physical and Analytical Chemistry SPAIN
| | - Francisco Vicente
- University of Valencia: Universitat de Valencia Physical-Chemistry SPAIN
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44
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Xiao X, Yang L, Sun W, Chen Y, Yu H, Li K, Jia B, Zhang L, Ma T. Electrocatalytic Water Splitting: From Harsh and Mild Conditions to Natural Seawater. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2105830. [PMID: 34878210 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202105830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic water splitting is regarded as the most effective pathway to generate green energy-hydrogen-which is considered as one of the most promising clean energy solutions to the world's energy crisis and climate change mitigation. Although electrocatalytic water splitting has been proposed for decades, large-scale industrial hydrogen production is hindered by high electricity cost, capital investment, and electrolysis media. Harsh conditions (strong acid/alkaline) are widely used in electrocatalytic mechanism studies, and excellent catalytic activities and efficiencies have been achieved. However, the practical application of electrocatalytic water splitting in harsh conditions encounters several obstacles, such as corrosion issues, catalyst stability, and membrane technical difficulties. Thus, the research on water splitting in mild conditions (neutral/near neutral), even in natural seawater, has aroused increasing attention. However, the mechanism in mild conditions or natural seawater is not clear. Herein, different conditions in electrocatalytic water splitting are reviewed and the effects and proposed mechanisms in the three conditions are summarized. Then, a comparison of the reaction process and the effects of the ions in different electrolytes are presented. Finally, the challenges and opportunities associated with direct electrocatalytic natural seawater splitting and the perspective are presented to promote the progress of hydrogen production by water splitting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Xiao
- Centre for Translational Atomaterials, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, 3122, Australia
| | - Lijun Yang
- Institute of Clean Energy Chemistry, Key Laboratory for Green Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry of Advanced Materials, College of Chemistry, Liaoning University, 66 Chongshan Middle Road, Shenyang, 110036, China
| | - Wenping Sun
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Science of Shaanxi Province, Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry (MOE), Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Advanced Energy Devices, Shaanxi Engineering Lab for Advanced Energy Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710062, China
| | - Hai Yu
- CSIRO Energy, 10 Murray Dwyer Circuit, Mayfield West, NSW, 2304, Australia
| | - Kangkang Li
- CSIRO Energy, 10 Murray Dwyer Circuit, Mayfield West, NSW, 2304, Australia
| | - Baohua Jia
- Centre for Translational Atomaterials, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, 3122, Australia
| | - Lei Zhang
- College of Chemistry, Liaoning University, 66 Chongshan Middle Road, Shenyang, 110036, China
| | - Tianyi Ma
- Centre for Translational Atomaterials, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, 3122, Australia
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45
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Xu A, Govindarajan N, Kastlunger G, Vijay S, Chan K. Theories for Electrolyte Effects in CO 2 Electroreduction. Acc Chem Res 2022; 55:495-503. [PMID: 35107967 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Electrochemical CO2 reduction (eCO2R) enables the conversion of waste CO2 to high-value fuels and commodity chemicals powered by renewable electricity, thereby offering a viable strategy for reaching the goal of net-zero carbon emissions. Research in the past few decades has focused both on the optimization of the catalyst (electrode) and the electrolyte environment. Surface-area normalized current densities show that the latter can affect the CO2 reduction activity by up to a few orders of magnitude.In this Account, we review theories of the mechanisms behind the effects of the electrolyte (cations, anions, and the electrolyte pH) on eCO2R. As summarized in the conspectus graphic, the electrolyte influences eCO2R activity via a field (ε) effect on dipolar (μ) reaction intermediates, changing the proton donor for the multi-step proton-electron transfer reaction, specifically adsorbed anions on the catalyst surface to block active sites, and tuning the local environment by homogeneous reactions. To be specific, alkali metal cations (M+) can stabilize reaction intermediates via electrostatic interactions with dipolar intermediates or buffer the interfacial pH via hydrolysis reactions, thereby promoting the eCO2R activity with the following trend in hydrated size (corresponding to the local field strength ε)/hydrolysis ability: Cs+ > K+ > Na+ > Li+. The effect of the electrolyte pH can give a change in eCO2R activity of up to several orders of magnitude, arising from linearly shifting the absolute interfacial field via the relationship USHE = URHE - (2.3kBT)pH, homogeneous reactions between OH- and desorbed intermediates, or changing the proton donor from hydronium to water along with increasing pH. Anions have been suggested to affect the eCO2R reaction process by solution-phase reactions (e.g., buffer reactions to tune local pH), acting as proton donors or as a surface poison.So far, the existing models of electrolyte effects have been used to rationalize various experimentally observed trends, having yet to demonstrate general predictive capabilities. The major challenges in our understanding of the electrolyte effect in eCO2R are (i) the long time scale associated with a dynamic ab initio picture of the catalyst|electrolyte interface and (ii) the overall activity determined by the length-scale interplay of intrinsic microkinetics, homogeneous reactions, and mass transport limitations. New developments in ab initio dynamic models and coupling the effects of mass transport can provide a more accurate view of the structure and intrinsic functions of the electrode-electrolyte interface and the corresponding reaction energetics toward comprehensive and predictive models for electrolyte design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aoni Xu
- Catalysis Theory Center, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Nitish Govindarajan
- Catalysis Theory Center, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Georg Kastlunger
- Catalysis Theory Center, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sudarshan Vijay
- Catalysis Theory Center, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Karen Chan
- Catalysis Theory Center, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
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46
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Thermal migration towards constructing W-W dual-sites for boosted alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction. Nat Commun 2022; 13:763. [PMID: 35140218 PMCID: PMC8828749 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28413-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Tungsten carbides, featured by their Pt-like electronic structure, have long been advocated as potential replacements for the benchmark Pt-group catalysts in hydrogen evolution reaction. However, tungsten-carbide catalysts usually exhibit poor alkaline HER performance because of the sluggish hydrogen desorption behavior and possible corrosion problem of tungsten atoms by the produced hydroxyl intermediates. Herein, we report the synthesis of tungsten atomic clusters anchored on P-doped carbon materials via a thermal-migration strategy using tungsten single atoms as the parent material, which is evidenced to have the most favorable Pt-like electronic structure by in-situ variable-temperature near ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. Accordingly, tungsten atomic clusters show markedly enhanced alkaline HER activity with an ultralow overpotential of 53 mV at 10 mA/cm2 and a Tafel slope as low as 38 mV/dec. These findings may provide a feasible route towards the rational design of atomic-cluster catalysts with high alkaline hydrogen evolution activity. While platinum is a highly active catalyst for H2 evolution, its low abundance prompts research into earth-abundant alternatives. Here, authors prepare tungsten atomic clusters on phosphorus doped carbon by thermal migration and demonstrate excellent activities for hydrogen evolution electrocatalysis.
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47
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Yang Y, Peltier CR, Zeng R, Schimmenti R, Li Q, Huang X, Yan Z, Potsi G, Selhorst R, Lu X, Xu W, Tader M, Soudackov AV, Zhang H, Krumov M, Murray E, Xu P, Hitt J, Xu L, Ko HY, Ernst BG, Bundschu C, Luo A, Markovich D, Hu M, He C, Wang H, Fang J, DiStasio RA, Kourkoutis LF, Singer A, Noonan KJT, Xiao L, Zhuang L, Pivovar BS, Zelenay P, Herrero E, Feliu JM, Suntivich J, Giannelis EP, Hammes-Schiffer S, Arias T, Mavrikakis M, Mallouk TE, Brock JD, Muller DA, DiSalvo FJ, Coates GW, Abruña HD. Electrocatalysis in Alkaline Media and Alkaline Membrane-Based Energy Technologies. Chem Rev 2022; 122:6117-6321. [PMID: 35133808 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Hydrogen energy-based electrochemical energy conversion technologies offer the promise of enabling a transition of the global energy landscape from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Here, we present a comprehensive review of the fundamentals of electrocatalysis in alkaline media and applications in alkaline-based energy technologies, particularly alkaline fuel cells and water electrolyzers. Anion exchange (alkaline) membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) enable the use of nonprecious electrocatalysts for the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), relative to proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), which require Pt-based electrocatalysts. However, the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) kinetics is significantly slower in alkaline media than in acidic media. Understanding these phenomena requires applying theoretical and experimental methods to unravel molecular-level thermodynamics and kinetics of hydrogen and oxygen electrocatalysis and, particularly, the proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) process that takes place in a proton-deficient alkaline media. Extensive electrochemical and spectroscopic studies, on single-crystal Pt and metal oxides, have contributed to the development of activity descriptors, as well as the identification of the nature of active sites, and the rate-determining steps of the HOR and ORR. Among these, the structure and reactivity of interfacial water serve as key potential and pH-dependent kinetic factors that are helping elucidate the origins of the HOR and ORR activity differences in acids and bases. Additionally, deliberately modulating and controlling catalyst-support interactions have provided valuable insights for enhancing catalyst accessibility and durability during operation. The design and synthesis of highly conductive and durable alkaline membranes/ionomers have enabled AEMFCs to reach initial performance metrics equal to or higher than those of PEMFCs. We emphasize the importance of using membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) to integrate the often separately pursued/optimized electrocatalyst/support and membranes/ionomer components. Operando/in situ methods, at multiscales, and ab initio simulations provide a mechanistic understanding of electron, ion, and mass transport at catalyst/ionomer/membrane interfaces and the necessary guidance to achieve fuel cell operation in air over thousands of hours. We hope that this Review will serve as a roadmap for advancing the scientific understanding of the fundamental factors governing electrochemical energy conversion in alkaline media with the ultimate goal of achieving ultralow Pt or precious-metal-free high-performance and durable alkaline fuel cells and related technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Yang
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Cheyenne R Peltier
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Rui Zeng
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Roberto Schimmenti
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Qihao Li
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Xin Huang
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Zhifei Yan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Georgia Potsi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Ryan Selhorst
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Xinyao Lu
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Weixuan Xu
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Mariel Tader
- Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Alexander V Soudackov
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Hanguang Zhang
- Materials Physics and Applications Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
| | - Mihail Krumov
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Ellen Murray
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Pengtao Xu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Jeremy Hitt
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Linxi Xu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Hsin-Yu Ko
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Brian G Ernst
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Colin Bundschu
- Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Aileen Luo
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Danielle Markovich
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Meixue Hu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Cheng He
- Chemical and Materials Science Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Hongsen Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Jiye Fang
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, New York 13902, United States
| | - Robert A DiStasio
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Lena F Kourkoutis
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States.,Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Andrej Singer
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Kevin J T Noonan
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Li Xiao
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Lin Zhuang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Bryan S Pivovar
- Chemical and Materials Science Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Piotr Zelenay
- Materials Physics and Applications Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
| | - Enrique Herrero
- Instituto de Electroquímica, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante E-03080, Spain
| | - Juan M Feliu
- Instituto de Electroquímica, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante E-03080, Spain
| | - Jin Suntivich
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States.,Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Emmanuel P Giannelis
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | | | - Tomás Arias
- Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Manos Mavrikakis
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Thomas E Mallouk
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Joel D Brock
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - David A Muller
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States.,Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Francis J DiSalvo
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Geoffrey W Coates
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Héctor D Abruña
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States.,Center for Alkaline Based Energy Solutions (CABES), Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
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48
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Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitish Govindarajan
- Catalysis Theory Center, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Aoni Xu
- Catalysis Theory Center, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Karen Chan
- Catalysis Theory Center, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
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49
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Botello LE, Climent V, Feliu JM. On the thermodynamics of hydrogen adsorption over Pt(111) in 0.05M NaOH. J Chem Phys 2021; 155:244704. [PMID: 34972355 DOI: 10.1063/5.0073313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The reasons for the sluggish kinetics of the hydrogen adsorption reaction in alkaline media remain a question still to be solved. This information is important to achieve a complete understanding of the mechanistic details that could lead to the production of key catalytic materials necessary for the development of a future hydrogen economy. For a better understanding of this reaction, it is important to acquire information about the thermodynamic parameters characteristic of the different steps in the reaction. Among these, the hydrogen adsorption is a key step in the process of hydrogen evolution. Although some debate still remains about the difference between adsorbed hydrogen in the underpotential deposition (UPD) region and at the overpotential deposition region, there is no doubt that understanding the former can help in the understanding of the latter. Making use of charge density measurements, we report on this paper a thermodynamic study of the hydrogen UPD process on Pt(111) in 0.05M NaOH over the range of temperatures from 283 ≤ T/K ≤ 313. The coulometric features corresponding to HUPD allow for the calculation of the hydrogen coverage and a fit to a Generalized Frumkin isotherm. From these values, different thermodynamic functions for the UPD reaction have been calculated: ΔGads, ΔSads, ΔHads, and the Pt-H bond energy. From extrapolation, a value of ΔSads ◦=-7.5±4Jmol-1K-1 was found, which is very close to 0, much lower than previously reported measurements both in acid and in alkaline solutions. Such value has an effect on the enthalpy and bond energy calculations, the latter having a decreasing tendency with pH and coverage. This tendency is completely different from the acidic systems and implies that the change in the thermodynamic functions due to the formation of the double layer and the reorganization of interfacial water has a strong influence on the process in high pH solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis E Botello
- Institute of Electrochemistry, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - V Climent
- Institute of Electrochemistry, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - J M Feliu
- Institute of Electrochemistry, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
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50
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Govindarajan N, Kastlunger G, Heenen HH, Chan K. Improving the intrinsic activity of electrocatalysts for sustainable energy conversion: where are we and where can we go? Chem Sci 2021; 13:14-26. [PMID: 35059146 PMCID: PMC8694373 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc04775b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
As we are in the midst of a climate crisis, there is an urgent need to transition to the sustainable production of fuels and chemicals. A promising strategy towards this transition is to use renewable energy for the electrochemical conversion of abundant molecules present in the earth's atmosphere such as H2O, O2, N2 and CO2, to synthetic fuels and chemicals. A cornerstone to this strategy is the development of earth abundant electrocatalysts with high intrinsic activity towards the desired products. In this perspective, we discuss the importance and challenges involved in the estimation of intrinsic activity both from the experimental and theoretical front. Through a thorough analysis of published data, we find that only modest improvements in intrinsic activity of electrocatalysts have been achieved in the past two decades which necessitates the need for a paradigm shift in electrocatalyst design. To this end, we highlight opportunities offered by tuning three components of the electrochemical environment: cations, buffering anions and the electrolyte pH. These components can significantly alter catalytic activity as demonstrated using several examples, and bring us a step closer towards complete system level optimization of electrochemical routes to sustainable energy conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitish Govindarajan
- Catalysis Theory Center, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark (DTU) Fysikvej 311 2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Georg Kastlunger
- Catalysis Theory Center, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark (DTU) Fysikvej 311 2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Hendrik H Heenen
- Catalysis Theory Center, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark (DTU) Fysikvej 311 2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark .,Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Faradayweg 4-6 D-14195 Berlin Germany
| | - Karen Chan
- Catalysis Theory Center, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark (DTU) Fysikvej 311 2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
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