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Li S, Wang CW, Zhao X, Dang JS, Li J. Mechanistic Studies of Stimulus-Response Integrated Catalysis of Single-Atom Alloys under Electric Fields for Electrochemical Nitrogen Reduction. J Phys Chem Lett 2024:5088-5095. [PMID: 38708949 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c00711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
The present work introduces a novel catalytic strategy to promote the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) by employing a cooperative Cu-based single-atom alloy (SAA) and oriented external electric fields (OEEFs) as catalysts. The field strength (F)-dependent reaction pathways are investigated by means of first-principles calculations. Different dipole-induced responses of intermediates to electric fields break the original scaling relationships and effectively tune not only the activity but also the product selectivity of the NRR. When the most active Os1Cu SAA is taken as an example, in the absence of an OEEF, the overpotential (η) of the NRR is 0.62 V, which is even larger than that of the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). A negative field not only reduces η but switches the preference to the NRR over the HER. In particular, η at F = -1.14 V/Å reaches the bottom of 0.18 V, which is 70% lower than that in the field-free state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Li
- Key Laboratory for Macromolecular Science of Shaanxi Province, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, People's Republic of China
| | - Chang-Wei Wang
- Key Laboratory for Macromolecular Science of Shaanxi Province, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiang Zhao
- Institute of Molecular Science and Applied Chemistry, School of Chemistry, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710049, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing-Shuang Dang
- Key Laboratory for Macromolecular Science of Shaanxi Province, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Chemistry and Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare-Earth Materials of Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China
- Fundamental Science Center of Rare Earths, Ganjiang Innovation Academy, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ganzhou 341000, People's Republic of China
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Tang T, Bai X, Wang Z, Guan J. Structural engineering of atomic catalysts for electrocatalysis. Chem Sci 2024; 15:5082-5112. [PMID: 38577377 PMCID: PMC10988631 DOI: 10.1039/d4sc00569d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
As a burgeoning category of heterogeneous catalysts, atomic catalysts have been extensively researched in the field of electrocatalysis. To satisfy different electrocatalytic reactions, single-atom catalysts (SACs), diatomic catalysts (DACs) and triatomic catalysts (TACs) have been successfully designed and synthesized, in which microenvironment structure regulation is the core to achieve high-efficiency catalytic activity and selectivity. In this review, the effect of the geometric and electronic structure of metal active centers on catalytic performance is systematically introduced, including substrates, central metal atoms, and the coordination environment. Then theoretical understanding of atomic catalysts for electrocatalysis is innovatively discussed, including synergistic effects, defect coupled spin state change and crystal field distortion spin state change. In addition, we propose the challenges to optimize atomic catalysts for electrocatalysis applications, including controlled synthesis, increasing the density of active sites, enhancing intrinsic activity, and improving the stability. Moreover, the structure-function relationships of atomic catalysts in the CO2 reduction reaction, nitrogen reduction reaction, oxygen reduction reaction, hydrogen evolution reaction, and oxygen evolution reaction are highlighted. To facilitate the development of high-performance atomic catalysts, several technical challenges and research orientations are put forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianmi Tang
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University Changchun 130021 PR China
| | - Xue Bai
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University Changchun 130021 PR China
| | - Zhenlu Wang
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University Changchun 130021 PR China
| | - Jingqi Guan
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University Changchun 130021 PR China
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Zhang Y, Chang Y, Zhao L, Liu H, Gao J. Atomic insight into the effects of precursor clusters on monolayer WSe 2. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:2391-2401. [PMID: 38226664 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr05562k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have been attracting much attention due to their rich physical and chemical properties. At the end of the chemical vapor deposition growth of 2D TMDCs, the adsorption of excess precursor clusters onto the sample is unavoidable, which will have significant effects on the properties of TMDCs. This is a concern to the academic community. However, the structures of the supported precursor clusters and their effects on the properties of the prepared 2D TMDCs are still poorly understood. Herein, taking monolayer WSe2 as the prototype, we investigated the structure and electronic properties of SeN, WN (N = 1-8), and W8-NSeN (N = 1-7) clusters adsorbed on monolayer WSe2 to gain atomic insight into the precursor cluster adsorption. In contrast to W clusters that tightly bind to the WSe2 surface, Se clusters except for Se1 and Se2 are weakly adsorbed onto WSe2. The interaction between W8-NSeN (N = 1-7) clusters and the WSe2 monolayer decreases with the increase in the Se/W ratio and eventually becomes van der Waals interaction for W1Se7. According to the phase diagram, increasing the Se/W ratio by changing the experimental conditions will increase the ratio of SeN and W1Se7 clusters in the precursor, which can be removed by proper annealing after growth. W clusters induce lots of defect energy levels in the band gap region, while the adsorption of W1Se7 and SeN clusters (N = 3-6, 8) promotes the spatial separation of photo generated carriers at the interface, which is important for optoelectronic applications. Our results indicate that by controlling the Se/W ratio, the interaction between the precursor clusters and WSe2 as well as the electronic properties of the prepared WSe2 monolayer can be effectively tuned, which is significant for the high-quality growth and applications of WSe2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxue Zhang
- Key laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams (Dalian University of Technology), Ministry of Education, Dalian, 116024, China.
| | - Yuan Chang
- Key laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams (Dalian University of Technology), Ministry of Education, Dalian, 116024, China.
| | - Luneng Zhao
- Key laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams (Dalian University of Technology), Ministry of Education, Dalian, 116024, China.
| | - Hongsheng Liu
- Key laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams (Dalian University of Technology), Ministry of Education, Dalian, 116024, China.
| | - Junfeng Gao
- Key laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams (Dalian University of Technology), Ministry of Education, Dalian, 116024, China.
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Wei Y, Yu Y, Chen J, Wei M, Huang Y, Zhou X, Liu W. Fabrication of High Surface Area Fe/Fe 3 O 4 with Enhanced Performance for Electrocatalytic Nitrogen Reduction Reaction. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202302734. [PMID: 37926848 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202302734] [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: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
The development of high-efficient and large-scale non-precious electrocatalysts to improve sluggish reaction kinetics plays a key role in enhancing electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) for ammonia production under mild condition. Herein, Fe3 O4 and Fe supported by porous carbon (denoted as Fe/Fe3 O4 /PC-800) composite with a high specific surface area of 1004.1 m2 g-1 was prepared via a simple template method. On one hand, the high surface area of Fe/Fe3 O4 /PC-800 provides a large area to enhance N2 adsorption and promote more protons and electrons to accelerate the reaction, thereby greatly improving the dynamics. On the other hand, mesoporous Fe/Fe3 O4 /PC-800 provides high electrochemically active surface area for promoting the occurrence of catalytic kinetics. As a result, Fe/Fe3 O4 /PC-800 exhibited significantly enhanced NRR performance with an ammonia yield of 31.15 μg h-1 mg-1 cat. and faraday efficiency of 22.26 % at -0.1 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). This study is expected to provide a new strategy for the synthesis of catalysts with large specific area and pave the way for the foundational research in NRR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuao Wei
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) &, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University, 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Yingjie Yu
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) &, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University, 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) &, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University, 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Mo Wei
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) &, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University, 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Yuting Huang
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) &, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University, 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Xinru Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) &, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University, 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Wenjing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) &, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University, 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
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Kistanov AA, Ustiuzhanina SV, Baranava MS, Hvazdouski DC, Shcherbinin SA, Prezhdo OV. Prediction of Zn 2(V, Nb, Ta)N 3 Monolayers for Optoelectronic Applications. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:11134-11141. [PMID: 38052040 PMCID: PMC10726353 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c03206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
A new family of ternary nitride materials, Zn2(V, Nb, Ta)N3 monolayers, is predicted. A fabrication mechanism of the Zn2(V, Nb, Ta)N3 monolayers is proposed based on the chemical vapor deposition approach used for their bulk counterparts. The calculations show that these monolayers are thermodynamically and environmentally stable and that the Zn2VN3 monolayer is the most stable and the easiest to synthesize. The Zn2VN3 monolayer also has the highest strength and elasticity. The Zn2(V, Nb, Ta)N3 monolayers are semiconductors with nearly equal direct and indirect band gaps. Considering optoelectronic properties, the predicted monolayers are transparent to the visible light and provide shielding in the ultraviolet region. Thus, the predicted Zn2(V, Nb, Ta)N3 monolayers are promising for applications in LED devices and as blocking layers in tandem solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey A. Kistanov
- The
Laboratory of Metals and Alloys Under Extreme Impacts, Ufa University of Science and Technology, Ufa 450076, Russia
| | | | - Maryia S. Baranava
- Belarusian
State University of Informatics and Radio Electronics, Minsk 22013, Belarus
| | | | - Stepan A. Shcherbinin
- Peter
the Great Saint Petersburg Polytechnical University, Saint Petersburg 195251, Russia
- Institute
for Problems in Mechanical Engineering RAS, Saint Petersburg 199178, Russia
| | - Oleg V. Prezhdo
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
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Mou LH, Han T, Smith PES, Sharman E, Jiang J. Machine Learning Descriptors for Data-Driven Catalysis Study. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023:e2301020. [PMID: 37191279 PMCID: PMC10401178 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202301020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Traditional trial-and-error experiments and theoretical simulations have difficulty optimizing catalytic processes and developing new, better-performing catalysts. Machine learning (ML) provides a promising approach for accelerating catalysis research due to its powerful learning and predictive abilities. The selection of appropriate input features (descriptors) plays a decisive role in improving the predictive accuracy of ML models and uncovering the key factors that influence catalytic activity and selectivity. This review introduces tactics for the utilization and extraction of catalytic descriptors in ML-assisted experimental and theoretical research. In addition to the effectiveness and advantages of various descriptors, their limitations are also discussed. Highlighted are both 1) newly developed spectral descriptors for catalytic performance prediction and 2) a novel research paradigm combining computational and experimental ML models through suitable intermediate descriptors. Current challenges and future perspectives on the application of descriptors and ML techniques to catalysis are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Hui Mou
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
| | - TianTian Han
- Hefei JiShu Quantum Technology Co. Ltd., Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Pieter E S Smith
- YDS Pharmatech, ETEC, 1220 Washington Ave., Albany, NY, 12203, USA
| | - Edward Sharman
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Jun Jiang
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
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Zhang Q, Wang X, Zhang F, Fang C, Liu D, Zhou Q. A High-Throughput Screening toward Efficient Nitrogen Fixation: Transition Metal Single-Atom Catalysts Anchored on an Emerging π-π Conjugated Graphitic Carbon Nitride (g-C 10N 3) Substrate with Dirac Dispersion. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:11812-11826. [PMID: 36808933 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c22519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
TM-Nx is becoming a comforting catalytic center for sustainable and green ammonia synthesis under ambient conditions, resulting in increasing interest in single-atom catalysts (SACs) for the electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR). However, given the poor activity and unsatisfactory selectivity of existing catalysts, it remains a long-standing challenge to design efficient catalysts for nitrogen fixation. Currently, the two-dimensional (2D) graphitic carbon-nitride substrate provides abundant and evenly distributed holes for stably supporting transition-metal atoms, which presents a fascinating prospect for overcoming this challenge and promoting single-atom NRR. An emerging holey graphitic carbon-nitride skeleton with a C10N3 stoichiometric ratio (g-C10N3) from a supercell of graphene is constructed, which provides outstanding electric conductivity for achieving high-efficiency NRR due to the Dirac band dispersion. Herein, a high-throughput first-principles calculation is carried out to evaluate the feasibility of π-d conjugated SACs resulting from a single TM atom anchored on g-C10N3 (TM = Sc-Au) for NRR. We find that W metal embedded in g-C10N3 (W@g-C10N3) can compromise the ability to adsorb the key target reaction species (N2H and NH2), hence acquiring an optimal NRR behavior among 27 TM-candidates. Our calculations demonstrate that W@g-C10N3 shows a well-suppressed HER ability and, impressively, a low energy cost of -0.46 V. Additionally, all-around descriptors are proposed to uncover the fundamental mechanism of NRR activity, among which a 3D volcano plot (limiting potential, screening strategy, and electron origin) uncovers the NRR activity trend, achieving a quick and high-efficiency prescreening for numerous candidates. Overall, the strategy of the structure- and activity-based TM-Nx-containing unit design will offer useful insight for further theoretical and experimental attempts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Zhang
- College of Science, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, People's Republic of China
| | - Xian Wang
- College of Science, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, People's Republic of China
| | - Fuchun Zhang
- School of Physics and Electronic Information, Yan'an University, Yan'an 716000, China
| | - Chunyao Fang
- College of Science, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, People's Republic of China
| | - Di Liu
- College of Science, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingjun Zhou
- College of Science, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, People's Republic of China
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