Electrochemical Storage of Atomic Hydrogen on Single Layer Graphene

Effects of Heteroatom Doping on the Electrochemical Hydrogen Uptake and Release of Pd-Decorated Reduced Graphene Oxide

Heteroatom doping has been widely recognized as a key strategy for improving the electrochemical properties of graphene-based materials for hydrogen storage. However, a precise understanding of how heteroatom doping influences catalytic performance, specifically regarding the intricate effects of doping-induced electron redistribution, has been lacking. Here, we report on a comprehensive exploration of the electrochemical performance enhancement in Pd-decorated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposites through fluorine (F) or nitrogen (N) doping. Various analytical techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES), and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) were employed to thoroughly characterize the synthesized nanocomposites. The findings revealed that either F or N doping effectively addressed clustering issues of Pd nanoparticles formed on the rGO surface, resulting in improved homogeneity of Pd distribution. Electrochemical studies provided crucial insights into hydrogen adsorption-desorption behaviors. The heteroatom doped nanocomposites, Pd/N-rGO and Pd/F-rGO, exhibited superior electrochemical performance, which can be attributed to the increase of the active sites due to the N-/F-doping, respectively. The hydrogen discharge capacities of Pd/N-rGO (80.9 mAh g-1) and Pd/F-rGO (25.0 mAh g-1) nanocomposites were determined to be over 4.0 and 1.2 times higher than that of the Pd/rGO (20.1 mAh g-1), respectively. The distinctive electrochemical performances observed between the two types of heteroatom-containing nanocomposites highlight the subtle structural modifications of Pd nanoparticles as the key factor influencing performance. This research contributes essential knowledge to the evolving field of hydrogen storage materials, emphasizing the promising potential of heteroatom-doped Pd-decorated rGO nanocomposites for advancing clean and sustainable energy solutions.

Hydrodynamics-Controlled Single-Particle Electrocatalysis

Electrocatalysis is considered promising in renewable energy conversion and storage, yet numerous efforts rely on catalyst design to advance catalytic activity. Herein, a hydrodynamic single-particle electrocatalysis methodology is developed by integrating collision electrochemistry and microfluidics to improve the activity of an electrocatalysis system. As a proof-of-concept, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is electrocatalyzed by individual palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs), with the development of microchannel-based ultramicroelectrodes. The controlled laminar flow enables the precise delivery of Pd NPs to the electrode-electrolyte interface one by one. Compared to the diffusion condition, hydrodynamic collision improves the number of active sites on a given electrode by 2 orders of magnitude. Furthermore, forced convection enables the enhancement of proton mass transport, thereby increasing the electrocatalytic activity of each single Pd NP. It turns out that the improvement in mass transport increases the reaction rate of HER at individual Pd NPs, thus a phase transition without requiring a high overpotential. This study provides new avenues for enhancing electrocatalytic activity by altering operating conditions, beyond material design limitations.

Specific Hydrogen Spillover Pathways Generated on Graphene Oxide Enabling the Formation of Non-Equilibrium Alloy Nanoparticles

The phenomenon of hydrogen spillover is investigated as a means of realizing a hydrogen-based society for over half a century. Herein, a graphene oxide having a precisely tuned architecture via calcination in air to introduce ether groups onto basal planes along with carbon defects is reported. This material provides specific pathways for the spillover of atomic hydrogen and has practical applications with regard to the synthesis of non-equilibrium solid-solution alloy nanoparticles. A combination of experimental work and simulations confirmed that the presence of ether groups associated with carbon defects facilitated hydrogen spillover within the basal planes of this graphene oxide. This enhanced hydrogen spillover ability, in turn, enables the simultaneous reduction of Ru3+ and Ni2+ ions to form RuNi alloy nanoparticles under hydrogen reduction conditions. Energy dispersive X-ray and X-ray absorption near edge structure simulations establish that this strategy forms unique alloy nanoparticles each comprising a Ru core with a RuNi solid-solution shell having a hexagonal close-packed structure. These non-equilibrium RuNi alloy nanoparticles exhibit greater catalytic activity than monometallic Ru nanoparticles during the hydrolysis of ammonia borane.

Structure evolution at the gate-tunable suspended graphene-water interface

Graphitic electrode is commonly used in electrochemical reactions owing to its excellent in-plane conductivity, structural robustness and cost efficiency1,2. It serves as prime electrocatalyst support as well as a layered intercalation matrix2,3, with wide applications in energy conversion and storage1,4. Being the two-dimensional building block of graphite, graphene shares similar chemical properties with graphite1,2, and its unique physical and chemical properties offer more varieties and tunability for developing state-of-the-art graphitic devices5-7. Hence it serves as an ideal platform to investigate the microscopic structure and reaction kinetics at the graphitic-electrode interfaces. Unfortunately, graphene is susceptible to various extrinsic factors, such as substrate effect8-10, causing much confusion and controversy7,8,10,11. Hereby we have obtained centimetre-sized substrate-free monolayer graphene suspended on aqueous electrolyte surface with gate tunability. Using sum-frequency spectroscopy, here we show the structural evolution versus the gate voltage at the graphene-water interface. The hydrogen-bond network of water in the Stern layer is barely changed within the water-electrolysis window but undergoes notable change when switching on the electrochemical reactions. The dangling O-H bond protruding at the graphene-water interface disappears at the onset of the hydrogen evolution reaction, signifying a marked structural change on the topmost layer owing to excess intermediate species next to the electrode. The large-size suspended pristine graphene offers a new platform to unravel the microscopic processes at the graphitic-electrode interfaces.

Edge-Functionalized Graphene/Polydimethylsiloxane Composite Films for Flexible Neural Cuff Electrodes

The design of neural electrodes has changed in the past decade, driven mainly by the development of new materials that open the possibility of manufacturing electrodes with adaptable mechanical properties and promising electrical properties. In this paper, we report on the mechanical and electrochemical properties of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite with edge-functionalized graphene (EFG) and demonstrate its potential for use in neural implants with the fabrication of a novel neural cuff electrode. We have shown that a 200 μm thick 1:1 EFG/PDMS composite film has a stretchability of up to 20%, a Young's modulus of 2.52 MPa, and a lifetime of more than 10000 mechanical cycles, making it highly suitable for interfacing with soft tissue. Electrochemical characterization of the EFG/PDMS composite film showed that the capacitance of the composite increased up to 35 times after electrochemical reduction, widening the electrochemical water window and remaining stable after soaking for 5 weeks in phosphate buffered saline. The electrochemically activated EFG/PDMS electrode had a 3 times increase in the charge injection capacity, which is more than double that of a commercial platinum-based neural cuff. Electrochemical and spectrochemical investigations supported the conclusion that this effect originated from the stable chemisorption of hydrogen on the graphene surface. The biocompatibility of the composite was confirmed with an in vitro cell culture study using mouse spinal cord cells. Finally, the potential of the EFG/PDMS composite was demonstrated with the fabrication of a novel neural cuff electrode, whose double-layered and open structured design increased the cuff stretchability up to 140%, well beyond that required for an operational neural cuff. In addition, the cuff design offers better integration with neural tissue and simpler nerve fiber installation and locking.

Rational Design of Molybdenum-Doped Cobalt Nitride Nanowire Arrays for Robust Overall Water Splitting

Rational design of efficient electrocatalysts is highly imperative but still a challenge for overall water splitting. Herein, we construct self-supported Co₃ N nanowire arrays with different Mo doping contents by hydrothermal and nitridation processes that serve as robust electrocatalysts for overall water splitting. The optimal Co₃ N-Mo_0.2 /Ni foam (NF) electrode delivers a low overpotential of 97 mV at a current density of 50 mA cm^-2 as well as a highly stable hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations prove that Mo doping can effectively modulate the electronic structure and surface adsorption energies of H₂ O and hydrogen intermediates on Co₃ N, leading to improved reaction kinetics with high catalytic activity. Further modification with FeOOH species on the surface of Co₃ N-Mo_0.2 /NF improves the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance benefiting from the synergistic effect of dual Co-Fe catalytic centers. As a result, the Co₃ N-Mo_0.2 @FeOOH/NF catalysts display outstanding OER catalytic performance with a low overpotential of 250 mV at 50 1 mA cm^-2 . The constructed Co₃ N-Mo_0.2 /NF||Co₃ N-Mo_0.2 @FeOOH/NF water electrolyzer exhibits a small voltage of 1.48 V to achieve a high current density of 50 mA cm^-2 at 80 °C, which is superior to most of the reported electrocatalysts. This work provides a new approach to developing robust electrode materials for electrocatalytic water splitting.

Efficient removal of bromate from contaminated water using electrochemical membrane filtration with metal heteroatom interface

Efficient utilization of atomic hydrogen (H*) is of great importance for achieving efficient bromate reduction using electrochemical technologies. Herein, an electrochemical membrane with metal heteroatom interface of Ru and Ni was developed to enhance the utilization efficiency of H* via the membrane filtration process. The RuNi membrane demonstrated 91.3% of bromate removal at 5 mA cm^-2 under the flow-through operation (40 L m^-2 h^-1). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) curves and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra elucidated that the bromate reduction was mainly attributed to H* -mediated reduction rather than the direct electron transfer between bromate and RuNi active layer. The quenching experiments revealed a significant contribution of adsorbed H* to the bromate removal during the membrane filtration. Based on X-ray photoelectron spectrometry and X-ray diffraction analyses, we found that the resultant Ru⁰Ni⁰ structure on the electrochemical membrane could facilitate the generation of H* during the bromate reduction reaction. Besides, the higher pH might suppress the formation of H* and increase the energy barrier for breaking the Br-O bond, resulting in dramatic increase of energy consumption for removing bromate. Our work highlights the potential of utilizing H* in electrochemical membrane for removing bromate in water treatment and remediation.

Electrochemical Performance and Hydrogen Storage of Ni-Pd-P-B Glassy Alloy

The search for hydrogen storage materials is a challenging task. In this work, we tried to test metallic glass-based pseudocapacitive material for electrochemical hydrogen storage potential. An alloy ingot with an atomic composition of Ni₆₀Pd₂₀P₁₆B₄ was prepared via arc melting of extremely pure elements in an Ar environment. A ribbon sample with a width of 2 mm and a thickness of 20 mm was produced via melt spinning of the prepared ingot. Electrochemical dealloying of the ribbon sample was conducted in 1 M H₂SO₄ to prepare a nanoporous glassy alloy. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Langmuir methods were implemented to obtain the total surface area of the nanoporous glassy alloy ribbon. The obtained values were 6.486 m²/g and 15.082 m²/g, respectively. The Dubinin-Astakhov (DA) method was used to calculate pore radius and pore volume; those values were 1.07 nm and 0.09 cm³/g, respectively. Cyclic voltammetry of the dealloyed samples revealed the pseudocapacitive nature of this alloy. Impedance of the dealloying sample was measured at different frequencies through use of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). A Cole-Cole plot established a semicircle with a radius of ~6 Ω at higher frequency, indicating low interfacial charge-transfer resistance, and an almost vertical Warburg slope at lower frequency, indicating fast diffusion of ions to the electrode surface. Charge-discharge experiments were performed at different constant currents (75, 100, 125, 150, and 200 mA/g) under a cutoff potential of 2.25 V vs. Ag/AgCl electrode in a 1 M KOH solution. The calculated maximum storage capacity was 950 mAh/g. High-rate dischargeability (HRD) and capacity retention (Sn) for the dealloyed glassy alloy ribbon sample were evaluated. The calculated capacity retention rate at the 40th cycle was 97%, which reveals high stability.

Interfacial wettability and mass transfer characterizations for gas-liquid-solid triple-phase catalysis

Heterogeneous catalysis is inseparable from interfacial mass transfer and chemical reaction processes determined by the structure and microenvironment. Different from high-temperature thermochemical processes, photo- and electrocatalysis operated at mild conditions often involve both gas and liquid phases, making it important but challenging to characterize the reaction process typically occurring at the gas-liquid-solid interface. Herein, we review the scope, feasibility, and limitation of ten types of currently available technologies used to characterize interfacial wettability and mass transfer properties of various triple-phase catalytic reactions. The review summarizes techniques from macroscopic contact angle measurement to microscopic environment electron microscopy for investigating the wettability-controlled structure of triple-phase interfaces. Experimental and computational methods in revealing the interfacial mass transfer process have also been systematically discussed, followed by a perspective on the opportunities and challenges of advanced characterization methods to help understand the fundamental reaction mechanism of triple-phase catalysis.