1
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Wu Y, Idros MN, Feng D, Huang W, Burdyny T, Wang B, Wang G, Li M, Rufford TE. Flooding Control by Electrochemically Reduced Graphene Oxide Additives in Silver Catalyst Layers for CO 2 Electrolysis. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024. [PMID: 39393807 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c09095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/13/2024]
Abstract
Electrolyte flooding in porous catalyst layers on gas diffusion electrodes (GDE) limits the stability and high-current performance of CO2 and CO electrolyzers. Here, we demonstrate the in situ electroreduction of graphene oxide (GO) to reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) within a silver catalyst layer on a carbon GDE. The r-GO introduces hydrophobicity regions in the catalyst layer that help mitigate electrolyte flooding during high current density CO2 electrolysis to CO. The flooding-resistant r-GO/Ag-coated GDE achieves a sustained Faradaic efficiency of CO at 94% for more than 8 h, compared to a rapid drop from 95% to 66% in an Ag-coated GDE without r-GO at 100 mA·cm-2. We found that GO enhances the electrochemically active surface area of the catalyst layer during CO2 electrolysis tests because the incorporation of GO increases the roughness of the catalyst layer. The in situ method of electrochemically reducing GO to r-GO provides a low-cost, practical approach that can be applied during standard spray-deposition procedures to develop flooding-resistant GDEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuming Wu
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Mohamed Nazmi Idros
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Desheng Feng
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Wengang Huang
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Thomas Burdyny
- Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage (MECS), Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, Delft 2629 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Bo Wang
- Chair of Functional Materials, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Saarland University, Saarbrücken 66123, Germany
| | - Geoff Wang
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Mengran Li
- Department of Chemical Engineering, the University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Thomas E Rufford
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Green Electrochemical Transformation of Carbon Dioxide, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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2
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Zhu ZS, Zhong S, Cheng C, Zhou H, Sun H, Duan X, Wang S. Microenvironment Engineering of Heterogeneous Catalysts for Liquid-Phase Environmental Catalysis. Chem Rev 2024. [PMID: 39383063 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.4c00276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/11/2024]
Abstract
Environmental catalysis has emerged as a scientific frontier in mitigating water pollution and advancing circular chemistry and reaction microenvironment significantly influences the catalytic performance and efficiency. This review delves into microenvironment engineering within liquid-phase environmental catalysis, categorizing microenvironments into four scales: atom/molecule-level modulation, nano/microscale-confined structures, interface and surface regulation, and external field effects. Each category is analyzed for its unique characteristics and merits, emphasizing its potential to significantly enhance catalytic efficiency and selectivity. Following this overview, we introduced recent advancements in advanced material and system design to promote liquid-phase environmental catalysis (e.g., water purification, transformation to value-added products, and green synthesis), leveraging state-of-the-art microenvironment engineering technologies. These discussions showcase microenvironment engineering was applied in different reactions to fine-tune catalytic regimes and improve the efficiency from both thermodynamics and kinetics perspectives. Lastly, we discussed the challenges and future directions in microenvironment engineering. This review underscores the potential of microenvironment engineering in intelligent materials and system design to drive the development of more effective and sustainable catalytic solutions to environmental decontamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong-Shuai Zhu
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Austraia 5005, Australia
| | - Shuang Zhong
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Austraia 5005, Australia
| | - Cheng Cheng
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Austraia 5005, Australia
| | - Hongyu Zhou
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Austraia 5005, Australia
| | - Hongqi Sun
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Xiaoguang Duan
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Austraia 5005, Australia
| | - Shaobin Wang
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Austraia 5005, Australia
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3
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McKee M, Kutter M, Wu Y, Williams H, Vaudreuil MA, Carta M, Yadav AK, Singh H, Masson JF, Lentz D, Kühnel MF, Kornienko N. Hydrophobic assembly of molecular catalysts at the gas-liquid-solid interface drives highly selective CO 2 electromethanation. Nat Chem 2024:10.1038/s41557-024-01650-6. [PMID: 39367063 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-024-01650-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 10/06/2024]
Abstract
Molecular catalysts offer tunable active and peripheral sites, rendering them ideal model systems to explore fundamental concepts in catalysis. However, hydrophobic designs are often regarded as detrimental for dissolution in aqueous electrolytes. Here we show that established cobalt terpyridine catalysts modified with hydrophobic perfluorinated alkyl side chains can assemble at the gas-liquid-solid interfaces on a gas diffusion electrode. We find that the self-assembly of these perfluorinated units on the electrode surface results in a catalytic system selective for electrochemical CO2 reduction to CH4, whereas every other cobalt terpyridine catalyst reported previously was only selective for CO or formate. Mechanistic investigations suggest that the pyridine units function as proton shuttles that deliver protons to the dynamic hydrophobic pocket in which CO2 reduction takes place. Finally, integration with fluorinated carbon nanotubes as a hydrophobic conductive scaffold leads to a Faradaic efficiency for CH4 production above 80% at rates above 10 mA cm-2-impressive activities for a molecular electrocatalytic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan McKee
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Chemistry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Maximilian Kutter
- Department of Chemistry, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
- Electrochemical Process Engineering, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Yue Wu
- Department of Chemistry, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Hannah Williams
- Department of Chemistry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Harishchandra Singh
- Nano and Molecular Systems Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Amity Institute of Applied Sciences, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
- 2-Amity Institute of Applied Sciences, Amity University, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Jean-François Masson
- Department of Chemistry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Quebec Center for Advanced Materials, Regroupement Québécois sur les Matériaux de Pointe, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche sur le Cerveau et l'Apprentissage, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Dieter Lentz
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie und Biochemie - Anorganische Chemie, Berlin, Germany
| | - Moritz F Kühnel
- Department of Chemistry, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Nikolay Kornienko
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
- Department of Chemistry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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4
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Dai R, Sun K, Shen R, Fang J, Cheong WC, Zhuang Z, Zhuang Z, Zhang C, Chen C. Direct Microenvironment Modulation of CO 2 Electroreduction: Negatively Charged Ag Sites Going beyond Catalytic Surface Reactions. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202408580. [PMID: 38922737 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202408580] [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: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Electrochemical reduction of CO2 is an important way to achieve carbon neutrality, and much effort has been devoted to the design of active sites. Apart from elevating the intrinsic activity, expanding the functionality of active sites may also boost catalytic performance. Here we designed "negatively charged Ag (nc-Ag)" active sites featuring both the intrinsic activity and the capability of regulating microenvironment, through modifying Ag nanoparticles with atomically dispersed Sn species. Different from conventional active sites (which only mediate the surface processes by bonding with the intermediates), the nc-Ag sites could also manipulate environmental species. Therefore, the sites could not only activate CO2, but also regulate interfacial H2O and CO2, as confirmed by operando spectroscopies. The catalyst delivers a high current density with a CO faradaic efficiency of 97 %. Our work here opens up new opportunities for the design of multifunctional electrocatalytic active sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoyun Dai
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Technology R&D Center, CNOOC Gas & Power Group, Beijing, 100028, China
| | - Kaian Sun
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108, China
| | - Rongan Shen
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan
| | - Jinjie Fang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Weng-Chon Cheong
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Zewen Zhuang
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108, China
| | - Zhongbin Zhuang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- Institute for New Energy Materials and Low-Carbon Technology, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin, 300384, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
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5
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Rabiee H, Li M, Yan P, Wu Y, Zhang X, Dorosti F, Zhang X, Ma B, Hu S, Wang H, Zhu Z, Ge L. Rational Designing Microenvironment of Gas-Diffusion Electrodes via Microgel-Augmented CO 2 Availability for High-Rate and Selective CO 2 Electroreduction to Ethylene. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2402964. [PMID: 39206751 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202402964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Efficient electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) requires advanced gas-diffusion electrodes (GDEs) with tunned microenvironment to overcome low CO2 availability in the vicinity of catalyst layer. Herein, for the first time, pyridine-containing microgels-augmented CO2 availability is presented in Cu2O-based GDE for high-rate CO2 reduction to ethylene, owing to the presence of CO2-phil microgels with amine moieties. Microgels as three-dimensional polymer networks act as CO2 micro-reservoirs to engineer the GDE microenvironment and boost local CO2 availability. The superior ethylene production performance of the GDE modified by 4-vinyl pyridine microgels, as compared with the GDE with diethylaminoethyl methacrylate microgels, indicates the bifunctional effect of pyridine-based microgels to enhance CO2 availability, and electrocatalytic CO2 reduction. While the Faradaic efficiency (FE) of ethylene without microgels was capped at 43% at 300 mA cm-2, GDE with the pyridine microgels showed 56% FE of ethylene at 700 mA cm-2. A similar trend was observed in zero-gap design, and GDEs showed 58% FE of ethylene at -4.0 cell voltage (>350 mA cm-2 current density), resulting in over 2-fold improvement in ethylene production. This study showcases the use of CO2-phil microgels for a higher rate of CO2RR-to-C2+, opening an avenue for several other microgels for more selective and efficient CO2 electrolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hesamoddin Rabiee
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Centre for Future Materials, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, QLD, 4300, Australia
| | - Mengran Li
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Penghui Yan
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Yuming Wu
- School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Xueqin Zhang
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB), The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Fatereh Dorosti
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Xi Zhang
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Beibei Ma
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Shihu Hu
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB), The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Hao Wang
- Centre for Future Materials, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, QLD, 4300, Australia
| | - Zhonghua Zhu
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Lei Ge
- Centre for Future Materials, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, QLD, 4300, Australia
- School of Engineering, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, QLD, 4300, Australia
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6
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Chen S, Rowley B, Ganganahalli R, Yeo BS. Electroreduction of CO to 2.8 A cm⁻ 2 C 2+ Products: Maximizing Efficiency with Minimalist Electrode Design Featuring a Mesopore-Rich Hydrophobic Copper Catalyst Layer. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2405938. [PMID: 39186060 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202405938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2024] [Revised: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
This work shows how hydrophobicity and porosity can be incorporated into copper catalyst layers (CLs) for the efficient electroreduction of CO (CORR) in a flow cell. Oxide-derived (OD) Cu catalysts are synthesized using K+ and Cs+ as templates, termed respectively as OD-Cu-K and OD-Cu-Cs. CLs, assembled from OD-Cu-K and OD-Cu-Cs, exhibit enhanced CORR performance compared to "unmodified" OD-Cu CL. OD-Cu-Cs can notably reduce CO to C2+ products with Faradaic efficiencies (FE) as high as 96% (or 4% FE H2). During CO electrolysis at -3000 mA cm-2 (-0.73 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode), C2+ products and the alcohols are formed with respective current densities of -2804 and -1205 mA cm- 2. The mesopores in the OD-Cu-Cs CL act as barriers against electrolyte flooding. Contact angle measurements confirm the CL's hydrophobicity ranking: OD-Cu-Cs > OD-Cu-K > OD-Cu. The enhanced hydrophobicity of a catalyst is proposed to allow more triple-phase (CO-electrolyte-catalyst) interfaces to be available for CORR. This study shows how the pore size-hydrophobicity relationship can be harvested to guide the design of a less-is-more Cu electrode, which can attain high CORR current density and selectivity, without the additional use of hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene particles or dopants, such as Ag.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silu Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Ben Rowley
- Energy Transition Campus Amsterdam, Grasweg 31, 1031 HW, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ramesha Ganganahalli
- Shell India Markets Private Ltd., Plot No. 7, Bengaluru Hardware Park, Mahadeva, Kodigehalli, Bangalore, 562149, India
| | - Boon Siang Yeo
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
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7
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Zhang W, Yu A, Mao H, Feng G, Li C, Wang G, Chang J, Halat D, Li Z, Yu W, Shi Y, Liu S, Fox DW, Zhuang H, Cai A, Wu B, Joshua F, Martinez JR, Zhai L, Gu MD, Shan X, Reimer JA, Cui Y, Yang Y. Dynamic Bubbling Balanced Proactive CO 2 Capture and Reduction on a Triple-Phase Interface Nanoporous Electrocatalyst. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:21335-21347. [PMID: 39049158 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c02786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
The formation and preservation of the active phase of the catalysts at the triple-phase interface during CO2 capture and reduction is essential for improving the conversion efficiency of CO2 electroreduction toward value-added chemicals and fuels under operational conditions. Designing such ideal catalysts that can mitigate parasitic hydrogen generation and prevent active phase degradation during the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), however, remains a significant challenge. Herein, we developed an interfacial engineering strategy to build a new SnOx catalyst by invoking multiscale approaches. This catalyst features a hierarchically nanoporous structure coated with an organic F-monolayer that modifies the triple-phase interface in aqueous electrolytes, substantially reducing competing hydrogen generation (less than 5%) and enhancing CO2RR selectivity (∼90%). This rationally designed triple-phase interface overcomes the issue of limited CO2 solubility in aqueous electrolytes via proactive CO2 capture and reduction. Concurrently, we utilized pulsed square-wave potentials to dynamically recover the active phase for the CO2RR to regulate the production of C1 products such as formate and carbon monoxide (CO). This protocol ensures profoundly enhanced CO2RR selectivity (∼90%) compared with constant potential (∼70%) applied at -0.8 V (V vs RHE). We further achieved a mechanistic understanding of the CO2 capture and reduction processes under pulsed square-wave potentials via in situ Raman spectroscopy, thereby observing the potential-dependent intensity of Raman vibrational modes of the active phase and CO2RR intermediates. This work will inspire material design strategies by leveraging triple-phase interface engineering for emerging electrochemical processes, as technology moves toward electrification and decarbonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhang
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - Ao Yu
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - Haiyan Mao
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Guangxia Feng
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Cheng Li
- Eastern Institute for Advanced Study, Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315200, P.R. China
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, U.K
| | - Guanzhi Wang
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - Jinfa Chang
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
- Faculty of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Polyoxometalate and Reticular Material Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024. P.R. China
| | - David Halat
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Zhao Li
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - Weilai Yu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Yaping Shi
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Shengwen Liu
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - David W Fox
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - Hao Zhuang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Angela Cai
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Bing Wu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Fnu Joshua
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - John R Martinez
- Department of Chemistry, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - Lei Zhai
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - M Danny Gu
- Eastern Institute for Advanced Study, Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315200, P.R. China
| | - Xiaonan Shan
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Jeffrey A Reimer
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Yi Cui
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Yang Yang
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
- Renewable Energy and Chemical Transformation Cluster, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
- The Stephen W. Hawking Center for Microgravity Research and Education, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
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8
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Chen Z, Hao S, Li H, Dong X, Chen X, Yuan J, Sidorenko A, Huang J, Gu Y. Dipolar Microenvironment Engineering Enabled by Electron Beam Irradiation for Boosting Catalytic Performance. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2401562. [PMID: 38860673 PMCID: PMC11321705 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202401562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Creating a diverse dipolar microenvironment around the active site is of great significance for the targeted induction of intermediate behaviors to achieve complicated chemical transformations. Herein, an efficient and general strategy is reported to construct hypercross-linked polymers (HCPs) equipped with tunable dipolar microenvironments by knitting arene monomers together with dipolar functional groups into porous network skeletons. Benefiting from the electron beam irradiation modification technique, the catalytic sites are anchored in an efficient way in the vicinity of the microenvironment, which effectively facilitates the processing of the reactants delivered to the catalytic sites. By varying the composition of the microenvironment scaffold structure, the contact and interaction behavior with the reaction participants can be tuned, thereby affecting the catalytic activity and selectivity. As a result, the framework catalysts produced in this way exhibit excellent catalytic performance in the synthesis of glycinate esters and indole derivatives. This manipulation is reminiscent of enzymatic catalysis, which adjusts the internal polarity environment and controls the output of products by altering the scaffold structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyan Chen
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology1037 Luoyu RoadHongshan DistrictWuhan430074China
- Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry for Energy Conversion and StorageMinistry of EducationHubei Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry and Service FailureHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430074China
| | - Shuai Hao
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology1037 Luoyu RoadHongshan DistrictWuhan430074China
- Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry for Energy Conversion and StorageMinistry of EducationHubei Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry and Service FailureHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430074China
| | - Haozhe Li
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology1037 Luoyu RoadHongshan DistrictWuhan430074China
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Electromagnetic Engineering and TechnologyHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430074China
| | - Xiaohan Dong
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology1037 Luoyu RoadHongshan DistrictWuhan430074China
- Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry for Energy Conversion and StorageMinistry of EducationHubei Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry and Service FailureHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430074China
| | - Xihao Chen
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology1037 Luoyu RoadHongshan DistrictWuhan430074China
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Electromagnetic Engineering and TechnologyHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430074China
| | - Jushigang Yuan
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology1037 Luoyu RoadHongshan DistrictWuhan430074China
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Electromagnetic Engineering and TechnologyHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430074China
| | - Alexander Sidorenko
- Institute of Chemistry of New Materials of National Academy of Sciences of BelarusMinsk220084Belarus
| | - Jiang Huang
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology1037 Luoyu RoadHongshan DistrictWuhan430074China
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Electromagnetic Engineering and TechnologyHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430074China
| | - Yanlong Gu
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology1037 Luoyu RoadHongshan DistrictWuhan430074China
- Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry for Energy Conversion and StorageMinistry of EducationHubei Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry and Service FailureHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430074China
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9
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Zhang W, Ge W, Qi Y, Sheng X, Jiang H, Li C. Surfactant Directionally Assembled at the Electrode-Electrolyte Interface for Facilitating Electrocatalytic Aldehyde Hydrogenation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202407121. [PMID: 38775229 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202407121] [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: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic hydrogenation of unsaturated aldehydes to unsaturated alcohols is a promising alternative to conventional thermal processes. Both the catalyst and electrolyte deeply impact the performance. Designing the electrode-electrolyte interface remains challenging due to its compositional and structural complexity. Here, we employ the electrocatalytic hydrogenation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) as a reaction model. The typical cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), and its analogs are employed as electrolyte additives to tune the interfacial microenvironment, delivering high-efficiency hydrogenation of HMF and inhibition of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The surfactants experience a conformational transformation from stochastic distribution to directional assembly under applied potential. This oriented arrangement hampers the transfer of water molecules to the interface and promotes the enrichment of reactants. In addition, near 100 % 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan (BHMF) selectivity is achieved, and the faradaic efficiency (FE) of the BHMF is improved from 61 % to 74 % at -100 mA cm-2. Notably, the microenvironmental modulation strategy applies to a range of electrocatalytic hydrogenation reactions involving aldehyde substrates. This work paves the way for engineering advanced electrode-electrolyte interfaces and boosting unsaturated alcohol electrosynthesis efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenfei Zhang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, School of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Wangxin Ge
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Yanbin Qi
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Xuedi Sheng
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, School of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Hongliang Jiang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, School of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Chunzhong Li
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, School of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
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10
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Kong Y, Yang H, Jia X, Wan D, Zhang Y, Hu Q, He C. Constructing Favorable Microenvironment on Copper Grain Boundaries for CO 2 Electro-conversion to Multicarbon Products. NANO LETTERS 2024. [PMID: 39011983 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c02343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (eCO2RR) to multicarbon chemicals provides a promising avenue for storing renewable energy. Herein, we synthesized small Cu nanoparticles featuring enriched tiny grain boundaries (RGBs-Cu) through spatial confinement and in situ electroreduction. In-situ spectroscopy and theoretical calculations demonstrate that small-sized Cu grain boundaries significantly enhance the adsorption of the *CO intermediate, owing to the presence of abundant low-coordinated and disordered atoms. Furthermore, these grain boundaries, generated in situ under high current conditions, exhibit excellent stability during the eCO2RR process, thereby creating a stable *CO-rich microenvironment. This high local *CO concentration around the catalyst surface can reduce the energy barrier for C-C coupling and significantly increase the Faradaic efficiency (FE) for multicarbon products across both neutral and alkaline electrolytes. Specifically, the developed RGBs-Cu electrocatalyst achieved a peak FE of 77.3% for multicarbon products and maintained more than 134 h stability at a constant current density of -500 mA cm-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Kong
- Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, People's Republic of China
| | - Hengpan Yang
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinmei Jia
- Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, People's Republic of China
| | - Da Wan
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, People's Republic of China
| | - Yilei Zhang
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Hu
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuanxin He
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, People's Republic of China
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11
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Chen J, Qiu H, Zhao Y, Yang H, Fan L, Liu Z, Xi S, Zheng G, Chen J, Chen L, Liu Y, Guo L, Wang L. Selective and stable CO 2 electroreduction at high rates via control of local H 2O/CO 2 ratio. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5893. [PMID: 39003258 PMCID: PMC11246503 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50269-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Controlling the concentrations of H2O and CO2 at the reaction interface is crucial for achieving efficient electrochemical CO2 reduction. However, precise control of these variables during catalysis remains challenging, and the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Herein, guided by a multi-physics model, we demonstrate that tuning the local H2O/CO2 concentrations is achievable by thin polymer coatings on the catalyst surface. Beyond the often-explored hydrophobicity, polymer properties of gas permeability and water-uptake ability are even more critical for this purpose. With these insights, we achieve CO2 reduction on copper with Faradaic efficiency exceeding 87% towards multi-carbon products at a high current density of -2 A cm-2. Encouraging cathodic energy efficiency (>50%) is also observed at this high current density due to the substantially reduced cathodic potential. Additionally, we demonstrate stable CO2 reduction for over 150 h at practically relevant current densities owning to the robust reaction interface. Moreover, this strategy has been extended to membrane electrode assemblies and other catalysts for CO2 reduction. Our findings underscore the significance of fine-tuning the local H2O/CO2 balance for future CO2 reduction applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junmei Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, 117585, Singapore
| | - Haoran Qiu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, 117585, Singapore
- International Research Center for Renewable Energy, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710049, China
| | - Yilin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, 117585, Singapore
| | - Haozhou Yang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, 117585, Singapore
| | - Lei Fan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, 117585, Singapore
| | - Zhihe Liu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, 117585, Singapore
| | - ShiBo Xi
- Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy & Environment, A*STAR, 1 Pesek Rd, 627833, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Guangtai Zheng
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, 117585, Singapore
| | - Jiayi Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, 117585, Singapore
| | - Lei Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, 117585, Singapore
| | - Ya Liu
- International Research Center for Renewable Energy, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710049, China
| | - Liejin Guo
- International Research Center for Renewable Energy, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710049, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, 117585, Singapore.
- Centre for Hydrogen Innovations, National University of Singapore, 1 Engineering Drive 3, 117585, Singapore, Singapore.
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12
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Ding J, Wei T, Hou T, Liu W, Liu Q, Zhang H, Luo J, Liu X. Easily constructed porous silver films for efficient catalytic CO 2 reduction and Zn-CO 2 batteries. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:10628-10636. [PMID: 38695774 DOI: 10.1039/d4nr00340c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
For the electroreduction of carbon dioxide into high value-added chemicals, highly active and selective catalysts are crucial, and metallic silver is one of the most intriguing candidate materials available at a reasonable cost. Herein, through a novel two-step operation of Ag paste/SBA-15 coating and HF etching, porous silver films on a commercial carbon paper with a waterproofer (p-Ag/CP) could be easily fabricated on a large scale as highly efficient carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) electrocatalysts with a CO Faraday efficiency (FECO) as high as 96.7% at -1.0 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), and it still reaches up to 90% FECO over applied potentials ranging from -0.8 to -1.1 V vs. the RHE. Meanwhile, the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) utilizing the p-Ag/CP catalyst has achieved a current density, FECO, and stability of ∼60 mA cm-2, >91%, and 11 h, respectively. Furthermore, the assembled aqueous Zn-CO2 battery using p-Ag/CP cathode yielded a peak power density of 0.34 mW cm-2, 75 charge-discharge cycles for 25 h, and 64% FECO at 2.5 mA cm-2. Compared with flat Ag/CP, the significant enhancement in the CO2RR activity of p-Ag/CP was mainly attributed to the distinctive porous structure and an improved three-phase boundary, which is capable of inducing the stabilization of *COOH intermediates, increased active specific surface areas, fast electron transfer kinetic and mass transportation. Further, theoretical calculations revealed that p-Ag/CP possessed an optimized energy barrier for *COOH intermediates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyang Ding
- Institute for New Energy Materials & Low-Carbon Technologies, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin 300384, China.
| | - Tianran Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Featured Metal Materials and Life-cycle Safety for Composite Structures, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Processing for Non-ferrous Metals and Featured Materials, MOE Key Laboratory of New Processing Technology for Nonferrous Metals and Materials, School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004 Guangxi, China.
| | - Tong Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Featured Metal Materials and Life-cycle Safety for Composite Structures, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Processing for Non-ferrous Metals and Featured Materials, MOE Key Laboratory of New Processing Technology for Nonferrous Metals and Materials, School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004 Guangxi, China.
| | - Weijia Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Featured Metal Materials and Life-cycle Safety for Composite Structures, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Processing for Non-ferrous Metals and Featured Materials, MOE Key Laboratory of New Processing Technology for Nonferrous Metals and Materials, School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004 Guangxi, China.
| | - Qian Liu
- Institute for Advanced Study, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, Sichuan, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Institute for New Energy Materials & Low-Carbon Technologies, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin 300384, China.
| | - Jun Luo
- ShenSi Lab, Shenzhen Institute for Advanced Study, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Longhua District, Shenzhen 518110, China
| | - Xijun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Featured Metal Materials and Life-cycle Safety for Composite Structures, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Processing for Non-ferrous Metals and Featured Materials, MOE Key Laboratory of New Processing Technology for Nonferrous Metals and Materials, School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004 Guangxi, China.
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13
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Haaring R, Kang PW, Lee JW, Lee J, Lee H. Nonconductive Metal Oxide Gas Diffusion Layer for Mitigating Electrowetting during CO 2 Electrolysis. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:28731-28741. [PMID: 38781021 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c05467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) are extensively used for high current density electrochemical CO2 electrolysis (ECO2R), enabled by significantly reducing mass transfer resistance of CO2 to the catalyst layer. Conventionally, these GDEs are based upon hydrophobic carbon-based gas-diffusion layers (GDLs) that facilitate the gas transport; however, these supports are prone to flood with electrolyte during electrolysis. This potential-induced flooding, known as electrowetting, is related to the inherent conductivity of carbon and limits the activity of ECO2R. To investigate the effect of electrical conductivity more carefully, a GDE is constructed based on a Cu mesh with a nonconductive microporous GDL applied to this substrate, the latter composed of a mixture of metal oxide and polytetrafluoroethylene. With alumina as the metal oxide, a stable operation is obtained at -200 mA cm-2 with 70% selectivity for ECO2R (with over half toward C2+ products) without flooding as observed by in situ microscopy. On the contrary, with a Vulcan carbon-based GDL, the initial activity is rapidly lost as severe flooding ensues. It is reasoned that electrowetting is averted by virtue of the nonconductive nature of alumina, providing a new perspective on alternative GDL compositions and their influence on ECO2R performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Haaring
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Phil Woong Kang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Jae Won Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Junpyo Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Hyunjoo Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
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14
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Ramadhany P, Luong Q, Zhang Z, Leverett J, Samorì P, Corrie S, Lovell E, Canbulat I, Daiyan R. State of Play of Critical Mineral-Based Catalysts for Electrochemical E-Refinery to Synthetic Fuels. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024:e2405029. [PMID: 38838055 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202405029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
The pursuit of decarbonization involves leveraging waste CO2 for the production of valuable fuels and chemicals (e.g., ethanol, ethylene, and urea) through the electrochemical CO2 reduction reactions (CO2RR). The efficacy of this process heavily depends on electrocatalyst performance, which is generally reliant on high loading of critical minerals. However, the supply of these minerals is susceptible to shortage and disruption, prompting concerns regarding their usage, particularly in electrocatalysis, requiring swift innovations to mitigate the supply risks. The reliance on critical minerals in catalyst fabrication can be reduced by implementing design strategies that improve the available active sites, thereby increasing the mass activity. This review seeks to discuss and analyze potential strategies, challenges, and opportunities for improving catalyst activity in CO2RR with a special attention to addressing the risks associated with critical mineral scarcity. By shedding light onto these aspects of critical mineral-based catalyst systems, this review aims to inspire the development of high-performance catalysts and facilitates the practical application of CO2RR technology, whilst mitigating adverse economic, environmental, and community impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Putri Ramadhany
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Quang Luong
- School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Carbon Science and Innovation, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Ziling Zhang
- School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Carbon Science and Innovation, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Josh Leverett
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Paolo Samorì
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, ISIS UMR 7006, Strasbourg, 67000, France
| | - Simon Corrie
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Carbon Science and Innovation, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Emma Lovell
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Ismet Canbulat
- School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Carbon Science and Innovation, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Rahman Daiyan
- School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Carbon Science and Innovation, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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15
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Lu X, Zhou C, Delima RS, Lees EW, Soni A, Dvorak DJ, Ren S, Ji T, Bahi A, Ko F, Berlinguette CP. Visualization of CO 2 electrolysis using optical coherence tomography. Nat Chem 2024; 16:979-987. [PMID: 38429344 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-024-01465-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Electrolysers offer an appealing technology for conversion of CO2 into high-value chemicals. However, there are few tools available to track the reactions that occur within electrolysers. Here we report an electrolysis optical coherence tomography platform to visualize the chemical reactions occurring in a CO2 electrolyser. This platform was designed to capture three-dimensional images and videos at high spatial and temporal resolutions. We recorded 12 h of footage of an electrolyser containing a porous electrode separated by a membrane, converting a continuous feed of liquid KHCO3 to reduce CO2 into CO at applied current densities of 50-800 mA cm-2. This platform visualized reactants, intermediates and products, and captured the strikingly dynamic movement of the cathode and membrane components during electrolysis. It also linked CO production to regions of the electrolyser in which CO2 was in direct contact with both membrane and catalyst layers. These results highlight how this platform can be used to track reactions in continuous flow electrochemical reactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Lu
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Chris Zhou
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Materials Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Roxanna S Delima
- Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Eric W Lees
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Abhishek Soni
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - David J Dvorak
- Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Shaoxuan Ren
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Tengxiao Ji
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Addie Bahi
- Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Frank Ko
- Department of Materials Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Curtis P Berlinguette
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
- Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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16
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Chen X, Sheng X, Zhou H, Liu Z, Xu M, Feng X. Hydrophobicity Promoted Efficient Hydroxyl Radical Generation in Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Oxidation. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2310128. [PMID: 38174635 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202310128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Hydroxyl radical (•OH) with strong oxidation capability is one of the most important reactive oxygen species. The generation of •OH from superoxide radicals (•O2 -) is an important process in visible-light-driven photocatalysis, but the conversion generally suffers from slow reaction kinetics. Here, a hydrophobicity promoted efficient •OH generation in a visible-light-driven semiconductor-mediated photodegradation reaction is reported. Hydrophobic TiO2 that is synthesized by modifying the TiO2 surface with a thin polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layer and rhodamine B (RhB) are used as model semiconductors and dye molecules, respectively. The surface hydrophobicity resulted in the formation of a solid-liquid-air triphase interface microenvironment, which increased the local concentration of O2. In the meanwhile, the saturated adsorption quantity of RhB on hydrophobic TiO2 is improved by five-fold than that on untreated TiO2. These advantages increased the density of the conduction band photoelectrons and •O2 - generation, and stimulated the conversion of •O2 - to •OH. This consequently not only increased the kinetics of the photocatalytic reaction by an order of magnitude, but also altered the oxidation route from conventional decolorization to mineralization. This study highlights the importance of surface wettability modulation in boosting •OH generation in visible-light-driven photocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Chen
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Xia Sheng
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Hang Zhou
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Zhiping Liu
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Minmin Xu
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Xinjian Feng
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
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17
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Li Z, Wu Y, Wang H, Wu Z, Wu X. High-Efficiency Electrocatalytic Reduction of N 2O with Single-Atom Cu Supported on Nitrogen-Doped Carbon. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:8976-8987. [PMID: 38653761 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c00765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas with a high global warming potential, emphasizing the critical need to develop efficient elimination methods. Electrocatalytic N2O reduction reaction (N2ORR) stands out as a promising approach, offering room temperature conversion of N2O to N2 without the production of NOx byproducts. In this study, we present the synthesis of a copper-based single-atom catalyst featuring atomic Cu on nitrogen-doped carbon black (Cu1-NCB). Attributed to the highly dispersed single-atom Cu sites and the effective suppression of the hydrogen evolution reaction, Cu1-NCB demonstrated an optimal N2 faradaic efficiency (82.1%) and yield rate (3.53 mmol h-1 mgmetal-1) at -0.2 and -0.5 V vs RHE, respectively, outperforming previously reported N2ORR electrocatalysts. Further, a gas diffusion electrode cell was employed to improve mass transfer and achieved a 28.6% conversion rate of 30% N2O with only a 14 s residence time, demonstrating the potential for practical application. Density functional theory calculations identified Cu-N4 as the crucial active site for N2ORR, highlighting the significance of the unsaturated coordination and metal-support electronic structure. O-terminal adsorption of N2O was favored, and the dissociative adsorption (*ON2 → *O + N2) was the rate-determining step. These findings reveal the broad prospects of N2O decomposition via electrocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Li
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yunshuo Wu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Haiqiang Wang
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zhongbiao Wu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xuanhao Wu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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18
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Wang X, Ju W, Liang L, Riyaz M, Bagger A, Filippi M, Rossmeisl J, Strasser P. Electrochemical CO 2 Activation and Valorization on Metallic Copper and Carbon-Embedded N-Coordinated Single Metal MNC Catalysts. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202401821. [PMID: 38467562 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202401821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
The electrochemical reductive valorization of CO2, referred to as the CO2RR, is an emerging approach for the conversion of CO2-containing feeds into valuable carbonaceous fuels and chemicals, with potential contributions to carbon capture and use (CCU) for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Copper surfaces and graphene-embedded, N-coordinated single metal atom (MNC) catalysts exhibit distinctive reactivity, attracting attention as efficient electrocatalysts for CO2RR. This review offers a comparative analysis of CO2RR on copper surfaces and MNC catalysts, highlighting their unique characteristics in terms of CO2 activation, C1/C2(+) product formation, and the competing hydrogen evolution pathway. The assessment underscores the significance of understanding structure-activity relationships to optimize catalyst design for efficient and selective CO2RR. Examining detailed reaction mechanisms and structure-selectivity patterns, the analysis explores recent insights into changes in the chemical catalyst states, atomic motif rearrangements, and fractal agglomeration, providing essential kinetic information from advanced in/ex situ microscopy/spectroscopy techniques. At the end, this review addresses future challenges and solutions related to today's disconnect between our current molecular understanding of structure-activity-selectivity relations in CO2RR and the relevant factors controlling the performance of CO2 electrolyzers over longer times, with larger electrode sizes, and at higher current densities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingli Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Division, Technical University of Berlin, Straße des 17. June 124, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Wen Ju
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Division, Technical University of Berlin, Straße des 17. June 124, 10623, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Electrochemistry and Catalysis, Leibniz Institute for Catalysis, 18059, Rostock
| | - Liang Liang
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Division, Technical University of Berlin, Straße des 17. June 124, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mohd Riyaz
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Alexander Bagger
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Michael Filippi
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Division, Technical University of Berlin, Straße des 17. June 124, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jan Rossmeisl
- Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peter Strasser
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Division, Technical University of Berlin, Straße des 17. June 124, 10623, Berlin, Germany
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19
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Heßelmann M, Lee JK, Chae S, Tricker A, Keller RG, Wessling M, Su J, Kushner D, Weber AZ, Peng X. Pure-Water-Fed Forward-Bias Bipolar Membrane CO 2 Electrolyzer. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:24649-24659. [PMID: 38711294 PMCID: PMC11103649 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c02799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Coupling renewable electricity to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) electrochemically into carbon feedstocks offers a promising pathway to produce chemical fuels sustainably. While there has been success in developing materials and theory for CO2 reduction, the widespread deployment of CO2 electrolyzers has been hindered by challenges in the reactor design and operational stability due to CO2 crossover and (bi)carbonate salt precipitation. Herein, we design asymmetrical bipolar membranes assembled into a zero-gap CO2 electrolyzer fed with pure water, solving both challenges. By investigating and optimizing the anion-exchange-layer thickness, cathode differential pressure, and cell temperature, the forward-bias bipolar membrane CO2 electrolyzer achieves a CO faradic efficiency over 80% with a partial current density over 200 mA cm-2 at less than 3.0 V with negligible CO2 crossover. In addition, this electrolyzer achieves 0.61 and 2.1 mV h-1 decay rates at 150 and 300 mA cm-2 for 200 and 100 h, respectively. Postmortem analysis indicates that the deterioration of catalyst/polymer-electrolyte interfaces resulted from catalyst structural change, and ionomer degradation at reductive potential shows the decay mechanism. All these results point to the future research direction and show a promising pathway to deploy CO2 electrolyzers at scale for industrial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Heßelmann
- Energy
Technologies Area, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Chemical
Process Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeckstr. 51, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Jason Keonhag Lee
- Energy
Technologies Area, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Sudong Chae
- Energy
Technologies Area, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Andrew Tricker
- Energy
Technologies Area, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Robert Gregor Keller
- Chemical
Process Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeckstr. 51, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Matthias Wessling
- Chemical
Process Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeckstr. 51, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- DWI
Leibniz-Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstr. 50, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Ji Su
- Energy
Technologies Area, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Douglas Kushner
- Energy
Technologies Area, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Adam Z. Weber
- Energy
Technologies Area, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Xiong Peng
- Energy
Technologies Area, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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20
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Hou J, Li Y, Guo H, Wang Y, He Y, Sun P, Zhao Y, Ni BJ, Zhu T, Liu Y. Efficient electrosynthesis of HO 2- from air for sulfide control in sewers. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 470:134181. [PMID: 38569343 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Electrochemically in-situ generation of oxygen and caustic soda is promising for sulfide management while suffers from scaling, poor inactivating capacity, hydrogen release and ammonia escape. In this study, the four-compartment electrochemical cell efficiently captured oxygen molecules from the air chamber to produce HO2- without generating toxic by-products. Meanwhile, the catalyst layer surface of PTFE/CB-GDE maintained a relatively balanced gas-liquid micro-environment, enabling the formation of enduring solid-liquid-gas interfaces for efficient HO2- electrosynthesis. A dramatic increase in HO2- generation rate from 453.3 mg L-1 h-1 to 575.4 mg L-1 h-1 was attained by advancement in operation parameters design (flow channels, electrolyte types, flow rates and circulation types). Stability testing resulted in the HO2- generation rate over 15 g L-1 and the current efficiency (CE) exceeding 85%, indicating a robust stable operational capacity. Furthermore, after 120 mg L-1 HO2- treatment, an increase of 11.1% in necrotic and apoptotic cells in the sewer biofilm was observed, higher than that achieved with the addition of NaOH, H2O2 method. The in-situ electrosynthesis strategy for HO2- represents a significance toward the practical implementation of sulfide abatement in sewers, holding the potential to treat various sulfide-containing wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Hou
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Yiming Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Haixiao Guo
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Yufen Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Yanying He
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Peizhe Sun
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Yingxin Zhao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Bing-Jie Ni
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Tingting Zhu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China.
| | - Yiwen Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China.
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21
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Hu H, Qian S, Shi Q, Du M, Sun N, Ding Y, Li J, Luo Q, Li Z, He L, Sun Y, Li Y. Cu-phen Coordination Enabled Selective Electrocatalytic Reduction of CO 2 to Methane. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:22025-22034. [PMID: 38634322 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c02810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Manipulation of selectivity in the catalytic electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (eCO2RR) poses significant challenges due to inevitable structure reconstruction. One approach is to develop effective strategies for controlling reaction pathways to gain a deeper understanding of mechanisms in robust CO2RR systems. In this work, by precise introduction of 1,10-phenanthroline as a bidentate ligand modulator, the electronic property of the copper site was effectively regulated, thereby directing selectivity switch. By modification of [Cu3(btec)(OH)2]n, the use of [Cu2(btec)(phen)2]n·(H2O)n achieved the selectivity switch from ethylene (faradaic efficiency (FE) = 41%, FEC2+ = 67%) to methane (FECH4 = 69%). Various in situ spectroscopic characterizations revealed that [Cu2(btec)(phen)2]n·(H2O)n promoted the hydrogenation of *CO intermediates, leading to methane generation instead of dimerization to form C2+ products. Acting as a delocalized π-conjugation scaffold, 1,10-phenanthroline in [Cu2(btec)(phen)2]n·(H2O)n helps stabilize Cuδ+. This work presents a novel approach to regulate the coordination environment of active sites with the aim of selectively modulating the CO2RR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Low Carbon Catalysis and Carbon Dioxide Utilization; State Key Laboratory for Oxo Synthesis and Selective Oxidation, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (LICP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalysis of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Shiting Qian
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Inorganic/Organic Hybrid Functionalized Materials, Key Laboratory of Structure and Functional Regulation of Hybrid Materials of Ministry of Education, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui P. R. China
| | - Qin Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Low Carbon Catalysis and Carbon Dioxide Utilization; State Key Laboratory for Oxo Synthesis and Selective Oxidation, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (LICP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Minxing Du
- State Key Laboratory of Low Carbon Catalysis and Carbon Dioxide Utilization; State Key Laboratory for Oxo Synthesis and Selective Oxidation, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (LICP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Ning Sun
- Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
| | - Yong Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Low Carbon Catalysis and Carbon Dioxide Utilization; State Key Laboratory for Oxo Synthesis and Selective Oxidation, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (LICP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalysis of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Jun Li
- Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
| | - Qiquan Luo
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Inorganic/Organic Hybrid Functionalized Materials, Key Laboratory of Structure and Functional Regulation of Hybrid Materials of Ministry of Education, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui P. R. China
| | - Zhen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Low Carbon Catalysis and Carbon Dioxide Utilization; State Key Laboratory for Oxo Synthesis and Selective Oxidation, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (LICP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Lin He
- State Key Laboratory of Low Carbon Catalysis and Carbon Dioxide Utilization; State Key Laboratory for Oxo Synthesis and Selective Oxidation, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (LICP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Yuxia Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Low Carbon Catalysis and Carbon Dioxide Utilization; State Key Laboratory for Oxo Synthesis and Selective Oxidation, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (LICP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Yuehui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Low Carbon Catalysis and Carbon Dioxide Utilization; State Key Laboratory for Oxo Synthesis and Selective Oxidation, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (LICP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
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22
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Yao Z, Lin R. Overcoming Low C 2+ Yield in Acidic CO 2 Electroreduction: Modulating Local Hydrophobicity for Enhanced Performance. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2306686. [PMID: 38072807 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202306686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Operating electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) in acidic media has garnered considerable attention due to its sustainable electrolyte cycling and stable performance. Nevertheless, the severe parasitic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and decayed multi-carbon species (C2+) yield still hampers efficient CO2RR in acid. Here, this work investigates the influence of local hydrophobicity on the acidic CO2RR. By employing direct electrodeposition, the hydrophobicity of the catalyst layer can be finely tuned over a wide range without additive. It is revealed that the hydrophobic microenvironment significantly suppressed HER, improved CO2RR performance and boosted C2+ yield. A Faradaic efficiency (FE) of ≈74% for C2+ is achieved in pH = 2 on electrodeposited copper with a highly hydrophobic environment. Moreover, this phenomenon can be extended to industrial application. An ≈81% total FE for the CO2RR, along with a ≈62% FE for C2+ species, is achieved even with commercial copper. Remarkably, the system exhibited stable operation for a continuous period exceeding 50 h at an industrially applied current density of 300 mA cm-2. This work highlights the crucial role of interface hydrophobicity in acidic CO2RR and proposes a facile and universally applicable method for achieving efficient and stable CO2RR to high-value products in acidic media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Yao
- School of Automotive Studies, Tongji University, Shanghai, 201804, China
| | - Rui Lin
- School of Automotive Studies, Tongji University, Shanghai, 201804, China
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23
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Zhou L, Chen X, Zhu S, You K, Wang ZJ, Fan R, Li J, Yuan Y, Wang X, Wang J, Chen Y, Jin H, Wang S, Lv JJ. Two-dimensional Cu Plates with Steady Fluid Fields for High-rate Nitrate Electroreduction to Ammonia and Efficient Zn-Nitrate Batteries. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202401924. [PMID: 38366134 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202401924] [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: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Nitrate electroreduction reaction (eNO3 -RR) to ammonia (NH3) provides a promising strategy for nitrogen utilization, while achieving high selectivity and durability at an industrial scale has remained challenging. Herein, we demonstrated that the performance of eNO3 -RR could be significantly boosted by introducing two-dimensional Cu plates as electrocatalysts and eliminating the general carrier gas to construct a steady fluid field. The developed eNO3 -RR setup provided superior NH3 Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 99 %, exceptional long-term electrolysis for 120 h at 200 mA cm-2, and a record-high yield rate of 3.14 mmol cm-2 h-1. Furthermore, the proposed strategy was successfully extended to the Zn-nitrate battery system, providing a power density of 12.09 mW cm-2 and NH3 FE of 85.4 %, outperforming the state-of-the-art eNO3 -RR catalysts. Coupled with the COMSOL multiphysics simulations and in situ infrared spectroscopy, the main contributor for the high-efficiency NH3 production could be the steady fluid field to timely rejuvenate the electrocatalyst surface during the electrocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limin Zhou
- Zhejiang Province Key Lab of Leather Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Xueqiu Chen
- Zhejiang Province Key Lab of Leather Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Shaojun Zhu
- Zhejiang Province Key Lab of Leather Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Kun You
- Zhejiang Province Key Lab of Leather Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Zheng-Jun Wang
- Zhejiang Province Key Lab of Leather Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Ru Fan
- Zhejiang Province Key Lab of Leather Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Jun Li
- Zhejiang Province Key Lab of Leather Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
- Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Electrochemical Energy Materials and Devices, Institute of New Materials and Industrial Technologies, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China
| | - Yifei Yuan
- Zhejiang Province Key Lab of Leather Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Jichang Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, M4Y1M7, Canada
| | - Yihuang Chen
- Zhejiang Province Key Lab of Leather Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Huile Jin
- Zhejiang Province Key Lab of Leather Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
- Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Electrochemical Energy Materials and Devices, Institute of New Materials and Industrial Technologies, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China
| | - Shun Wang
- Zhejiang Province Key Lab of Leather Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
- Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Electrochemical Energy Materials and Devices, Institute of New Materials and Industrial Technologies, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China
| | - Jing-Jing Lv
- Zhejiang Province Key Lab of Leather Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
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24
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Ko YJ, Lim C, Jin J, Kim MG, Lee JY, Seong TY, Lee KY, Min BK, Choi JY, Noh T, Hwang GW, Lee WH, Oh HS. Extrinsic hydrophobicity-controlled silver nanoparticles as efficient and stable catalysts for CO 2 electrolysis. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3356. [PMID: 38637502 PMCID: PMC11026478 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47490-3] [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: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
To realize economically feasible electrochemical CO2 conversion, achieving a high partial current density for value-added products is particularly vital. However, acceleration of the hydrogen evolution reaction due to cathode flooding in a high-current-density region makes this challenging. Herein, we find that partially ligand-derived Ag nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) could prevent electrolyte flooding while maintaining catalytic activity for CO2 electroreduction. This results in a high Faradaic efficiency for CO (>90%) and high partial current density (298.39 mA cm‒2), even under harsh stability test conditions (3.4 V). The suppressed splitting/detachment of Ag particles, due to the lipid ligand, enhance the uniform hydrophobicity retention of the Ag-NP electrode at high cathodic overpotentials and prevent flooding and current fluctuations. The mass transfer of gaseous CO2 is maintained in the catalytic region of several hundred nanometers, with the smooth formation of a triple phase boundary, which facilitate the occurrence of CO2RR instead of HER. We analyze catalyst degradation and cathode flooding during CO2 electrolysis through identical-location transmission electron microscopy and operando synchrotron-based X-ray computed tomography. This study develops an efficient strategy for designing active and durable electrocatalysts for CO2 electrolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young-Jin Ko
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Hwarang-ro 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Chulwan Lim
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Hwarang-ro 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea University, 145, Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Junyoung Jin
- Center for Neuromorphic Engineering, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Hwarang-ro 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, 145, Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Gyu Kim
- Beamline Research Division, Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Yeong Lee
- Advanced Analysis Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Hwarang-ro 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Yeon Seong
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, 145, Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwan-Young Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea University, 145, Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Byoung Koun Min
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Hwarang-ro 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Young Choi
- School of Advanced Materials Science & Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
- KIST-SKKU Carbon-Neutral Research Center, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Taegeun Noh
- Platform Technology Research Center, LG Chem Ltd., 30, Magokjungang 10-ro, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, 07796, Republic of Korea
| | - Gyu Weon Hwang
- Center for Neuromorphic Engineering, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Hwarang-ro 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.
| | - Woong Hee Lee
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Hwarang-ro 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hyung-Suk Oh
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Hwarang-ro 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.
- School of Advanced Materials Science & Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea.
- KIST-SKKU Carbon-Neutral Research Center, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea.
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25
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Geng Q, Fan L, Chen H, Zhang C, Xu Z, Tian Y, Yu C, Kang L, Yamauchi Y, Li C, Jiang L. Revolutionizing CO 2 Electrolysis: Fluent Gas Transportation within Hydrophobic Porous Cu 2O. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:10599-10607. [PMID: 38567740 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c00082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2024]
Abstract
The success of electrochemical CO2 reduction at high current densities hinges on precise interfacial transportation and the local concentration of gaseous CO2. However, the creation of efficient CO2 transportation channels remains an unexplored frontier. In this study, we design and synthesize hydrophobic porous Cu2O spheres with varying pore sizes to unveil the nanoporous channel's impact on gas transfer and triple-phase interfaces. The hydrophobic channels not only facilitate rapid CO2 transportation but also trap compressed CO2 bubbles to form abundant and stable triple-phase interfaces, which are crucial for high-current-density electrocatalysis. In CO2 electrolysis, in situ spectroscopy and density functional theory results reveal that atomic edges of concave surfaces promote C-C coupling via an energetically favorable OC-COH pathway, leading to overwhelming CO2-to-C2+ conversion. Leveraging optimal gas transportation and active site exposure, the hydrophobic porous Cu2O with a 240 nm pore size (P-Cu2O-240) stands out among all the samples and exhibits the best CO2-to-C2+ productivity with remarkable Faradaic efficiency and formation rate up to 75.3 ± 3.1% and 2518.2 ± 8.1 μmol h-1 cm-2, respectively. This study introduces a novel paradigm for efficient electrocatalysts that concurrently addresses active site design and gas-transfer challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghong Geng
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Materials and Interface Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Longlong Fan
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Materials and Interface Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Huige Chen
- Functional Crystal Lab, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Chunhui Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Materials and Interface Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Zhe Xu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Materials and Interface Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Ye Tian
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Materials and Interface Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Cunming Yu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Lei Kang
- Functional Crystal Lab, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Yusuke Yamauchi
- Department of Materials Process Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, South Korea
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), the University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, QLD, Australia
| | - Cuiling Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Materials and Interface Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101407, China
| | - Lei Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Materials and Interface Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101407, China
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26
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Filippi M, Möller T, Pastusiak R, Magori E, Paul B, Strasser P. Scale-Up of PTFE-Based Gas Diffusion Electrodes Using an Electrolyte-Integrated Polymer-Coated Current Collector Approach. ACS ENERGY LETTERS 2024; 9:1361-1368. [PMID: 38633993 PMCID: PMC11019647 DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.4c00114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Nonconductive porous polymer substrates, such as PTFE, have been pivotal in the fabrication of stable and high-performing gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) for the reduction of CO2/CO in small scale electrolyzers; however, the scale-up of polymer-based GDEs without performance penalties to technologically more relevant electrode sizes has remained elusive. This work reports on a new current collector concept that enables the scale-up of PTFE-based GDEs from 5 to 100 cm2 and beyond. The present approach builds on a multifunctional current collector concept that enables multipoint front-contacting of thin catalyst coatings, which mitigates performance losses even for high resistivity cathodes. Our improved current collector design concomitantly incorporates a flow-field functionality in a monopolar plate configuration, keeping electrolyte gaps small for increased performance. Experiments with 100 cm2 cathodes were conducted in a one-gap alkaline AEM and acid CEM system. Our design represents an important step forward in the development of larger-size CO2 electrolyzers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Filippi
- The
Electrochemical Energy, Catalysis, and Materials Science Laboratory,
Department of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Division, Technical University Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tim Möller
- The
Electrochemical Energy, Catalysis, and Materials Science Laboratory,
Department of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Division, Technical University Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Remigiusz Pastusiak
- Siemens
Energy (SE) New Energy Business (NEB) Technology & Products (TP)
Development (DEV), Siemens Energy Global
GmbH & Co. KG, 81739 Munich, Germany
| | - Erhard Magori
- Siemens
Energy (SE) New Energy Business (NEB) Technology & Products (TP)
Development (DEV), Siemens Energy Global
GmbH & Co. KG, 81739 Munich, Germany
| | - Benjamin Paul
- The
Electrochemical Energy, Catalysis, and Materials Science Laboratory,
Department of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Division, Technical University Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter Strasser
- The
Electrochemical Energy, Catalysis, and Materials Science Laboratory,
Department of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Division, Technical University Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany
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27
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Ni B, Shen P, Zhang G, Zhao J, Ding H, Ye Y, Yue Z, Yang H, Wei H, Jiang K. Second-Shell N Dopants Regulate Acidic O 2 Reduction Pathways on Isolated Pt Sites. J Am Chem Soc 2024. [PMID: 38608251 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c14186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Pt is a well-known benchmark catalyst in the acidic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) that drives electrochemical O2-to-H2O conversion with maximum chemical energy-to-electricity efficiency. Once dispersing bulk Pt into isolated single atoms, however, the preferential ORR pathway remains a long-standing controversy due to their complex local coordination environment and diverse site density over substrates. Herein, using a set of carbon nanotube supported Pt-N-C single-atom catalysts, we demonstrate how the neighboring N dopants regulate the electronic structure of the Pt central atom and thus steer the ORR selectivity; that is, the O2-to-H2O2 conversion selectivity can be tailored from 10% to 85% at 0.3 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode. Moreover, via a comprehensive X-ray-radiated spectroscopy and shell-isolated nanoparticle-enhanced Raman spectroscopy analysis coupled with theoretical modeling, we reveal that a dominant pyridinic- and pyrrolic-N coordination within the first shell of Pt-N-C motifs favors the 4e- ORR, whereas the introduction of a second-shell graphitic-N dopant weakens *OOH binding on neighboring Pt sites and gives rise to a dominant 2e- ORR. These findings underscore the importance of the chemical environment effect for steering the electrochemical performance of single-atom catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoxin Ni
- National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacture Technology, Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Interdisciplinary Research Center, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Peng Shen
- Interdisciplinary Research Center, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Guiru Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jiajun Zhao
- Interdisciplinary Research Center, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Honghe Ding
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Department of Chemical Physics and Key Laboratory of Surface and Interface Chemistry and Energy Catalysis of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029, China
| | - Yifan Ye
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Department of Chemical Physics and Key Laboratory of Surface and Interface Chemistry and Energy Catalysis of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029, China
| | - Zhouying Yue
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Hui Yang
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Hao Wei
- National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacture Technology, Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Kun Jiang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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Yamaguchi S, Ebe H, Minegishi T, Sugiyama M. Introduction of a Conductive Layer into Flood-Resistant Gas Diffusion Electrodes with Polymer Substrate for an Efficient Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction with Copper Oxide. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:17371-17376. [PMID: 38533998 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c14568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Conversion of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) into valuable feedstocks is a crucial technology, and electrochemical reduction of CO2 is a promising approach that can provide a useful source of ethylene (C2H4). Gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) placed at the interface of the CO2 gas and electrolyte can achieve high current density through a sufficient supply of dissolved CO2 to the reaction site, making them indispensable in industrial applications. However, conventional GDEs with carbon substrate have suffered from electrolyte flooding and consequent loss of efficiency, posing an obstacle for practical application. While flood-resistant GDEs with hydrophobic polymer substrate have been proposed recently, only conductive materials can be employed as electrocatalysts because of their insulative properties, despite the high activities of oxide materials such as copper oxide. Here, we introduce an aluminum conductive layer in GDE with polymer substrate to enable the use of electrically resistive catalysts. Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) with silver particles was tested as a model material and has shown prolonged stability (>17 h) with high C2H4 Faraday efficiency (>50%) while suppressing flooding. A thorough characterization revealed that the conductive layer makes Cu2O an efficient electrocatalyst, even on the polymer substrate, by providing sufficient electrons through its conduction path. This research significantly expands the scope of electrode design by enabling the incorporation of a wide range of nonelectrically conductive materials on GDEs with polymer substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shingi Yamaguchi
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
| | - Hiroji Ebe
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Minegishi
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
| | - Masakazu Sugiyama
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
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29
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O'Brien CP, Miao RK, Shayesteh Zeraati A, Lee G, Sargent EH, Sinton D. CO 2 Electrolyzers. Chem Rev 2024; 124:3648-3693. [PMID: 38518224 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
CO2 electrolyzers have progressed rapidly in energy efficiency and catalyst selectivity toward valuable chemical feedstocks and fuels, such as syngas, ethylene, ethanol, and methane. However, each component within these complex systems influences the overall performance, and the further advances needed to realize commercialization will require an approach that considers the whole process, with the electrochemical cell at the center. Beyond the cell boundaries, the electrolyzer must integrate with upstream CO2 feeds and downstream separation processes in a way that minimizes overall product energy intensity and presents viable use cases. Here we begin by describing upstream CO2 sources, their energy intensities, and impurities. We then focus on the cell, the most common CO2 electrolyzer system architectures, and each component within these systems. We evaluate the energy savings and the feasibility of alternative approaches including integration with CO2 capture, direct conversion of flue gas and two-step conversion via carbon monoxide. We evaluate pathways that minimize downstream separations and produce concentrated streams compatible with existing sectors. Applying this comprehensive upstream-to-downstream approach, we highlight the most promising routes, and outlook, for electrochemical CO2 reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin P O'Brien
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Rui Kai Miao
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Ali Shayesteh Zeraati
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Geonhui Lee
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A4, Canada
| | - Edward H Sargent
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A4, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - David Sinton
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G8, Canada
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30
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Gao J, Ma Q, Zhang Y, Xue S, Young J, Zhao M, Ren ZJ, Kim JH, Zhang W. Coupling Curvature and Hydrophobicity: A Counterintuitive Strategy for Efficient Electroreduction of Nitrate into Ammonia. ACS NANO 2024; 18:10302-10311. [PMID: 38537206 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c02020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
The electrochemical upcycling of nitrate (NO3-) to ammonia (NH3) holds promise for synergizing both wastewater treatment and NH3 synthesis. Efficient stripping of gaseous products (NH3, H2, and N2) from electrocatalysts is crucial for continuous and stable electrochemical reactions. This study evaluated a layered electrocatalyst structure using copper (Cu) dendrites to enable a high curvature and hydrophobicity and achieve a stratified liquid contact at the gas-liquid interface of the electrocatalyst layer. As such, gaseous product desorption or displacement from electrocatalysts was enhanced due to the separation of a wetted reaction zone and a nonwetted zone for gas transfer. Consequently, this electrocatalyst structure yielded a 2.9-fold boost in per-active-site activity compared with that with a low curvature and high hydrophilic counterpart. Moreover, a NH3 Faradaic efficiency of 90.9 ± 2.3% was achieved with nearly 100% NO3- conversion. This high-curvature hydrophobic Cu dendrite was further integrated with a gas-extraction membrane, which demonstrated a comparable NH3 yield from the real reverse osmosis retentate brine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianan Gao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - Qingquan Ma
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - Yihan Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - Shan Xue
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - Joshua Young
- Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - Mengqiang Zhao
- Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - Zhiyong Jason Ren
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Jae-Hong Kim
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Wen Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
- Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
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31
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Ren G, Zhou M, Hu P, Chen JF, Wang H. Bubble-water/catalyst triphase interface microenvironment accelerates photocatalytic OER via optimizing semi-hydrophobic OH radical. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2346. [PMID: 38490989 PMCID: PMC10943107 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46749-z] [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: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Photocatalytic water splitting (PWS) as the holy grail reaction for solar-to-chemical energy conversion is challenged by sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at water/catalyst interface. Experimental evidence interestingly shows that temperature can significantly accelerate OER, but the atomic-level mechanism remains elusive in both experiment and theory. In contrast to the traditional Arrhenius-type temperature dependence, we quantitatively prove for the first time that the temperature-induced interface microenvironment variation, particularly the formation of bubble-water/TiO2(110) triphase interface, has a drastic influence on optimizing the OER kinetics. We demonstrate that liquid-vapor coexistence state creates a disordered and loose hydrogen-bond network while preserving the proton transfer channel, which greatly facilitates the formation of semi-hydrophobic •OH radical and O-O coupling, thereby accelerating OER. Furthermore, we propose that adding a hydrophobic substance onto TiO2(110) can manipulate the local microenvironment to enhance OER without additional thermal energy input. This result could open new possibilities for PWS catalyst design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanhua Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering and Industrial Catalysis, Centre for Computational Chemistry and Research Institute of Industrial Catalysis, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Min Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering and Industrial Catalysis, Centre for Computational Chemistry and Research Institute of Industrial Catalysis, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Peijun Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering and Industrial Catalysis, Centre for Computational Chemistry and Research Institute of Industrial Catalysis, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Jian-Fu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering and Industrial Catalysis, Centre for Computational Chemistry and Research Institute of Industrial Catalysis, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Haifeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering and Industrial Catalysis, Centre for Computational Chemistry and Research Institute of Industrial Catalysis, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
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32
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Xu B, Lin Z, Li F, Tao T, Zhang G, Wang Y. Local O 2 concentrating boosts the electro-Fenton process for energy-efficient water remediation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2317702121. [PMID: 38446850 PMCID: PMC10945831 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317702121] [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: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The electro-Fenton process is a state-of-the-art water treatment technology used to remove organic contaminants. However, the low O2 utilization efficiency (OUE, <1%) and high energy consumption remain the biggest obstacles to practical application. Here, we propose a local O2 concentrating (LOC) approach to increase the OUE by over 11-fold compared to the conventional simple O2 diffusion route. Due to the well-designed molecular structure, the LOC approach enables direct extraction of O2 from the bulk solution to the reaction interface; this eliminates the need to pump O2/air to overcome the sluggish O2 mass transfer and results in high Faradaic efficiencies (~50%) even under natural air diffusion conditions. Long-term operation of a flow-through pilot device indicated that the LOC approach saved more than 65% of the electric energy normally consumed in treating actual industrial wastewater, demonstrating the great potential of this system-level design to boost the electro-Fenton process for energy-efficient water remediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bincheng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse (Tongji University), College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai200092, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai200092, China
| | - Ze Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse (Tongji University), College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai200092, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai200092, China
| | - Fengting Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse (Tongji University), College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai200092, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai200092, China
| | - Tao Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse (Tongji University), College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai200092, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai200092, China
| | - Gong Zhang
- Center for Water and Ecology, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
| | - Ying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse (Tongji University), College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai200092, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai200092, China
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33
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Wen Y, Cheng WH, Wang YR, Shen FC, Lan YQ. Tailoring the Hydrophobic Interface of Core-Shell HKUST-1@Cu 2O Nanocomposites for Efficiently Selective CO 2 Electroreduction. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2307467. [PMID: 37940620 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202307467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to ethylene creates a carbon-neutral approach to converting carbon dioxide into intermittent renewable electricity. Exploring efficient electrocatalysts with potentially high ethylene selectivity is extremely desirable, but still challenging. In this report, a laboratory-designed catalyst HKUST-1@Cu2O/PTFE-1 is prepared, in which the high specific surface area of the composites with improved CO2 adsorption and the abundance of active sites contribute to the increased electrocatalytic activity. Furthermore, the hydrophobic interface constructed by the hydrophobic material polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) effectively inhibits the occurrence of hydrogen evolution reactions, providing a significant improvement in the efficiency of CO2 electroreduction. The distinctive structures result in the remarkable hydrocarbon fuels generation with high Faraday efficiency (FE) of 67.41%, particularly for ethylene with FE of 46.08% (-1.0 V vs RHE). The superior performance of the catalyst is verified by DFT calculation with lower Gibbs free energy of the intermediate interactions with improved proton migration and selectivity to emerge the polycarbon(C2+) product. In this work, a promising and effective strategy is presented to configure MOF-based materials with tailored hydrophobic interface, high adsorption selectivity and more exposed active sites for enhancing the efficiency of the electroreduction of CO2 to C2+ products with high added value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wen
- School of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, 241000, P. R. China
| | - Wen-Hui Cheng
- School of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, 241000, P. R. China
| | - Yi-Rong Wang
- School of Chemistry, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
| | - Feng-Cui Shen
- School of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, 241000, P. R. China
| | - Ya-Qian Lan
- School of Chemistry, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
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34
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Zhang X, Yan X, Chen P, Zhang P, Kang X, Ma J, Chen C, Han B. Selective and Efficient CO 2 Electroreduction to Formate on Copper Electrodes Modified by Cationic Gemini Surfactants. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202315822. [PMID: 38081787 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202315822] [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: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Electroreduction of CO2 into valuable chemicals and fuels is a promising strategy to mitigate energy and environmental problems. However, it usually suffers from unsatisfactory selectivity for a single product and inadequate electrochemical stability. Herein, we report the first work to use cationic Gemini surfactants as modifiers to boost CO2 electroreduction to formate. The selectivity, activity and stability of the catalysts can be all significantly enhanced by Gemini surfactant modification. The Faradaic efficiency (FE) of formate could reach up to 96 %, and the energy efficiency (EE) could achieve 71 % over the Gemini surfactants modified Cu electrode. In addition, the Gemini surfactants modified commercial Bi2 O3 nanosheets also showed an excellent catalytic performance, and the FE of formate reached 91 % with a current density of 510 mA cm-2 using the flow cell. Detailed studies demonstrated that the double quaternary ammonium cations and alkyl chains of the Gemini surfactants played a crucial role in boosting electroreduction CO2 , which can not only stabilize the key intermediate HCOO* but also provide an easy access for CO2 . These observations could shine light on the rational design of organic modifiers for promoted CO2 electroreduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiudong Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongguancun North First Street 2, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Xupeng Yan
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongguancun North First Street 2, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
- China Huaneng Clean Energy Research Institute, Beijing, 102209, P. R. China
| | - Peng Chen
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongguancun North First Street 2, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Pei Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongguancun North First Street 2, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Xinchen Kang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongguancun North First Street 2, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Jun Ma
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongguancun North First Street 2, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Chunjun Chen
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongguancun North First Street 2, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, P.R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular and Process engineering, SKLPMPE, Sinopec research institute of petroleum processing Co., LTD., Beijing, 100083, China
- East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Buxing Han
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongguancun North First Street 2, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, P.R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular and Process engineering, SKLPMPE, Sinopec research institute of petroleum processing Co., LTD., Beijing, 100083, China
- East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
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35
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Chu C, Ma LL, Alawi H, Ma W, Zhu Y, Sun J, Lu Y, Xue Y, Chen G. Mechanistic exploration of polytetrafluoroethylene thermal plasma gasification through multiscale simulation coupled with experimental validation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1654. [PMID: 38395949 PMCID: PMC10891128 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45077-6] [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: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The ever-growing quantities of persistent Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) wastes, along with consequential ecological and human health concerns, stimulate the need for alternative PTFE disposal method. The central research challenge lies in elucidating the decomposition mechanism of PTFE during high-temperature waste treatment. Here, we propose the PTFE microscopic thermal decomposition pathways by integrating plasma gasification experiments with multi-scale simulations strategies. Molecular dynamic simulations reveal a pyrolysis-oxidation & chain-shortening-deep defluorination (POCD) degradation pathway in an oxygen atmosphere, and an F abstraction-hydrolysis-deep defluorination (FHD) pathway in a steam atmosphere. Density functional theory computations demonstrate the vital roles of 1O2 and ·H radicals in the scission of PTFE carbon skeleton, validating the proposed pathways. Experimental results confirm the simulation results and show that up to 80.12% of gaseous fluorine can be recovered through plasma gasification within 5 min, under the optimized operating conditions determined through response surface methodology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chu Chu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University/Tianjin Key Lab of Biomass/Wastes Utilization, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Long Long Ma
- School of Energy &Environment, Key Lab Energy Thermal Conversion & Control, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Hyder Alawi
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University/Tianjin Key Lab of Biomass/Wastes Utilization, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Wenchao Ma
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University/Tianjin Key Lab of Biomass/Wastes Utilization, Tianjin, 300072, China.
| | - YiFei Zhu
- School of Electrical Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Junhao Sun
- Postdoctoral Programme, Guosen Securities, Shenzhen, 518001, China
| | - Yao Lu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300401, China
| | - Yixian Xue
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University/Tianjin Key Lab of Biomass/Wastes Utilization, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Guanyi Chen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University/Tianjin Key Lab of Biomass/Wastes Utilization, Tianjin, 300072, China
- School of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, Lhasa, 850012, Tibet, China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University of Commerce, Tianjin, 300314, China
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36
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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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37
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Chen Q, Wang X, Zhou Y, Tan Y, Li H, Fu J, Liu M. Electrocatalytic CO 2 Reduction to C 2+ Products in Flow Cells. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2303902. [PMID: 37651690 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202303902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction into value-added fuels and chemicals by renewable electric energy is one of the important strategies to address global energy shortage and carbon emission. Though the classical H-type electrolytic cell can quickly screen high-efficiency catalysts, the low current density and limited CO2 mass transfer process essentially impede its industrial applications. The electrolytic cells based on electrolyte flow system (flow cells) have shown great potential for industrial devices, due to higher current density, improved local CO2 concentration, and better mass transfer efficiency. The design and optimization of flow cells are of great significance to further accelerate the industrialization of electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR). In this review, the progress of flow cells for CO2 RR to C2+ products is concerned. Firstly, the main events in the development of the flow cells for CO2 RR are outlined. Second, the main design principles of CO2 RR to C2+ products, the architectures, and types of flow cells are summarized. Third, the main strategies for optimizing flow cells to generate C2+ products are reviewed in detail, including cathode, anode, ion exchange membrane, and electrolyte. Finally, the preliminary attempts, challenges, and the research prospects of flow cells for industrial CO2 RR toward C2+ products are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Chen
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410083, P. R. China
| | - Xiqing Wang
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410083, P. R. China
| | - Yajiao Zhou
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410083, P. R. China
| | - Yao Tan
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410083, P. R. China
| | - Hongmei Li
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410083, P. R. China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450002, P. R. China
| | - Junwei Fu
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410083, P. R. China
| | - Min Liu
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410083, P. R. China
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38
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Fang W, Guo W, Lu R, Yan Y, Liu X, Wu D, Li FM, Zhou Y, He C, Xia C, Niu H, Wang S, Liu Y, Mao Y, Zhang C, You B, Pang Y, Duan L, Yang X, Song F, Zhai T, Wang G, Guo X, Tan B, Yao T, Wang Z, Xia BY. Durable CO 2 conversion in the proton-exchange membrane system. Nature 2024; 626:86-91. [PMID: 38297172 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06917-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Electrolysis that reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) to useful chemicals can, in principle, contribute to a more sustainable and carbon-neutral future1-6. However, it remains challenging to develop this into a robust process because efficient conversion typically requires alkaline conditions in which CO2 precipitates as carbonate, and this limits carbon utilization and the stability of the system7-12. Strategies such as physical washing, pulsed operation and the use of dipolar membranes can partially alleviate these problems but do not fully resolve them11,13-15. CO2 electrolysis in acid electrolyte, where carbonate does not form, has therefore been explored as an ultimately more workable solution16-18. Herein we develop a proton-exchange membrane system that reduces CO2 to formic acid at a catalyst that is derived from waste lead-acid batteries and in which a lattice carbon activation mechanism contributes. When coupling CO2 reduction with hydrogen oxidation, formic acid is produced with over 93% Faradaic efficiency. The system is compatible with start-up/shut-down processes, achieves nearly 91% single-pass conversion efficiency for CO2 at a current density of 600 mA cm-2 and cell voltage of 2.2 V and is shown to operate continuously for more than 5,200 h. We expect that this exceptional performance, enabled by the use of a robust and efficient catalyst, stable three-phase interface and durable membrane, will help advance the development of carbon-neutral technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Guo
- 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, Wuhan, China
| | - Ruihu Lu
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Ya Yan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaokang Liu
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Dan Wu
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Fu Min Li
- 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, Wuhan, China
| | - Yansong Zhou
- 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, Wuhan, China
| | - Chaohui He
- 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, Wuhan, China
| | - Chenfeng 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, Wuhan, China
| | - Huiting Niu
- 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, Wuhan, China
| | - Sicong Wang
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Youwen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yu Mao
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Chengyi Zhang
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Bo You
- 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, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuanjie Pang
- School of Optical and Electronic Information, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Lele Duan
- Department of Chemistry and Shenzhen Grubbs Institute, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xuan Yang
- 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, Wuhan, China
| | - Fei Song
- Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Tianyou Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Guoxiong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China
| | - Xingpeng Guo
- 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, Wuhan, China
| | - Bien Tan
- 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, Wuhan, China
| | - Tao Yao
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
| | - Ziyun Wang
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - 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, Wuhan, China.
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39
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Deng T, Jia S, Chen C, Jiao J, Chen X, Xue C, Xia W, Xing X, Zhu Q, Wu H, He M, Han B. Polymer Modification Strategy to Modulate Reaction Microenvironment for Enhanced CO 2 Electroreduction to Ethylene. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202313796. [PMID: 38015565 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202313796] [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: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Modulation of the microenvironment on the electrode surface is one of the effective means to improve the efficiency of electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction (eCO2 RR). To achieve high conversion rates, the phase boundary at the electrode surface should be finely controlled to overcome the limitation of CO2 solubility in the aqueous electrolyte. Herein, we developed a simple and efficient method to structure electrocatalyst with a superhydrophobic surface microenvironment by one-step co-electrodeposition of Cu and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) on carbon paper. The super-hydrophobic Cu-based electrode displayed a high ethylene (C2 H4 ) selectivity with a Faraday efficiency (FE) of 67.3 % at -1.25 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in an H-type cell, which is 2.5 times higher than a regular Cu electrode without PTFE. By using PTFE as a surface modifier, the activity of eCO2 RR is enhanced and water (proton) adsorption is inhibited. This strategy has the potential to be applied to other gas-conversion electrocatalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Deng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
- Institute of Eco-Chongming, 20 Cuiniao Road, Chenjia Town, Chongming District, Shanghai, 202162, China
| | - Shuaiqiang Jia
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
- Institute of Eco-Chongming, 20 Cuiniao Road, Chenjia Town, Chongming District, Shanghai, 202162, China
| | - Chunjun Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
- Institute of Eco-Chongming, 20 Cuiniao Road, Chenjia Town, Chongming District, Shanghai, 202162, China
| | - Jiapeng Jiao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
- Institute of Eco-Chongming, 20 Cuiniao Road, Chenjia Town, Chongming District, Shanghai, 202162, China
| | - Xiao Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
- Institute of Eco-Chongming, 20 Cuiniao Road, Chenjia Town, Chongming District, Shanghai, 202162, China
| | - Cheng Xue
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
- Institute of Eco-Chongming, 20 Cuiniao Road, Chenjia Town, Chongming District, Shanghai, 202162, China
| | - Wei Xia
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
- Institute of Eco-Chongming, 20 Cuiniao Road, Chenjia Town, Chongming District, Shanghai, 202162, China
| | - Xueqing Xing
- Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qinggong Zhu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for carbon neutral chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Haihong Wu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
- Institute of Eco-Chongming, 20 Cuiniao Road, Chenjia Town, Chongming District, Shanghai, 202162, China
| | - Mingyuan He
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
- Institute of Eco-Chongming, 20 Cuiniao Road, Chenjia Town, Chongming District, Shanghai, 202162, China
| | - Buxing Han
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
- Institute of Eco-Chongming, 20 Cuiniao Road, Chenjia Town, Chongming District, Shanghai, 202162, China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for carbon neutral chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
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40
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Trogadas P, Xu L, Coppens M. From Biomimicking to Bioinspired Design of Electrocatalysts for CO 2 Reduction to C 1 Products. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202314446. [PMID: 37795670 PMCID: PMC10962605 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202314446] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
The electrochemical reduction of CO2 (CO2 RR) is a promising approach to maintain a carbon cycle balance and produce value-added chemicals. However, CO2 RR technology is far from mature, since the conventional CO2 RR electrocatalysts suffer from low activity (leading to currents <10 mA cm-2 in an H-cell), stability (<120 h), and selectivity. Hence, they cannot meet the requirements for commercial applications (>200 mA cm-2 , >8000 h, >90 % selectivity). Significant improvements are possible by taking inspiration from nature, considering biological organisms that efficiently catalyze the CO2 to various products. In this minireview, we present recent examples of enzyme-inspired and enzyme-mimicking CO2 RR electrocatalysts enabling the production of C1 products with high faradaic efficiency (FE). At present, these designs do not typically follow a methodical approach, but rather focus on isolated features of biological systems. To achieve disruptive change, we advocate a systematic design methodology that leverages fundamental mechanisms associated with desired properties in nature and adapts them to the context of engineering applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Trogadas
- EPSRC “Frontier Engineering” Centre for Nature Inspired EngineeringDepartment of Chemical EngineeringUniversity College LondonTorrington PlaceLondonWC1E 7JEUnited Kingdom
| | - Linlin Xu
- EPSRC “Frontier Engineering” Centre for Nature Inspired EngineeringDepartment of Chemical EngineeringUniversity College LondonTorrington PlaceLondonWC1E 7JEUnited Kingdom
| | - Marc‐Olivier Coppens
- EPSRC “Frontier Engineering” Centre for Nature Inspired EngineeringDepartment of Chemical EngineeringUniversity College LondonTorrington PlaceLondonWC1E 7JEUnited Kingdom
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41
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Liu Y, Yang Z, Zou Y, Wang S, He J. Interfacial Micro-Environment of Electrocatalysis and Its Applications for Organic Electro-Oxidation Reaction. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2306488. [PMID: 37712127 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202306488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Conventional designing principal of electrocatalyst is focused on the electronic structure tuning, on which effectively promotes the electrocatalysis. However, as a typical kind of electrode-electrolyte interface reaction, the electrocatalysis performance is also closely dependent on the electrocatalyst interfacial micro-environment (IME), including pH, reactant concentration, electric field, surface geometry structure, hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity, etc. Recently, organic electro-oxidation reaction (OEOR), which simultaneously reduces the anodic polarization potential and produces value-added chemicals, has emerged as a competitive alternative to oxygen evolution reaction, and the role IME played in OEOR is receiving great interest. Thus, this article provides a timely review on IME and its applications toward OEOR. In this review, the IME for conventional gas-involving reactions, as a contrast, is first presented, and then the recent progresses of IME toward diverse typical OEOR are summarized; especially, some representative works are thoroughly discussed. Additionally, cutting-edge analytical methods and characterization techniques are introduced to comprehensively understand the role IME played in OEOR. In the last section, perspectives and challenges of IME regulation for OEOR are shared.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Liu
- School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, P. R. China
| | - Zhihui Yang
- School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, P. R. China
| | - Yuqin Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Chem/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
| | - Shuangyin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chem/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
| | - Junying He
- School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, P. R. China
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42
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Yoo S, Yoo S, Deng G, Sun F, Lee K, Jang H, Lee CW, Liu X, Jang J, Tang Q, Hwang YJ, Hyeon T, Bootharaju MS. Nanocluster Surface Microenvironment Modulates Electrocatalytic CO 2 Reduction. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023:e2313032. [PMID: 38113897 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202313032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
The catalytic activity and product selectivity of the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (eCO2 RR) depend strongly on the local microenvironment of mass diffusion at the nanostructured catalyst and electrolyte interface. Achieving a molecular-level understanding of the electrocatalytic reaction requires the development of tunable metal-ligand interfacial structures with atomic precision, which is highly challenging. Here, the synthesis and molecular structure of a 25-atom silver nanocluster interfaced with an organic shell comprising 18 thiolate ligands are presented. The locally induced hydrophobicity by bulky alkyl functionality near the surface of the Ag25 cluster dramatically enhances the eCO2 RR activity (CO Faradaic efficiency, FECO : 90.3%) with higher CO partial current density (jCO ) in an H-cell compared to Ag25 cluster (FECO : 66.6%) with confined hydrophilicity, which modulates surface interactions with water and CO2 . Remarkably, the hydrophobic Ag25 cluster exhibits jCO as high as -240 mA cm-2 with FECO >90% at -3.4 V cell potential in a gas-fed membrane electrode assembly device. Furthermore, this cluster demonstrates stable eCO2 RR over 120 h. Operando surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy and theoretical simulations reveal how the ligands alter the neighboring water structure and *CO intermediates, impacting the intrinsic eCO2 RR activity, which provides atomistic mechanistic insights into the crucial role of confined hydrophobicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungwoo Yoo
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Suhwan Yoo
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemistry College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Guocheng Deng
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Fang Sun
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Chongqing Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Kangjae Lee
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunsung Jang
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemistry College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Chan Woo Lee
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Xiaolin Liu
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Junghwan Jang
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Qing Tang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Chongqing Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Yun Jeong Hwang
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemistry College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Taeghwan Hyeon
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Megalamane Siddaramappa Bootharaju
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
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43
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Bai J, Wang W, Liu J. Bioinspired Hydrophobicity for Enhancing Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202302461. [PMID: 37702459 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202302461] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction (CO2 R) is a promising pathway for converting greenhouse gasses into valuable fuels and chemicals using intermittent renewable energy. Enormous efforts have been invested in developing and designing CO2 R electrocatalysts suitable for industrial applications at accelerated reaction rates. The microenvironment, specifically the local CO2 concentration (local [CO2 ]) as well as the water and ion transport at the CO2 -electrolyte-catalyst interface, also significantly impacts the current density, Faradaic efficiency (FE), and operation stability. In nature, hydrophobic surfaces of aquatic arachnids trap appreciable amounts of gases due to the "plastron effect", which could inspire the reliable design of CO2 R catalysts and devices to enrich gaseous CO2 . In this review, starting from the wettability modulation, we summarize CO2 enrichment strategies to enhance CO2 R. To begin, superwettability systems in nature and their inspiration for concentrating CO2 in CO2 R are described and discussed. Moreover, other CO2 enrichment strategies, compatible with the hydrophobicity modulation, are explored from the perspectives of catalysts, electrolytes, and electrolyzers, respectively. Finally, a perspective on the future development of CO2 enrichment strategies is provided. We envision that this review could provide new guidance for further developments of CO2 R toward practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwen Bai
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China
- Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, P. R. China
| | - Wenshuo Wang
- Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, P. R. China
| | - Jian Liu
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China
- Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, 266101, P. R. China
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44
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Xu M, Deng T, Liu LX, Han X. Enrichment Strategies for Efficient CO 2 Electroreduction in Acidic Electrolytes. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202302382. [PMID: 37707507 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202302382] [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: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR) has been recognized as an appealing route to remarkably accelerate the carbon-neutral cycle and reduce carbon emissions. Notwithstanding great catalytic activity that has been acquired in neutral and alkaline conditions, the carbonates generated from the inevitable reaction of the input CO2 with the hydroxide severely lower carbon utilization and energy efficiency. By contrast, CO2 RR in an acidic condition can effectively circumvent the carbonate issues; however, the activity and selectivity of CO2 RR in acidic electrolytes will be decreased significantly due to the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Enriching the CO2 and the key intermediates around the catalyst surface can promote the reaction rate and enhance the product selectivity, providing a promising way to boost the performance of CO2 RR. In this review, the catalytic mechanism and key technique challenges of CO2 RR are first introduced. Then, the critical progress of enrichment strategies for promoting the CO2 RR in the acidic electrolyte is summarized with three aspects: catalyst design, electrolyte regulation, and electrolyzer optimization. Finally, some insights and perspectives for further development of enrichment strategies in acidic CO2 RR are expounded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Green Synthetic Chemistry for Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, 221116, P. R. China
| | - Taojiang Deng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Green Synthetic Chemistry for Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, 221116, P. R. China
| | - Li-Xia Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Green Synthetic Chemistry for Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, 221116, P. R. China
| | - Xiguang Han
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Green Synthetic Chemistry for Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, 221116, P. R. China
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45
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Qin X, Hansen HA, Honkala K, Melander MM. Cation-induced changes in the inner- and outer-sphere mechanisms of electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7607. [PMID: 37993426 PMCID: PMC10665450 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43300-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The underlying mechanism of cation effects on CO2RR remains debated. Herein, we study cation effects by simulating both outer-sphere electron transfer (OS-ET) and inner-sphere electron transfer (IS-ET) pathways during CO2RR via constrained density functional theory molecular dynamics (cDFT-MD) and slow-growth DFT-MD (SG-DFT-MD), respectively. Our results show without any cations, only OS-ET is feasible with a barrier of 1.21 eV. In the presence of K+ (Li+), OS-ET shows a very high barrier of 2.93 eV (4.15 eV) thus being prohibited. However, cations promote CO2 activation through IS-ET with the barrier of only 0.61 eV (K+) and 0.91 eV (Li+), generating the key intermediate (adsorbed CO[Formula: see text]). Without cations, CO2-to-CO[Formula: see text](ads) conversion cannot proceed. Our findings reveal cation effects arise from short-range Coulomb interactions with reaction intermediates. These results disclose that cations modulate the inner- and outer-sphere pathways of CO2RR, offering substantial insights on the cation specificity in the initial CO2RR steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueping Qin
- Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Anker Engelunds Vej Building 301, Kgs. Lyngby, 2800, Denmark.
| | - Heine A Hansen
- Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Anker Engelunds Vej Building 301, Kgs. Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - Karoliina Honkala
- Department of Chemistry, Nanoscience Center, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Marko M Melander
- Department of Chemistry, Nanoscience Center, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland.
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46
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Hu W, Grandjean D, Vaes J, Pant D, Janssens E. Recent advances in copper chalcogenides for CO 2 electroreduction. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:30785-30799. [PMID: 37947074 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp04170k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Transforming CO2 through electrochemical methods into useful chemicals and energy sources may contribute to solutions for global energy and ecological challenges. Copper chalcogenides exhibit unique properties that make them potential catalysts for CO2 electroreduction. In this review, we provide an overview and comment on the latest advances made in the synthesis, characterization, and performance of copper chalcogenide materials for CO2 electroreduction, focusing on the work of the last five years. Strategies to boost their performance can be classified in three groups: (1) structural and compositional tuning, (2) leveraging on heterostructures and hybrid materials, and (3) optimizing size and morphology. Despite overall progress, concerns about selectivity and stability persist and require further investigation. This review outlines future directions for developing the next-generation of copper chalcogenide materials, emphasizing on rational design and advanced characterization techniques for efficient and selective CO2 electroreduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjian Hu
- Separation and Conversion Technology, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium.
- Quantum Solid-State Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200 D, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Didier Grandjean
- Quantum Solid-State Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200 D, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Jan Vaes
- Separation and Conversion Technology, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium.
- Department of Solid-state Sciences, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S1, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Deepak Pant
- Separation and Conversion Technology, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium.
- Center for Advanced Process Technology for Urban Resource Recovery (CAPTURE), Frieda Saeysstraat 1, 9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium
| | - Ewald Janssens
- Quantum Solid-State Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200 D, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
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47
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Gu L, Dutta Chowdhury A. Controlling the C 1/C 2+ product selectivity of electrochemical CO 2 reduction upon tuning bimetallic CuIn electrocatalyst composition and operating conditions. Dalton Trans 2023; 52:15958-15967. [PMID: 37846524 DOI: 10.1039/d3dt03044j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Electrochemical carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction (eCO2R) over Cu-based bimetallic catalysts is a promising technique for converting CO2 into value-added multi-carbon products, such as fuels, chemicals, and materials. For improving the process efficiency, electrocatalyst development for the eCO2R must be integrated with tuning of operating conditions. For example, CuIn-based materials typically lead to preferential C1 product selectivity, which delivers the desired C2+ products upon varying the In/Cu ratio and operating conditions (i.e., in 0.1 M KHCO3 electrolytes using an H-type cell with a cation exchange membrane vs. in 1 M KOH electrolytes using a flow cell with an anion exchange membrane). At lower Cu-loading (i.e., InCu5Ox material), the maximum faradaic efficiency of HCOOH (FEHCOOH) of 70% was achieved at -1 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (vs. RHE) in an H-type cell. However, upon increasing the Cu loading, the preferential product selectivity could be altered: the InCu73Ox material led to a high CO selectivity (maximum FE of 51%) in the H-type cell at -0.8 V vs. RHE and delivered a current density of 100 mA cm-2 with a FEC2+ of up to 37% at -0.8 V vs. RHE in the flow cell configuration. Various characterization tools were also employed to probe the catalytic materials to rationalize the electrocatalytic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Gu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, P. R. China.
| | - Abhishek Dutta Chowdhury
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, P. R. China.
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48
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Idros MN, Wu Y, Duignan T, Li M, Cartmill H, Maglaya I, Burdyny T, Wang G, Rufford TE. Effect of Dispersing Solvents for an Ionomer on the Performance of Copper Catalyst Layers for CO 2 Electrolysis to Multicarbon Products. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023. [PMID: 37931009 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c11096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
To explore the effects of solvent-ionomer interactions in catalyst inks on the structure and performance of Cu catalyst layers (CLs) for CO2 electrolysis, we used a "like for like" rationale to select acetone and methanol as dispersion solvents with a distinct affinity for the ionomer backbone or sulfonated ionic heads, respectively, of the perfluorinated sulfonic acid (PFSA) ionomer Aquivion. First, we characterized the morphology and wettability of Aquivion films drop-cast from acetone- and methanol-based inks on flat Cu foils and glassy carbons. On a flat surface, the ionomer films cast from the Aquivion and acetone mixture were more continuous and hydrophobic than films cast from methanol-based inks. Our study's second stage compared the performance of Cu nanoparticle CLs prepared with acetone and methanol on gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) in a flow cell electrolyzer. The effects of the ionomer-solvent interaction led to a more uniform and flooding-tolerant GDE when acetone was the dispersion solvent (acetone-CL) than when we used methanol (methanol-CL). As a result, acetone-CL yielded a higher selectivity for CO2 electrolysis to C2+ products at high current density, up to 25% greater than methanol-CL at 500 mA cm-2. Ethylene was the primary product for both CLs, with a Faradaic efficiency for ethylene of 47.4 ± 4.0% on the acetone-CL and that of 37.6 ± 5.5% on the methanol-CL at a current density of 300 mA cm-2. We attribute the enhanced C2+ selectivity of the acetone-CL to this electrode's better resistance to electrolyte flooding, with zero seepage observed at tested current densities. Our findings reveal the critical role of solvent-ionomer interaction in determining the film structure and hydrophobicity, providing new insights into the CL design for enhanced multicarbon production in high current densities in CO2 electrolysis processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Nazmi Idros
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Australia
| | - Yuming Wu
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Australia
| | - Timothy Duignan
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Australia
| | - Mengran Li
- Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage (MECS), Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Hayden Cartmill
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Australia
| | - Irving Maglaya
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Australia
| | - Thomas Burdyny
- Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage (MECS), Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Geoff Wang
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Australia
| | - Thomas E Rufford
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Australia
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49
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Bernasconi F, Senocrate A, Kraus P, Battaglia C. Enhancing C ≥2 product selectivity in electrochemical CO 2 reduction by controlling the microstructure of gas diffusion electrodes. EES CATALYSIS 2023; 1:1009-1016. [PMID: 38013788 PMCID: PMC10621631 DOI: 10.1039/d3ey00140g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
We fabricate polymer-based gas diffusion electrodes with controllable microstructure for the electrochemical reduction of CO2, by means of electrospinning and physical vapor deposition. We show that the microstructure of the electrospun substrate is affecting the selectivity of a Cu catalyst, steering it from H2 to C2H4 and other multicarbon products. Specifically, we demonstrate that gas diffusion electrodes with small pores (e.g. mean pore size 0.2 μm) and strong hydrophobicity (e.g. water entry pressure >1 bar) are necessary for achieving a remarkable faradaic efficiency of ∼50% for C2H4 and ∼75% for C≥2 products in neutral 1M KCl electrolyte at 200 mA cm-2. We observe a gradual shift from C2H4 to CH4 to H2 during long-term electrochemical reduction of CO2, which we ascribe to hygroscopic carbonate precipitation in the gas diffusion electrode resulting in flooding of the Cu catalyst by the electrolyte. We demonstrate that even with minimal electrolyte overpressure of 50 mbar, gas diffusion electrodes with large pores (mean pore size 1.1 μm) lose selectivity to carbon products completely, suddenly, and irreversibly in favor of H2. In contrast, we find that gas diffusion electrodes with small pore size (mean pore size 0.2 μm) and strong hydrophobicity (water entry pressure ∼5 bar) are capable of resisting up to 1 bar of electrolyte overpressure during CO2RR without loss of selectivity. We rationalize these experimental results in the context of a double phase boundary reactivity, where an electrolyte layer covers the Cu catalyst and thus governs local CO2 availability. Our results emphasize the pivotal role of microstructure and hydrophobicity in promoting high C≥2 product selectivity and long-term stability in CO2RR flow cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Bernasconi
- Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology 8600 Dübendorf Switzerland
- ETH Zürich, Department of Materials 8093 Zürich Switzerland
| | - Alessandro Senocrate
- Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology 8600 Dübendorf Switzerland
- ETH Zürich, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering 8093 Zürich Switzerland
| | - Peter Kraus
- Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology 8600 Dübendorf Switzerland
| | - Corsin Battaglia
- Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology 8600 Dübendorf Switzerland
- ETH Zürich, Department of Materials 8093 Zürich Switzerland
- ETH Zürich, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering 8093 Zürich Switzerland
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50
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Zhang L, Feng J, Wu L, Ma X, Song X, Jia S, Tan X, Jin X, Zhu Q, Kang X, Ma J, Qian Q, Zheng L, Sun X, Han B. Oxophilicity-Controlled CO 2 Electroreduction to C 2+ Alcohols over Lewis Acid Metal-Doped Cu δ+ Catalysts. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:21945-21954. [PMID: 37751566 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c06697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Cu-based electrocatalysts have great potential for facilitating CO2 reduction to produce energy-intensive fuels and chemicals. However, it remains challenging to obtain high product selectivity due to the inevitable strong competition among various pathways. Here, we propose a strategy to regulate the adsorption of oxygen-associated active species on Cu by introducing an oxophilic metal, which can effectively improve the selectivity of C2+ alcohols. Theoretical calculations manifested that doping of Lewis acid metal Al into Cu can affect the C-O bond and Cu-C bond breaking toward the selectively determining intermediate (shared by ethanol and ethylene), thus prioritizing the ethanol pathway. Experimentally, the Al-doped Cu catalyst exhibited an outstanding C2+ Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 84.5% with remarkable stability. In particular, the C2+ alcohol FE could reach 55.2% with a partial current density of 354.2 mA cm-2 and a formation rate of 1066.8 μmol cm-2 h-1. A detailed experimental study revealed that Al doping improved the adsorption strength of active oxygen species on the Cu surface and stabilized the key intermediate *OC2H5, leading to high selectivity toward ethanol. Further investigation showed that this strategy could also be extended to other Lewis acid metals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libing Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jiaqi Feng
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Limin Wu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaodong Ma
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xinning Song
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shunhan Jia
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xingxing Tan
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiangyuan Jin
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qinggong Zhu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xinchen Kang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jun Ma
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Qingli Qian
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lirong Zheng
- Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaofu Sun
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Buxing Han
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
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