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Mao X, Bai X, Wu G, Qin Q, O'Mullane AP, Jiao Y, Du A. Electrochemical Reduction of N 2 to Ammonia Promoted by Hydrated Cation Ions: Mechanistic Insights from a Combined Computational and Experimental Study. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:18743-18752. [PMID: 38916520 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c06629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Alkali ions, major components at the electrode-electrolyte interface, are crucial to modulating reaction activity and selectivity of catalyst materials. However, the underlying mechanism of how the alkali ions catalyze the N2 reduction reaction (NRR) into ammonia remains elusive, posing challenges for experimentalists to select appropriate electrolyte solutions. In this work, by employing a combined experimental and computational approach, we proposed four essential roles of cation ions at Fe electrodes for N2 fixation: (i) promoting NN bond cleavage; (ii) stabilizing NRR intermediates; (iii) suppressing the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER); and (iv) modulating the interfacial charge distribution at the electrode-electrolyte interface. For N2 adsorption on an Fe electrode with cation ions, our constrained ab initio molecular dynamic (c-AIMD) results demonstrate a barrierless process, while an extra 0.52 eV barrier requires to be overcome to adsorb N2 for the pure Fe-water interface. For the formation of *NNH species within the N2 reduction process, the calculated free energy barrier is 0.50 eV at the Li+-Fe-water interface. However, the calculated barrier reaches 0.81 eV in pure Fe-water interface. Furthermore, experiments demonstrate a high Faradaic efficiency for ammonia synthesis on a Li+-Fe-water interface, reaching 27.93% at a working potential of -0.3 V vs RHE and pH = 6.8. These results emphasize how alkali metal cations and local reaction environments on the electrode surface play crucial roles in influencing the kinetics of interfacial reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Mao
- School of Chemistry and Physics and Centre for Material Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Gardens Point Campus, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Xiaowan Bai
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Guanzheng Wu
- The Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, The Key Laboratory of Electrochemical Clean Energy of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241002 China
| | - Qing Qin
- The Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, The Key Laboratory of Electrochemical Clean Energy of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241002 China
| | - Anthony P O'Mullane
- School of Chemistry and Physics and Centre for Material Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Gardens Point Campus, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Yan Jiao
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Aijun Du
- School of Chemistry and Physics and Centre for Material Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Gardens Point Campus, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
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2
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Fan J, Arrazolo LK, Du J, Xu H, Fang S, Liu Y, Wu Z, Kim JH, Wu X. Effects of Ionic Interferents on Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction: Mechanistic Insight. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38954631 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c03949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Nitrate, a prevalent water pollutant, poses substantial public health concerns and environmental risks. Electrochemical reduction of nitrate (eNO3RR) has emerged as an effective alternative to conventional biological treatments. While extensive lab work has focused on designing efficient electrocatalysts, implementation of eNO3RR in practical wastewater settings requires careful consideration of the effects of various constituents in real wastewater. In this critical review, we examine the interference of ionic species commonly encountered in electrocatalytic systems and universally present in wastewater, such as halogen ions, alkali metal cations, and other divalent/trivalent ions (Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3-/CO32-, SO42-, and PO43-). Notably, we categorize and discuss the interfering mechanisms into four groups: (1) loss of active catalytic sites caused by competitive adsorption and precipitation, (2) electrostatic interactions in the electric double layer (EDL), including ion pairs and the shielding effect, (3) effects on the selectivity of N intermediates and final products (N2 or NH3), and (4) complications by the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and localized pH on the cathode surface. Finally, we summarize the competition among different mechanisms and propose future directions for a deeper mechanistic understanding of ionic impacts on eNO3RR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinling Fan
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center of Industrial Boiler & Furnace Flue Gas Pollution Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Leslie K Arrazolo
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Jiaxin Du
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center of Industrial Boiler & Furnace Flue Gas Pollution Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Huimin Xu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center of Industrial Boiler & Furnace Flue Gas Pollution Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Siyu Fang
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center of Industrial Boiler & Furnace Flue Gas Pollution Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Liu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center of Industrial Boiler & Furnace Flue Gas Pollution Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhongbiao Wu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center of Industrial Boiler & Furnace Flue Gas Pollution Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Jae-Hong Kim
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Xuanhao Wu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center of Industrial Boiler & Furnace Flue Gas Pollution Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
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3
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Zeng M, Fang W, Cen Y, Zhang X, Hu Y, Xia BY. Reaction Environment Regulation for Electrocatalytic CO 2 Reduction in Acids. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202404574. [PMID: 38638104 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202404574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
The electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is a sustainable route for converting CO2 into value-added fuels and feedstocks, advancing a carbon-neutral economy. The electrolyte critically influences CO2 utilization, reaction rate and product selectivity. While typically conducted in neutral/alkaline aqueous electrolytes, the CO2RR faces challenges due to (bi)carbonate formation and its crossover to the anolyte, reducing efficiency and stability. Acidic media offer promise by suppressing these processes, but the low Faradaic efficiency, especially for multicarbon (C2+) products, and poor electrocatalyst stability persist. The effective regulation of the reaction environment at the cathode is essential to favor the CO2RR over the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and improve long-term stability. This review examines progress in the acidic CO2RR, focusing on reaction environment regulation strategies such as electrocatalyst design, electrode modification and electrolyte engineering to promote the CO2RR. Insights into the reaction mechanisms via in situ/operando techniques and theoretical calculations are discussed, along with critical challenges and future directions in acidic CO2RR technology, offering guidance for developing practical systems for the carbon-neutral community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zeng
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoelectronic Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Hubei University, 368 Youyi Road, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Wensheng Fang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology, Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry and Service Failure, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), 1037 Luoyu Rd, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Yiren Cen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoelectronic Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Hubei University, 368 Youyi Road, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Xinyi Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoelectronic Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Hubei University, 368 Youyi Road, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Yongming Hu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoelectronic Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Hubei University, 368 Youyi Road, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Bao Yu Xia
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology, Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry and Service Failure, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), 1037 Luoyu Rd, Wuhan, 430074, China
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4
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Ma M, Seger B. Rational Design of Local Reaction Environment for Electrocatalytic Conversion of CO 2 into Multicarbon Products. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202401185. [PMID: 38576259 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202401185] [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: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
The electrocatalytic conversion of CO2 into multi-carbon (C2+) products provides an attractive route for storing intermittent renewable electricity as fuels and feedstocks with high energy densities. Although substantial progress has been made in selective electrosynthesis of C2+ products via engineering the catalyst, rational design of the local reaction environment in the vicinity of catalyst surface also acts as an effective approach for further enhancing the performance. Here, we discuss recent advances and pertinent challenges in the modulation of local reaction environment, encompassing local pH, the choice of the species and concentrations of cations and anions as well as local reactant/intermediate concentrations, for achieving high C2+ selectivity. In addition, mechanistic understanding in the effects of the local reaction environment is also discussed. Particularly, the important progress extracted from in situ and operando spectroscopy techniques provides insights into how local reaction environment affects C-C coupling and key intermediates formation that lead to reaction pathways toward a desired C2+ product. The possible future direction in understanding and engineering the local reaction environment is also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Ma
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, People's Republic of China
| | - Brian Seger
- Surface Physics and Catalysis (Surfcat) Section, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
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Fu Z, Ouyang Y, Wu M, Ling C, Wang J. Mechanism of surface oxygen-containing species promoted electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2024; 69:1410-1417. [PMID: 38480022 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2024.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Oxygen-containing species have been demonstrated to play a key role in facilitating electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (CO2RR), particularly in enhancing the selectivity towards multi-carbon (C2+) products. However, the underlying promotion mechanism is still under debate, which greatly limits the rational optimization of the catalytic performance of CO2RR. Herein, taking CO2 and O2 co-electrolysis over Cu as the prototype, we successfully clarified how O2 boosts CO2RR from a new perspective by employing comprehensive theoretical simulations. Our results demonstrated that O2 in feed gas can be rapidly reduced into *OH, leading to the partial oxidation of Cu surface under reduction conditions. Surface *OH accelerates the formation of quasi-specifically adsorbed K+ due to the electrostatic interaction between *OH and K+ ions, which significantly increases the concentration of K+ near the Cu surface. These quasi-specifically adsorbed K+ ions can not only lower the C-C coupling barriers but also promote the hydrogenation of CO2 to improve the CO yield rate, which are responsible for the remarkably enhanced efficiency of C2+ products. During the whole process, O2 co-electrolysis plays an indispensable role in stabilizing surface *OH. This mechanism can be also adopted to understand the effect of high pH of electrolyte and residual O in oxide-derived Cu (OD-Cu) on the catalytic efficiency towards C2+ products. Therefore, our work provides new insights into strategies for improving C2+ products on the Cu-based catalysts, i.e., maintaining partial oxidation of surface under reduction conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhanzhao Fu
- Key Laboratory of Quantum Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, School of Physics, Southeast University, Nanjing 21189, China
| | - Yixin Ouyang
- Key Laboratory of Quantum Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, School of Physics, Southeast University, Nanjing 21189, China
| | - Mingliang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Quantum Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, School of Physics, Southeast University, Nanjing 21189, China
| | - Chongyi Ling
- Key Laboratory of Quantum Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, School of Physics, Southeast University, Nanjing 21189, China.
| | - Jinlan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Quantum Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, School of Physics, Southeast University, Nanjing 21189, China.
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6
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Ma X, Neek-Amal M, Sun C. Advances in Two-Dimensional Ion-Selective Membranes: Bridging Nanoscale Insights to Industrial-Scale Salinity Gradient Energy Harvesting. ACS NANO 2024; 18:12610-12638. [PMID: 38733357 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c11646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Salinity gradient energy, often referred to as the Gibbs free energy difference between saltwater and freshwater, is recognized as "blue energy" due to its inherent cleanliness, renewability, and continuous availability. Reverse electrodialysis (RED), relying on ion-selective membranes, stands as one of the most prevalent and promising methods for harnessing salinity gradient energy to generate electricity. Nevertheless, conventional RED membranes face challenges such as insufficient ion selectivity and transport rates and the difficulty of achieving the minimum commercial energy density threshold of 5 W/m2. In contrast, two-dimensional nanostructured materials, featuring nanoscale channels and abundant functional groups, offer a breakthrough by facilitating rapid ion transport and heightened selectivity. This comprehensive review delves into the mechanisms of osmotic power generation within a single nanopore and nanochannel, exploring optimal nanopore dimensions and nanochannel lengths. We subsequently examine the current landscape of power generation using two-dimensional nanostructured materials in laboratory-scale settings across various test areas. Furthermore, we address the notable decline in power density observed as test areas expand and propose essential criteria for the industrialization of two-dimensional ion-selective membranes. The review concludes with a forward-looking perspective, outlining future research directions, including scalable membrane fabrication, enhanced environmental adaptability, and integration into multiple industries. This review aims to bridge the gap between previous laboratory-scale investigations of two-dimensional ion-selective membranes in salinity gradient energy conversion and their potential large-scale industrial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, People's Republic of China
| | - Mehdi Neek-Amal
- Department of Physics, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran 1678815811, Iran
- Departement Fysica, Universiteit Antwerpen, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Chengzhen Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, People's Republic of China
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7
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Wu W, Xu L, Lu Q, Sun J, Xu Z, Song C, Yu JC, Wang Y. Addressing the Carbonate Issue: Electrocatalysts for Acidic CO 2 Reduction Reaction. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024:e2312894. [PMID: 38722084 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202312894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) powered by renewable energy provides a promising route to CO2 conversion and utilization. However, the widely used neutral/alkaline electrolyte consumes a large amount of CO2 to produce (bi)carbonate byproducts, leading to significant challenges at the device level, thereby impeding the further deployment of this reaction. Conducting CO2RR in acidic electrolytes offers a promising solution to address the "carbonate issue"; however, it presents inherent difficulties due to the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction, necessitating concerted efforts toward advanced catalyst and electrode designs to achieve high selectivity and activity. This review encompasses recent developments of acidic CO2RR, from mechanism elucidation to catalyst design and device engineering. This review begins by discussing the mechanistic understanding of the reaction pathway, laying the foundation for catalyst design in acidic CO2RR. Subsequently, an in-depth analysis of recent advancements in acidic CO2RR catalysts is provided, highlighting heterogeneous catalysts, surface immobilized molecular catalysts, and catalyst surface enhancement. Furthermore, the progress made in device-level applications is summarized, aiming to develop high-performance acidic CO2RR systems. Finally, the existing challenges and future directions in the design of acidic CO2RR catalysts are outlined, emphasizing the need for improved selectivity, activity, stability, and scalability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weixing Wu
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S. A. R., China
| | - Liangpang Xu
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S. A. R., China
| | - Qian Lu
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S. A. R., China
| | - Jiping Sun
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S. A. R., China
| | - Zhanyou Xu
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S. A. R., China
| | - Chunshan Song
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S. A. R., China
| | - Jimmy C Yu
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S. A. R., China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S. A. R., China
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8
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Ji K, Liu Y, Wang Y, Kong K, Li J, Liu X, Duan H. Steering Selectivity in Electrocatalytic Furfural Reduction via Electrode-Electrolyte Interface Modification. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:11876-11886. [PMID: 38626315 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c00818] [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
Electrocatalytic reduction of biomass-derived furfural (FF) represents a sustainable route to produce furfuryl alcohol (FA) and 2-methylfuran (MF) as a value-added chemical and a biofuel, respectively. However, achieving high selectivity for MF as well as tuning the selectivity between FA and MF within one reaction system remain challenging. Herein, we have reported an electrode-electrolyte interface modification strategy, enabling FA and MF selectivity steering under the same reaction conditions. Specifically, by modifying copper (Cu) electrocatalysts with butyl trimethylammonium bromide (BTAB), we achieved a dramatic shift in selectivity from producing FA (selectivity: 83.8%; Faradaic efficiency, FE: 68.9%) to MF (selectivity: 80.1%; FE: 74.8%). We demonstrated that BTAB adsorption over Cu modulates the electrical double layer (EDL) structure, which repels interfacial water and weakens the hydrogen-bond (H-bond) network for proton transfer, thus impeding FF-to-FA conversion by suppression of the hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) process. On the contrary, FF-to-MF conversion was less affected. This work shows the potential of engineering of the electrode-electrolyte interface for selectivity control in electrocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyue Ji
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yuanbo Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ye Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Kejian Kong
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xiang Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Haohong Duan
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Qingyuan Innovation Laboratory, Quanzhou 362801, China
- Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials, (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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9
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Hsu YS, Rathnayake ST, Waegele MM. Cation effects in hydrogen evolution and CO2-to-CO conversion: A critical perspective. J Chem Phys 2024; 160:160901. [PMID: 38651806 DOI: 10.1063/5.0201751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The rates of many electrocatalytic reactions can be strongly affected by the structure and dynamics of the electrochemical double layer, which in turn can be tuned by the concentration and identity of the supporting electrolyte's cation. The effect of cations on an electrocatalytic process depends on a complex interplay between electrolyte components, electrode material and surface structure, applied electrode potential, and reaction intermediates. Although cation effects remain insufficiently understood, the principal mechanisms underlying cation-dependent reactivity and selectivity are beginning to emerge. In this Perspective, we summarize and critically examine recent advances in this area in the context of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and CO2-to-CO conversion, which are among the most intensively studied and promising electrocatalytic reactions for the sustainable production of commodity chemicals and fuels. Improving the kinetics of the HER in base and enabling energetically efficient and selective CO2 reduction at low pH are key challenges in electrocatalysis. The physical insights from the recent literature illustrate how cation effects can be utilized to help achieve these goals and to steer other electrocatalytic processes of technological relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Shen Hsu
- Department of Chemistry, Merkert Chemistry Center, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, USA
| | - Sachinthya T Rathnayake
- Department of Chemistry, Merkert Chemistry Center, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, USA
| | - Matthias M Waegele
- Department of Chemistry, Merkert Chemistry Center, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, USA
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10
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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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Baidoun R, Liu G, Kim D. Recent advances in the role of interfacial liquids in electrochemical reactions. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:5903-5925. [PMID: 38440946 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr06092f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
The interfacial liquid, situated in proximity to an electrode or catalyst, plays a vital role in determining the activity and selectivity of crucial electrochemical reactions, including hydrogen evolution, oxygen evolution/reduction, and carbon dioxide reduction. Thus, there has been a growing interest in better understanding the behavior and the catalytic effect of its constituents. This minireview examines the impact of interfacial liquids on electrocatalysis, specifically the effects of water molecules and ionic species present at the interface. How the structure of interfacial water, distinct from the bulk, can affect charge transfer kinetics and transport of species is presented. Furthermore, how cations and anions (de)stabilize intermediates and transition states, compete for adsorption with reaction species, and act as local environment modifiers including pH and the surrounding solvent structure are described in detail. These effects can promote or inhibit reactions in various ways. This comprehensive exploration provides valuable insights for tailoring interfacial liquids to optimize electrochemical reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rani Baidoun
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Gexu Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Dohyung Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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12
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Shen L, Goyal A, Chen X, Koper MTM. Cation Effects on Hydrogen Oxidation Reaction on Pt Single-Crystal Electrodes in Alkaline Media. J Phys Chem Lett 2024; 15:2911-2915. [PMID: 38451074 PMCID: PMC10945570 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c00292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
The exact mechanism behind the cation-assisted hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) on platinum electrodes in alkaline media remains disputed. We show that the cation effects at platinum display a remarkable structure sensitivity: not only the H adsorption but also the HOR activity on (111) terrace sites are independent of the nature of cation and cation concentration. On (110) step sites, at low cation concentration and mildly alkaline media, cations promote the HOR, whereas at more alkaline pH and consequently higher near-surface cation concentrations, the HOR is inhibition by the cations. Moreover, the role of the cation on terrace-OHad is different from that on step-OHad, as can also be observed from the inhibition of the HOR current by terrace-OHad at higher potentials. These results suggest that near the onset potential, HOR mainly takes place on steps, but under diffusion-limited conditions at higher overpotential, HOR mainly takes place on terraces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linfan Shen
- Leiden
Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, PO Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Akansha Goyal
- Leiden
Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, PO Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Xiaoting Chen
- Leiden
Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, PO Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing
Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China
| | - Marc T. M. Koper
- Leiden
Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, PO Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
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13
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Hou J, Xu B, Lu Q. Influence of electric double layer rigidity on CO adsorption and electroreduction rate. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1926. [PMID: 38431637 PMCID: PMC10908862 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46318-4] [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: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the structure of the electric double layer (EDL) is critical for designing efficient electrocatalytic processes. However, the interplay between reactant adsorbates and the concentrated ionic species within the EDL remains an aspect that has yet to be fully explored. In the present study, we employ electrochemical CO reduction on Cu as a model reaction to reveal the significant impact of EDL structure on CO adsorption. By altering the sequence of applying negative potential and elevating CO pressure, we discern two distinct EDL structures with varying cation density and CO coverage. Our findings demonstrate that the EDL comprising densely packed cations substantially hinders CO adsorption on the Cu as opposed to the EDL containing less compact cations. These two different EDL structures remained stable over the course of our experiments, despite their identical initial and final conditions, suggesting an insurmountable kinetic barrier present in between. Moreover, we show that the size and identity of cations play decisive roles in determining the properties of the EDL in CO electroreduction on Cu. This study presents a refined adaptation of the classical Gouy-Chapman-Stern model and highlights its catalytic importance, which bridges the mechanistic gap between the EDL structure and cathodic reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajie Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Bingjun Xu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.
| | - Qi Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China.
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14
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Liu H, Yan T, Tan S, Sun L, Zhang Z, Hu S, Li SH, Kang X, Lei Y, Jiang L, Hou T, Liu L, Yu Q, Liu B. Observation on Microenvironment Changes of Dynamic Catalysts in Acidic CO 2 Reduction. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:5333-5342. [PMID: 38369932 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c12321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) in acid can solve alkalinity issues while highly corrosive and reductive acidic electrolytes usually cause catalyst degradation. Inhibiting catalyst degradation is crucial for the stability of acidic CO2RR. Here, we reveal the microenvironment changes of dynamic Bi-based catalysts and develop a pulse chronoamperometry (CA) strategy to improve the stability of acidic CO2RR. In situ fluorescence mappings show that the local pH changes from neutral to acid, and the in situ Raman spectra reveal the dynamic evolution of interfacial water structures in the microenvironment. We propose that the surface charge properties of dynamic catalysts affect the competitive adsorption of K+ and protons, thereby causing the differences in local pH and CO2RR intermediate adsorption. We also develop a pulse CA strategy to reactivate catalysts, and the stability of acidic CO2RR is improved by 2 orders of magnitude for 100 h operation, which is higher than most reports on the stability of acidic CO2RR. This work gives insights on how microenvironment changes affecting the stability of acidic CO2RR, and provides guidance for designing stable catalysts in acidic electrolytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heming Liu
- Shenzhen Geim Graphene Center, Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute & Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
| | - Tian Yan
- Institute of Materials Research, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
| | - Shendong Tan
- Institute of Materials Research, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
| | - Linxuan Sun
- Institute of Materials Research, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
- Center of Double Helix, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
| | - Zhiyuan Zhang
- Shenzhen Geim Graphene Center, Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute & Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
| | - Shuqi Hu
- Shenzhen Geim Graphene Center, Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute & Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
| | - Shao-Hai Li
- Shenzhen Geim Graphene Center, Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute & Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
| | - Xin Kang
- Shenzhen Geim Graphene Center, Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute & Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
| | - Yu Lei
- Institute of Materials Research, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
- Center of Double Helix, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
| | - Lu Jiang
- Watt Lab, Central Research Institute, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518129, P. R. China
| | - Tingzheng Hou
- Institute of Materials Research, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
| | - Le Liu
- Institute of Materials Research, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
| | - Qiangmin Yu
- Shenzhen Geim Graphene Center, Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute & Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
- Institute of Materials Research, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
| | - Bilu Liu
- Shenzhen Geim Graphene Center, Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute & Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
- Institute of Materials Research, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
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15
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Mao X, He T, Kour G, Yin H, Ling C, Gao G, Jin Y, Liu Q, O'Mullane AP, Du A. Computational electrocatalysis beyond conventional hydrogen electrode model: CO 2 reduction to C 2 species on copper facilitated by dynamically formed solvent halide ions at the solid-liquid interface. Chem Sci 2024; 15:3330-3338. [PMID: 38425530 PMCID: PMC10901514 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc06471a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The reduction of CO2 into value-added chemicals and fuels has been actively studied as a promising strategy for mitigating carbon dioxide emissions. However, the dilemma for the experimentalist in choosing an appropriate reaction medium and neglecting the effect of solvent ions when using a simple thermochemical model, normally leads to the disagreement between experimental observations and theoretical calculations. In this work, by considering the effects of both the anion and cation, a more realistic CO2 reduction environment at the solid-liquid interface between copper and solvent ions has been systematically studied by using ab initio molecular dynamics and density functional theory. We revealed that the co-occurrence of alkali ions (K+) and halide ions (F-, Cl-, Br-, and I-) in the electric double layer (EDL) can enhance the adsorption of CO2 by more than 0.45 eV compared to that in pure water, and the calculated energy barrier for CO-CO coupling also decreases 0.32 eV in the presence of I ion on a negatively charged copper electrode. The hydrated ions can modulate the distribution of the charge near the solid-liquid interface, which significantly promotes CO2 reduction and meanwhile impedes the hydrogen evolution reaction. Therefore, our work unveils the significant role of halide ions at the electrode-electrolyte interface for promoting CO2 reduction on copper electrode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Mao
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Centre for Material Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Gardens Point Campus Brisbane QLD 4001 Australia
| | - Tianwei He
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Micro/Nano Materials & Technology, National Center for International Research on Photoelectric and Energy Materials, School of Materials and Energy, Yunnan University Kunming 650091 China
| | - Gurpreet Kour
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Centre for Material Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Gardens Point Campus Brisbane QLD 4001 Australia
| | - Hanqing Yin
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Centre for Material Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Gardens Point Campus Brisbane QLD 4001 Australia
| | - Chongyi Ling
- School of Physics, Southeast University Nanjing 211189 China
| | - Guoping Gao
- MOE Key Lab for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University Xi'an 710049 China
| | - Yonggang Jin
- CSIRO Mineral Resources 1 Technology Court Pullenvale QLD 4069 Australia
| | - Qingju Liu
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Micro/Nano Materials & Technology, National Center for International Research on Photoelectric and Energy Materials, School of Materials and Energy, Yunnan University Kunming 650091 China
| | - Anthony P O'Mullane
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Centre for Material Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Gardens Point Campus Brisbane QLD 4001 Australia
| | - Aijun Du
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Centre for Material Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Gardens Point Campus Brisbane QLD 4001 Australia
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16
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Wang B, Wang M, Fan Z, Ma C, Xi S, Chang LY, Zhang M, Ling N, Mi Z, Chen S, Leow WR, Zhang J, Wang D, Lum Y. Nanocurvature-induced field effects enable control over the activity of single-atom electrocatalysts. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1719. [PMID: 38409205 PMCID: PMC10897157 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46175-1] [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: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Tuning interfacial electric fields provides a powerful means to control electrocatalyst activity. Importantly, electric fields can modify adsorbate binding energies based on their polarizability and dipole moment, and hence operate independently of scaling relations that fundamentally limit performance. However, implementation of such a strategy remains challenging because typical methods modify the electric field non-uniformly and affects only a minority of active sites. Here we discover that uniformly tunable electric field modulation can be achieved using a model system of single-atom catalysts (SACs). These consist of M-N4 active sites hosted on a series of spherical carbon supports with varying degrees of nanocurvature. Using in-situ Raman spectroscopy with a Stark shift reporter, we demonstrate that a larger nanocurvature induces a stronger electric field. We show that this strategy is effective over a broad range of SAC systems and electrocatalytic reactions. For instance, Ni SACs with optimized nanocurvature achieved a high CO partial current density of ~400 mA cm-2 at >99% Faradaic efficiency for CO2 reduction in acidic media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingqing Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117585, Republic of Singapore
| | - Meng Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117585, Republic of Singapore
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 2 Fusionopolis Way, Innovis #08-03, Singapore, 138634, Republic of Singapore
| | - Ziting Fan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117585, Republic of Singapore
| | - Chao Ma
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Tsinghua, China
| | - Shibo Xi
- Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment (ISCE2), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 1 Pesek Road, Singapore, 627833, Republic of Singapore
| | - Lo-Yueh Chang
- National Synchrotron Radiation Research Centre, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Mingsheng Zhang
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 2 Fusionopolis Way, Innovis #08-03, Singapore, 138634, Republic of Singapore
| | - Ning Ling
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117585, Republic of Singapore
| | - Ziyu Mi
- Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment (ISCE2), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 1 Pesek Road, Singapore, 627833, Republic of Singapore
| | - Shenghua Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Tsinghua, China
| | - Wan Ru Leow
- Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment (ISCE2), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 1 Pesek Road, Singapore, 627833, Republic of Singapore
| | - Jia Zhang
- Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC), Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), 1 Fusionopolis Way, #16-16 Connexis, Singapore, 138632, Republic of Singapore
| | - Dingsheng Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Tsinghua, China
| | - Yanwei Lum
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117585, Republic of Singapore.
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 2 Fusionopolis Way, Innovis #08-03, Singapore, 138634, Republic of Singapore.
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17
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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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18
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Vichou E, Adjez Y, Li Y, Gómez-Mingot M, Fontecave M, Sánchez-Sánchez CM. Smart Electrode Surfaces by Electrolyte Immobilization for Electrocatalytic CO 2 Conversion. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:2824-2834. [PMID: 38240579 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c13315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
The activity and selectivity of molecular catalysts for the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) are influenced by the induced electric field at the electrode/electrolyte interface. We present here a novel electrolyte immobilization method to control the electric field at this interface by positively charging the electrode surface with an imidazolium cation organic layer, which significantly favors CO2 conversion to formate, suppresses hydrogen evolution reaction, and diminishes the operating cell voltage. Those results are well supported by our previous DFT calculations studying the mechanistic role of imidazolium cations in solution for CO2 reduction to formate catalyzed by a model molecular catalyst. This smart electrode surface concept based on covalent grafting of imidazolium on a carbon electrode is successfully scaled up for operating at industrially relevant conditions (100 mA cm-2) on an imidazolium-modified carbon-based gas diffusion electrode using a flow cell configuration, where the CO2 conversion to formate process takes place in acidic aqueous solution to avoid carbonate formation and is catalyzed by a model molecular Rh complex in solution. The formate production rate reaches a maximum of 4.6 gHCOO- m-2 min-1 after accumulating a total of 9000 C of charge circulated on the same electrode. Constant formate production and no significant microscopic changes on the imidazolium-modified cathode in consecutive long-term CO2 electrolysis confirmed the high stability of the imidazolium organic layer under operating conditions for CO2RR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elli Vichou
- Laboratoire de Chimie des Processus Biologiques, Collège de France, UMR 8229 CNRS, Sorbonne Université, PSL Research University, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire Interfaces et Systèmes Electrochimiques, LISE, 4 Place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Yanis Adjez
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire Interfaces et Systèmes Electrochimiques, LISE, 4 Place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Yun Li
- Laboratoire de Chimie des Processus Biologiques, Collège de France, UMR 8229 CNRS, Sorbonne Université, PSL Research University, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Maria Gómez-Mingot
- Laboratoire de Chimie des Processus Biologiques, Collège de France, UMR 8229 CNRS, Sorbonne Université, PSL Research University, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Marc Fontecave
- Laboratoire de Chimie des Processus Biologiques, Collège de France, UMR 8229 CNRS, Sorbonne Université, PSL Research University, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Carlos M Sánchez-Sánchez
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire Interfaces et Systèmes Electrochimiques, LISE, 4 Place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
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19
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Xu P, Wang R, Zhang H, Carnevale V, Borguet E, Suntivich J. Cation Modifies Interfacial Water Structures on Platinum during Alkaline Hydrogen Electrocatalysis. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:2426-2434. [PMID: 38228289 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c09128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
The molecular details of an electrocatalytic interface play an essential role in the production of sustainable fuels and value-added chemicals. Many electrochemical reactions exhibit strong cation-dependent activities, but how cations affect reaction kinetics is still elusive. We report the effect of cations (K+, Li+, and Ba2+) on the interfacial water structure using second-harmonic generation (SHG) and classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The second- (χH2O(2)) and third-order (χH2O(3)) optical susceptibilities of water on Pt are smaller in the presence of Ba2+ compared to those of K+, suggesting that cations can affect the interfacial water orientation. MD simulation reproduces experimental SHG observations and further shows that the competition between cation hydration and interfacial water alignment governs the net water orientation. The impact of cations on interfacial water supports a cation hydration-mediated mechanism for hydrogen electrocatalysis; i.e., the reaction occurs via water dissociation followed by cation-assisted hydroxide/water exchange on Pt. Our study highlights the role of interfacial water in electrocatalysis and how innocent additives (such as cations) can affect the local electrochemical environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengtao Xu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, United States
| | - Ruiyu Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States
- Center for Complex Materials from First-Principles (CCM), Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States
| | - Haojian Zhang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, United States
| | - Vincenzo Carnevale
- Institute for Computational Molecular Science, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States
| | - Eric Borguet
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States
- Center for Complex Materials from First-Principles (CCM), Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States
| | - Jin Suntivich
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, United States
- Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, United States
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20
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Wang Y, Zhang X, Lin H. Effects of pH on simultaneous Cr(VI) and p-chlorophenol removal and electrochemical performance in Leersia hexandra constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY 2024; 45:483-494. [PMID: 35971904 DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2022.2113918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cr(VI) and p-chlorophenol (4-CP) are common pollutants in the aquatic environment but are difficult to degrade and have complex toxic effects. A downflow Leersia hexandra microbial fuel cell (DLCW-MFC) system was constructed to purify Cr(VI) and 4-CP polluted wastewater, as well as to investigate the effects of different pHs on Cr(VI) and 4-CP removal, electrochemical performance, physiological and biochemical responses, and Cr enrichment status of L. hexandra. The results showed that the DLCW-MFC had the highest Cr(VI) and 4-CP removal rates at pH 6.5, which were 99.0% and 78.6%, respectively. At the same time, 543 mV output voltage and 72.25 mW/m2 power density of the system were generated at pH 6.5, which were better than those at pH 7.4 and pH 5.8. The electrochemical performance result showed that pH 6.5 enhanced charge transfer ability and ion diffusion ability of the system. pH 6.5 also promoted growth and photosynthesis, and enhanced the Cr enrichment capacity (4.56 mg/10 plants) of L. hexandra. These results demonstrate that pH 6.5 was the optimum pH for the DLCW-MFC synchronous treatment of Cr(VI) and 4-CP as well as the generation of electricity. The DLCW-MFC designed in this study will provide a reference for purifying polluted wastewater and generating electricity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yian Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, People's Republic of China
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Areas, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuehong Zhang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, People's Republic of China
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Areas, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, People's Republic of China
| | - Hua Lin
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, People's Republic of China
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Safety in Karst Areas, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, People's Republic of China
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21
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Tran B, Zhou Y, Janik MJ, Milner ST. Negative Dielectric Constant of Water at a Metal Interface. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 131:248001. [PMID: 38181128 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.131.248001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
Water polarizability at a metal interface plays an essential role in electrochemistry. We devise a classical molecular dynamics approach with an efficient description of metal polarization and a novel ac field method to measure the local dielectric response of interfacial water. Water adlayers next to the metal surface exhibit higher-than-bulk in-plane and negative out-of-plane dielectric constants, the latter corresponding physically to overscreening of the applied field. If we account for the gap region at the interface, the average out-of-plane dielectric constant is quite low (ε_{⊥}≈2), in agreement with reported measurements on confined thin films.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bolton Tran
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Yuxing Zhou
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Michael J Janik
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Scott T Milner
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
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22
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Wan M, Yang Z, Morgan H, Shi J, Shi F, Liu M, Wong HW, Gu Z, Che F. Enhanced CO 2 Reactive Capture and Conversion Using Aminothiolate Ligand-Metal Interface. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:26038-26051. [PMID: 37973169 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c06888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Metallic catalyst modification by organic ligands is an emerging catalyst design in enhancing the activity and selectivity of electrocatalytic carbon dioxide (CO2) reactive capture and reduction to value-added fuels. However, a lack of fundamental science on how these ligand-metal interfaces interact with CO2 and key intermediates under working conditions has resulted in a trial-and-error approach for experimental designs. With the aid of density functional theory calculations, we provided a comprehensive mechanism study of CO2 reduction to multicarbon products over aminothiolate-coated copper (Cu) catalysts. Our results indicate that the CO2 reduction performance was closely related to the alkyl chain length, ligand coverage, ligand configuration, and Cu facet. The aminothiolate ligand-Cu interface significantly promoted initial CO2 activation and lowered the activation barrier of carbon-carbon coupling through the organic (nitrogen (N)) and inorganic (Cu) interfacial active sites. Experimentally, the selectivity and partial current density of the multicarbon products over aminothiolate-coated Cu increased by 1.5-fold and 2-fold, respectively, as compared to the pristine Cu at -1.16 VRHE, consistent with our theoretical findings. This work highlights the promising strategy of designing the ligand-metal interface for CO2 reactive capture and conversion to multicarbon products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyu Wan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, United States
| | - Zhengyang Yang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, United States
| | - Heba Morgan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, United States
| | - Jinquan Shi
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
- Energy Sciences Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Fan Shi
- National Energy Technology Laboratory, P.O. Box 10940, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15236, United States
| | - Mengxia Liu
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
- Energy Sciences Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Hsi-Wu Wong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, United States
| | - Zhiyong Gu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, United States
| | - Fanglin Che
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, United States
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23
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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: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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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24
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Chen C, Li L, Long Z, Liang Q. Trace Sc 3+-electrolyte additive enabling stable Zn metal anodes for aqueous zinc-ion batteries. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023; 59:13363-13366. [PMID: 37874171 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc04476a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Trace Sc3+ additive (1.0 mol%) is shown to greatly improve the Coulombic efficiency and cycling stability of Zn metal anodes in aqueous ZnSO4 electrolyte due to the decreased nucleation overpotential and increased kinetics for Zn plating/stripping. Both Zn‖Zn and Zn‖V2O5 cells show enhanced cycling stability and rate capability in the Sc3+-modified electrolyte.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Chen
- School of Rare Earth, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Rare Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, P. R. China
- Ganjiang Innovation Academy, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000, P. R. China.
| | - Liansheng Li
- Key Laboratory of Rare Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, P. R. China
- Ganjiang Innovation Academy, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000, P. R. China.
| | - Zuxin Long
- Key Laboratory of Rare Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, P. R. China
- Ganjiang Innovation Academy, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000, P. R. China.
| | - Qinghua Liang
- School of Rare Earth, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Rare Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, P. R. China
- Ganjiang Innovation Academy, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000, P. R. China.
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25
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Jiang Z, Clavaguéra C, Hu C, Denisov SA, Shen S, Hu F, Ma J, Mostafavi M. Direct time-resolved observation of surface-bound carbon dioxide radical anions on metallic nanocatalysts. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7116. [PMID: 37932333 PMCID: PMC10628153 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42936-6] [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: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Time-resolved identification of surface-bound intermediates on metallic nanocatalysts is imperative to develop an accurate understanding of the elementary steps of CO2 reduction. Direct observation on initial electron transfer to CO2 to form surface-bound CO2•- radicals is lacking due to the technical challenges. Here, we use picosecond pulse radiolysis to generate CO2•- via aqueous electron attachment and observe the stabilization processes toward well-defined nanoscale metallic sites. The time-resolved method combined with molecular simulations identifies surface-bound intermediates with characteristic transient absorption bands and distinct kinetics from nanosecond to the second timescale for three typical metallic nanocatalysts: Cu, Au, and Ni. The interfacial interactions are further investigated by varying the important factors, such as catalyst size and the presence of cation in the electrolyte. This work highlights fundamental ultrafast spectroscopy to clarify the critical initial step in the CO2 catalytic reduction mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwen Jiang
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, P. R. China
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut de Chimie Physique, 91405, Orsay, France
| | - Carine Clavaguéra
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut de Chimie Physique, 91405, Orsay, France
| | - Changjiang Hu
- Department of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 211106, Nanjing, P. R. China
| | - Sergey A Denisov
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut de Chimie Physique, 91405, Orsay, France
| | - Shuning Shen
- Department of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 211106, Nanjing, P. R. China
| | - Feng Hu
- Department of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 211106, Nanjing, P. R. China
| | - Jun Ma
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, P. R. China.
| | - Mehran Mostafavi
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut de Chimie Physique, 91405, Orsay, France.
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26
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Zhao H, Lv X, Wang Y. Realistic Modeling of the Electrocatalytic Process at Complex Solid-Liquid Interface. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2303677. [PMID: 37749877 PMCID: PMC10646274 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202303677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
The rational design of electrocatalysis has emerged as one of the most thriving means for mitigating energy and environmental crises. The key to this effort is the understanding of the complex electrochemical interface, wherein the electrode potential as well as various internal factors such as H-bond network, adsorbate coverage, and dynamic behavior of the interface collectively contribute to the electrocatalytic activity and selectivity. In this context, the authors have reviewed recent theoretical advances, and especially, the contributions to modeling the realistic electrocatalytic processes at complex electrochemical interfaces, and illustrated the challenges and fundamental problems in this field. Specifically, the significance of the inclusion of explicit solvation and electrode potential as well as the strategies toward the design of highly efficient electrocatalysts are discussed. The structure-activity relationships and their dynamic responses to the environment and catalytic functionality under working conditions are illustrated to be crucial factors for understanding the complexed interface and the electrocatalytic activities. It is hoped that this review can help spark new research passion and ultimately bring a step closer to a realistic and systematic modeling method for electrocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyan Zhao
- Department of Chemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of CatalysisSouthern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhenGuangdong518055China
| | - Xinmao Lv
- Department of Chemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of CatalysisSouthern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhenGuangdong518055China
| | - Yang‐Gang Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of CatalysisSouthern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhenGuangdong518055China
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27
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Kamat GA, Burke Stevens M. Electrolyte type affects electrochemical bubble formation. Nat Chem 2023; 15:1488-1489. [PMID: 37872420 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-023-01351-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gaurav Ashish Kamat
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Michaela Burke Stevens
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA.
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28
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Khani H, Puente Santiago AR, He T. An Interfacial View of Cation Effects on Electrocatalysis Systems. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202306103. [PMID: 37490318 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202306103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
The identity of alkali metal cations in the electrolyte of electrocatalysis systems has been recently introduced as a crucial factor to tailor the kinetics and Faradaic efficiency of many electrocatalytic reactions. In this Minireview, we have summarized the recent advances in the molecular-level understanding of cation effects on relevant electrocatalytic processes such as hydrogen evolution (HER), oxygen evolution (OER), and CO2 electroreduction (CO2 RR) reactions. The discussion covers the effects of electrolyte cations on interfacial electric fields, structural organization of interfacial water molecules, blocking the catalytic active sites, stabilization or destabilization of intermediates, and interfacial pHs. These cation-induced interfacial phenomena have been reported to impact the performance (activity, selectivity, and stability) of electrochemical reactions collaboratively or independently. We describe that although there is almost a general agreement on the relationship between the size of alkali cations and the activities of HER, OER, and CO2 RR, however, the mechanism by which the performance of these electrocatalytic reactions is influenced by alkali metal cations is still in debate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadi Khani
- Texas Materials Institute and Materials Science and Engineering Program, The, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Alain R Puente Santiago
- Texas Materials Institute and Materials Science and Engineering Program, The, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Tianwei He
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Micro/Nano Materials & Technology, National Center for International Research on Photoelectric and Energy Materials, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
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29
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Li P, Jiao Y, Huang J, Chen S. Electric Double Layer Effects in Electrocatalysis: Insights from Ab Initio Simulation and Hierarchical Continuum Modeling. JACS AU 2023; 3:2640-2659. [PMID: 37885580 PMCID: PMC10598835 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Structures of the electric double layer (EDL) at electrocatalytic interfaces, which are modulated by the material properties, the electrolyte characteristics (e.g., the pH, the types and concentrations of ions), and the electrode potential, play crucial roles in the reaction kinetics. Understanding the EDL effects in electrocatalysis has attracted substantial research interest in recent years. However, the intrinsic relationships between the specific EDL structures and electrocatalytic kinetics remain poorly understood, especially on the atomic scale. In this Perspective, we briefly review the recent advances in deciphering the EDL effects mainly in hydrogen and oxygen electrocatalysis through a multiscale approach, spanning from the atomistic scale simulated by ab initio methods to the macroscale by a hierarchical approach. We highlight the importance of resolving the local reaction environment, especially the local hydrogen bond network, in understanding EDL effects. Finally, some of the remaining challenges are outlined, and an outlook for future developments in these exciting frontiers is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Li
- Hubei
Key Laboratory of Electrochemical Power Sources, College of Chemistry
and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yuzhou Jiao
- Hubei
Key Laboratory of Electrochemical Power Sources, College of Chemistry
and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Jun Huang
- Institute
of Energy and Climate Research, IEK-13: Theory and Computation of
Energy Materials, Forschungszentrum Jülich
GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Theory
of Electrocatalytic Interfaces, Faculty of Georesources and Materials
Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, 52062 Aachen, Germany
| | - Shengli Chen
- Hubei
Key Laboratory of Electrochemical Power Sources, College of Chemistry
and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
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30
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Ostervold L, Smerigan A, Liu MJ, Filardi LR, Vila FD, Perez-Aguilar JE, Hong J, Tarpeh WA, Hoffman AS, Greenlee LF, Clark EL, Janik MJ, Bare SR. Cation Incorporation into Copper Oxide Lattice at Highly Oxidizing Potentials. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:47025-47036. [PMID: 37756387 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c10296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Electrolyte cations can have significant effects on the kinetics and selectivity of electrocatalytic reactions. We show an atypical mechanism through which electrolyte cations can impact electrocatalyst performance─direct incorporation of the cation into the oxide electrocatalyst lattice. We investigate the transformations of copper electrodes in alkaline electrochemistry through operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy in KOH and Ba(OH)2 electrolytes. In KOH electrolytes, both the near-edge structure and extended fine-structure agree with previous studies; however, the X-ray absorption spectra vary greatly in Ba(OH)2 electrolytes. Through a combination of electronic structure modeling, near-edge simulation, and postreaction characterization, we propose that Ba2+ cations are directly incorporated into the lattice and form an ordered BaCuO2 phase at potentials more oxidizing than 200 mV vs the normal hydrogen electrode (NHE). BaCuO2 formation is followed by further oxidation to a bulk Cu3+-like BaxCuyOz phase at 900 mV vs NHE. Additionally, during reduction in Ba(OH)2 electrolyte, we find both Cu-O bonds and Cu-Ba scattering persist at potentials as low as -400 mV vs NHE. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence for direct oxidative incorporation of an electrolyte cation into the bulk lattice to form a mixed oxide electrode. The oxidative incorporation of electrolyte cations to form mixed oxides could open a new route for the in situ formation of active and selective oxidation electrocatalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Ostervold
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Adam Smerigan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Matthew J Liu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Leah R Filardi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Fernando D Vila
- Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Jorge E Perez-Aguilar
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Jiyun Hong
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - William A Tarpeh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Adam S Hoffman
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Lauren F Greenlee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Ezra Lee Clark
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Michael J Janik
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Simon R Bare
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
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31
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Ye C, Dattila F, Chen X, López N, Koper MTM. Influence of Cations on HCOOH and CO Formation during CO 2 Reduction on a Pd MLPt(111) Electrode. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:19601-19610. [PMID: 37651736 PMCID: PMC10510319 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c03786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the role of cations in the electrochemical CO2 reduction (CO2RR) process is of fundamental importance for practical application. In this work, we investigate how cations influence HCOOH and CO formation on PdMLPt(111) in pH 3 electrolytes. While only (a small amount of adsorbed) CO forms on PdMLPt(111) in the absence of metal cations, the onset potential of HCOOH and CO decreases with increasing cation concentrations. The cation effect is stronger on HCOOH formation than that on CO formation on PdMLPt(111). Density functional theory simulations indicate that cations facilitate both hydride formation and CO2 activation by polarizing the electronic density at the surface and stabilizing *CO2-. Although the upshift of the metal work function caused by high coverage of adsorbates limits hydride formation, the cation-induced electric field counterbalances this effect in the case of *H species, sustaining HCOOH production at mild negative potentials. Instead, at the high *CO coverages observed at very negative potentials, surface hydrides do not form, preventing the HCOOH route both in the absence and presence of cations. Our results open the way for a consistent evaluation of cationic electrolyte effects on both activity and selectivity in CO2RR on Pd-Pt catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunmiao Ye
- Leiden
Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Federico Dattila
- Institute
of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ-CERCA), The Barcelona Institute
of Science and Technology (BIST), 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Xiaoting Chen
- Leiden
Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Núria López
- Institute
of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ-CERCA), The Barcelona Institute
of Science and Technology (BIST), 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Marc T. M. Koper
- Leiden
Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
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32
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Le JB, Chen A, Kuang Y, Cheng J. Molecular understanding of cation effects on double layers and their significance to CO-CO dimerization. Natl Sci Rev 2023; 10:nwad105. [PMID: 37842071 PMCID: PMC10575609 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwad105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Cation effects have been shown in numerous experiments to play a significant role in electrocatalysis. To understand these effects at the molecular level, we systematically investigate the structures and capacitances of electric double layers with a variety of cations as counter charges at Pt(111)-COad/water interfaces with ab initio molecular dynamics. It is encouraging to find that the computed Helmholtz capacitances for different cations are in quantitative agreement with experiments, and that the trend of cation effects on capacitances shows clear correlation with the structures of interface cations of differing sizes and hydration energies. More importantly, we demonstrate the Helmholtz capacitance as the key descriptor for measuring the activity of CO-CO dimerization, the rate-determining step for C2+ formation in electroreduction of CO and CO2. Our work provides atomistic insights into cation effects on electric double layers and electrocatalysis that are crucial for optimizing electrode and electrolyte materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Bo Le
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers Technology of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China
| | - Ao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, iChEM, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Yongbo Kuang
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers Technology of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China
| | - Jun Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, iChEM, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
- Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen 361100, China
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33
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Zhang T, Zhou J, Luo T, Lu JQ, Li Z, Weng X, Yang F. Acidic CO 2 Electrolysis Addressing the "Alkalinity Issue" and Achieving High CO 2 Utilization. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202301455. [PMID: 37283568 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202301455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR) provides a promising approach for sustainable chemical fuel production of carbon neutrality. Neutral and alkaline electrolytes are predominantly employed in the current electrolysis system, but with striking drawbacks of (bi)carbonate (CO3 2- /HCO3 - ) formation and crossover due to the rapid and thermodynamically favourable reaction between hydroxide (OH- ) with CO2 , resulting in low carbon utilization efficiency and short-lived catalysis. Very recently, CO2 RR in acidic media can effectively address the (bi)carbonate issue; however, the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is more kinetically favourable in acidic electrolytes, which dramatically reduces CO2 conversion efficiency. Thus, it is a big challenge to effectively suppress HER and accelerate acidic CO2 RR. In this review, we begin by summarizing the recent progress of acidic CO2 electrolysis, discussing the key factors limiting the application of acidic electrolytes. We then systematically discuss addressing strategies for acidic CO2 electrolysis, including electrolyte microenvironment modulation, alkali cations adjusting, surface/interface functionalization, nanoconfinement structural design, and novel electrolyzer exploitation. Finally, the new challenges and perspectives of acidic CO2 electrolysis are suggested. We believe this timely review can arouse researchers' attention to CO2 crossover, inspire new insights to solve the "alkalinity problem" and enable CO2 RR as a more sustainable technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Zhang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang, 321004, China
| | - Jinlei Zhou
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang, 321004, China
| | - Ting Luo
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang, 321004, China
| | - Ji-Qing Lu
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang, 321004, China
| | - Zhengquan Li
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang, 321004, China
| | - Xuexiang Weng
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang, 321004, China
| | - Fa Yang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang, 321004, China
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34
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Deacon-Price C, da Silva AHM, Santana CS, Koper MTM, Garcia AC. Solvent Effect on Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction Reaction on Nanostructured Copper Electrodes. THE JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. C, NANOMATERIALS AND INTERFACES 2023; 127:14518-14527. [PMID: 37529666 PMCID: PMC10388345 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.3c03257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
The electrochemical reduction of CO2 (CO2RR) is a sustainable alternative for producing fuels and chemicals, although the production of highly desired hydrocarbons is still a challenge due to the higher overpotential requirement in combination with the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Tailoring the electrolyte composition is a possible strategy to favor the CO2RR over the HER. In this work we studied the solvent effect on the CO2RR on a nanostructured Cu electrode in acetonitrile solvent with different amounts of water. Similar to what has been observed for aqueous media, our online gas chromatography results showed that CO2RR in acetonitrile solvent is also structure-dependent, since nanocube-covered copper (CuNC) was the only surface (in comparison to polycrystalline Cu) capable of producing a detectable amount of ethylene (10% FE), provided there is enough water present in the electrolyte (>500 mM). In situ Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy showed that in acetonitrile solvent the presence of CO2 strongly inhibits HER by driving away water from the interface. CO is by far the main product of CO2RR in acetonitrile (>85% Faradaic efficiency), but adsorbed CO is not detected. This suggests that in acetonitrile media CO adsorption is inhibited compared to aqueous media. Remarkably, the addition of water to acetonitrile has little quantitative and almost no qualitative effect on the activity and selectivity of the CO2RR. This indicates that water is not strongly involved in the rate-determining step of the CO2RR in acetonitrile. Only at the highest water concentrations and at the CuNC surface, the CO coverage becomes high enough that a small amount of C2+ product is formed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor Deacon-Price
- Van’t
Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University
of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alisson H. M. da Silva
- Leiden
Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Gorlaeus Laboratories, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Cássia S. Santana
- Van’t
Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University
of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marc T. M. Koper
- Leiden
Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Gorlaeus Laboratories, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Amanda C. Garcia
- Van’t
Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University
of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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35
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Tao C, Jiang Y, Ding Y, Jia B, Liu R, Li P, Yang W, Xia L, Sun L, Zhang B. Surface Reconstruction and Passivation of BiVO 4 Photoanodes Depending on the "Structure Breaker" Cs . JACS AU 2023; 3:1851-1863. [PMID: 37502161 PMCID: PMC10369408 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Monoclinic BiVO4 is one of the most promising photoanode materials for solar water splitting. The photoelectrochemical performance of a BiVO4 photoanode could be significantly influenced by the noncovalent interactions of redox-inert metal cations at the photoanode-electrolyte interfaces, but this point has not been well investigated. In this work, we studied the Cs+-dependent surface reconstruction and passivation of BiVO4 photoanodes. Owing to the "structure breaker" nature of Cs+, the Cs+ at the BiVO4 photoanode-electrolyte interfaces participated in BiVO4 surface photocorrosion to form a Cs+-doped bismuth vanadium oxide amorphous thin layer, which inhibited the continuous photocorrosion of BiVO4 and promoted surface charge transfer and water oxidation. The resulting cocatalyst-free BiVO4 photoanodes achieved 3.3 mA cm-2 photocurrent for water oxidation. With the modification of FeOOH catalysts, the photocurrent at 1.23 VRHE reached 5.1 mA cm-2, and a steady photocurrent of 3.0 mA cm-2 at 0.8 VRHE was maintained for 30 h. This work provides new insights into the understanding of Cs+ chemistry and the effects of redox-inert cations at the electrode-electrolyte interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Tao
- College
of Chemistry, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, Liaoning, China
| | - Yi Jiang
- College
of Chemistry, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, Liaoning, China
| | - Yunxuan Ding
- Center
of Artificial Photosynthesis for Solar Fuels and Department of Chemistry,
School of Science and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China
- Institute
of Natural Sciences, Westlake Institute
for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China
| | - Bingquan Jia
- Center
of Artificial Photosynthesis for Solar Fuels and Department of Chemistry,
School of Science and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China
- Institute
of Natural Sciences, Westlake Institute
for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ruitong Liu
- Center
of Artificial Photosynthesis for Solar Fuels and Department of Chemistry,
School of Science and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China
| | - Peifeng Li
- Center
of Artificial Photosynthesis for Solar Fuels and Department of Chemistry,
School of Science and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wenxing Yang
- Center
of Artificial Photosynthesis for Solar Fuels and Department of Chemistry,
School of Science and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China
- Institute
of Natural Sciences, Westlake Institute
for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lixin Xia
- College
of Chemistry, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, Liaoning, China
| | - Licheng Sun
- Center
of Artificial Photosynthesis for Solar Fuels and Department of Chemistry,
School of Science and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China
- Institute
of Natural Sciences, Westlake Institute
for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China
| | - Biaobiao Zhang
- Center
of Artificial Photosynthesis for Solar Fuels and Department of Chemistry,
School of Science and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China
- Institute
of Natural Sciences, Westlake Institute
for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China
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36
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Weng S, Toh WL, Surendranath Y. Weakly Coordinating Organic Cations Are Intrinsically Capable of Supporting CO 2 Reduction Catalysis. J Am Chem Soc 2023. [PMID: 37486158 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c04769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
The rates and selectivity of electrochemical CO2 reduction are known to be strongly influenced by the identity of alkali metal cations in the medium. However, experimentally, it remains unclear whether cation effects arise predominantly from coordinative stabilization of surface intermediates or from changes in the mean-field electrostatic environment at the interface. Herein, we show that Au- and Ag-catalyzed CO2 reduction can occur in the presence of weakly coordinating (poly)tetraalkylammonium cations. Through competition experiments in which the catalytic activity of Au was monitored as a function of the ratio of the organic to metal cation, we identify regimes in which the organic cation exclusively controls CO2 reduction selectivity and activity. We observe substantial CO production in this regime, suggesting that CO2 reduction catalysis can occur in the absence of Lewis acidic cations, and thus, coordinative interactions between the electrolyte cations and surface-bound intermediates are not required for CO2 activation. For both Au and Ag, we find that tetraalkylammonium cations support catalytic activity for CO2 reduction on par with alkali metal cations but with distinct cation activity trends between Au and Ag. These findings support a revision in electrolyte design rules to include water-soluble organic cation salts as potential supporting electrolytes for CO2 electrolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Weng
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Wei Lun Toh
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Yogesh Surendranath
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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37
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Liu Z, Shen F, Shi L, Tong Q, Tang M, Li Y, Peng M, Jiao Z, Jiang Y, Ao L, Fu W, Lv X, Jiang G, Hou L. Electronic Structure Optimization and Proton-Transfer Enhancement on Titanium Oxide-Supported Copper Nanoparticles for Enhanced Nitrogen Recycling from Nitrate-Contaminated Water. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 37364020 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c03431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate to NH3 (NO3RR) on Cu offers sustainable NH3 production and nitrogen recycling from nitrate-contaminated water. However, Cu affords limited NO3RR activity owing to its unfavorable electronic state and the slow proton transfer on its surface, especially in neutral/alkaline media. Furthermore, although a synchronous "NO3RR and NH3 collection" system has been developed for nitrogen recycling from nitrate-laden water, no system is designed for natural water that generally contains low-concentration nitrate. Herein, we demonstrate that depositing Cu nanoparticles on a TiO2 support enables the formation of electron-deficient Cuδ+ species (0 < δ ≤ 2), which are more active than Cu0 in NO3RR. Furthermore, TiO2-Cu coupling induces local electric-field enhancement that intensifies water adsorption/dissociation at the interface, accelerating proton transfer for NO3RR on Cu. With the dual enhancements, TiO2-Cu delivers an NH3-N selectivity of 90.5%, mass activity of 41.4 mg-N h gCu-1, specific activity of 377.8 mg-N h-1 m-2, and minimal Cu leaching (<25.4 μg L-1) when treating 22.5 mg L-1 of NO3--N at -0.40 V, outperforming most of the reported Cu-based catalysts. A sequential NO3RR and NH3 collection system based on TiO2-Cu was then proposed, which could recycle nitrogen from nitrate-contaminated water under a wide concentration window of 22.5-112.5 mg L-1 at a rate of 209-630 mgN m-2 h-1. We also demonstrated this system could collect 83.9% of nitrogen from NO3--N (19.3 mg L-1) in natural lake water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zixun Liu
- Engineering Research Center for Waste Oil Recovery Technology and Equipment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China
| | - Fei Shen
- Engineering Research Center for Waste Oil Recovery Technology and Equipment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China
| | - Li Shi
- Engineering Research Center for Waste Oil Recovery Technology and Equipment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China
| | - Qiuwen Tong
- Engineering Research Center for Waste Oil Recovery Technology and Equipment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China
| | - Mu'e Tang
- Engineering Research Center for Waste Oil Recovery Technology and Equipment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China
| | - Yiming Li
- Engineering Research Center for Waste Oil Recovery Technology and Equipment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China
| | - Min Peng
- Engineering Research Center for Waste Oil Recovery Technology and Equipment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China
| | - Zhaojie Jiao
- Engineering Research Center for Waste Oil Recovery Technology and Equipment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China
| | - Yan Jiang
- Engineering Research Center for Waste Oil Recovery Technology and Equipment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China
| | - Liang Ao
- Chongqing Academy of Eco-Environmental Science, Chongqing 400700, China
- Chongqing Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, Chongqing 400700, China
| | - Wenyang Fu
- Engineering Research Center for Waste Oil Recovery Technology and Equipment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China
| | - Xiaoshu Lv
- Engineering Research Center for Waste Oil Recovery Technology and Equipment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China
| | - Guangming Jiang
- Engineering Research Center for Waste Oil Recovery Technology and Equipment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China
- Chongqing Academy of Eco-Environmental Science, Chongqing 400700, China
- Chongqing Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, Chongqing 400700, China
| | - Li'an Hou
- High Tech Inst Beijing, Beijing 100000, China
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38
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Joshi PB, Wilson AJ. Potential-Dependent Temporal Dynamics of CO Surface Concentration in Electrocatalytic CO 2 Reduction. J Phys Chem Lett 2023:5754-5759. [PMID: 37319405 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c01324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Beyond the identity and structure of an intermediate, changes in its concentration on and near the electrode surface with time are a critical component to understand and improve selectivity and reactivity in electrochemical transformations. We apply pulsed-potential electrochemical Raman scattering microscopy to measure the potential-dependent temporal evolution of CO formed during electrocatalytic CO2 reduction in acetonitrile on Ag electrodes. At driving potentials positive of the onset potential as determined by cyclic voltammetry, CO accumulates on the electrode surface at time scales longer than 1 s. Near the ensemble onset potential, CO resides on the electrode surface for approximately 100 ms. At potentials known to evolve CO from the electrode surface, CO remains adsorbed on the electrode for less than 10 ms. The time scales accessible in our strategy are nearly 3 orders of magnitude faster than transient Raman or infrared measurements, allowing direct measurement of the temporal evolution of intermediates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Padmanabh B Joshi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40292, United States
| | - Andrew J Wilson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40292, United States
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39
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Ishita I, Sahoo P, Sow PK, Singhal R. Unlocking the potential of KI as redox additive in supercapacitor through synergistic enhancement with H2SO4 as a co-electrolyte. Electrochim Acta 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2023.142286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2023]
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40
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Alkaline hydrogen oxidation reaction on Ni-based electrocatalysts: From mechanistic study to material development. Coord Chem Rev 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2022.214980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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41
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Huang J. Zooming into the Inner Helmholtz Plane of Pt(111)-Aqueous Solution Interfaces: Chemisorbed Water and Partially Charged Ions. JACS AU 2023; 3:550-564. [PMID: 36873696 PMCID: PMC9975841 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.2c00650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The double layer on transition metals, i.e., platinum, features chemical metal-solvent interactions and partially charged chemisorbed ions. Chemically adsorbed solvent molecules and ions are situated closer to the metal surface than electrostatically adsorbed ions. This effect is described tersely by the concept of an inner Helmholtz plane (IHP) in classical double layer models. The IHP concept is extended here in three aspects. First, a refined statistical treatment of solvent (water) molecules considers a continuous spectrum of orientational polarizable states, rather than a few representative states, and non-electrostatic, chemical metal-solvent interactions. Second, chemisorbed ions are partially charged, rather than being electroneutral or having integral charges as in the solution bulk, with the coverage determined by a generalized, energetically distributed adsorption isotherm. The surface dipole moment induced by partially charged, chemisorbed ions is considered. Third, considering different locations and properties of chemisorbed ions and solvent molecules, the IHP is divided into two planes, namely, an AIP (adsorbed ion plane) and ASP (adsorbed solvent plane). The model is used to study how the partially charged AIP and polarizable ASP lead to intriguing double-layer capacitance curves that are different from what the conventional Gouy-Chapman-Stern model describes. The model provides an alternative interpretation for recent capacitance data of Pt(111)-aqueous solution interfaces calculated from cyclic voltammetry. This revisit brings forth questions regarding the existence of a pure double-layer region at realistic Pt(111). The implications, limitations, and possible experimental confirmation of the present model are discussed.
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42
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Chen J, Zhao Y, Yang H, Zhang T, Fan L, Li C, Wang L. Directing oxygen reduction reaction selectivity towards hydrogen peroxide via electric double layer engineering. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:3832-3840. [PMID: 36728541 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr06352b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has been recognized as a promising alternative for the sustainable production of H2O2. Here, we report a facile and effective strategy to promote ORR selectivity towards the 2e- product H2O2via electric double layer engineering. Specifically, in a model system using immobilized cobalt phthalocyanine as the electrocatalyst, H2O2 selectivity has been improved from below 60% to over 93%, and the intrinsic activity for H2O2 formation has been enhanced by more than 3 times upon the introduction of a cationic surfactant (i.e., cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB) into the electrolyte. Based on detailed kinetics analysis, we conclude that the accelerated H2O2 formation rate results from the reduced charge transfer resistance in the rate limiting step and the promoted oxygen uptake rate. We propose that the electric field strength across the electric double layer is enhanced via the self-assembled single-tail cationic surfactant layer at the electrode/electrolyte interface, which is the origin of the enhancement of the 2e- ORR performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyi Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117585, Singapore.
| | - Yilin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117585, Singapore.
| | - Haozhou Yang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117585, Singapore.
| | - Tianyu Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117585, Singapore.
| | - Lei Fan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117585, Singapore.
| | - Chunfeng Li
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117585, Singapore.
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117585, Singapore.
- Centre for Hydrogen Innovations, National University of Singapore (Singapore), E8, 1 Engineering Drive 3, 117580, Singapore
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43
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Comparison of Physicochemical Properties of Choline Chloride-Based Deep Eutectic Solvents for CO2 capture: Progress and Outlook. J Mol Liq 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2023.121436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
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44
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Surface charge as activity descriptors for electrochemical CO 2 reduction to multi-carbon products on organic-functionalised Cu. Nat Commun 2023; 14:335. [PMID: 36670095 PMCID: PMC9860078 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35912-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Intensive research in electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction has resulted in the discovery of numerous high-performance catalysts selective to multi-carbon products, with most of these catalysts still being purely transition metal based. Herein, we present high and stable multi-carbon products selectivity of up to 76.6% across a wide potential range of 1 V on histidine-functionalised Cu. In-situ Raman and density functional theory calculations revealed alternative reaction pathways that involve direct interactions between adsorbed histidine and CO2 reduction intermediates at more cathodic potentials. Strikingly, we found that the yield of multi-carbon products is closely correlated to the surface charge on the catalyst surface, quantified by a pulsed voltammetry-based technique which proved reliable even at very cathodic potentials. We ascribe the surface charge to the population density of adsorbed species on the catalyst surface, which may be exploited as a powerful tool to explain CO2 reduction activity and as a proxy for future catalyst discovery, including organic-inorganic hybrids.
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45
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Study on photoelectrochemical CO2 reduction over Cu2O. J Photochem Photobiol A Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2022.114483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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46
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Ren W, Xu A, Chan K, Hu X. A Cation Concentration Gradient Approach to Tune the Selectivity and Activity of CO
2
Electroreduction. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202214173. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.202214173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wenhao Ren
- Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Catalysis Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), ISIC-LSCI 1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Aoni Xu
- Catalysis Theory Center Department of Physics Technical University of Denmark 2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Karen Chan
- Catalysis Theory Center Department of Physics Technical University of Denmark 2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Xile Hu
- Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Catalysis Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), ISIC-LSCI 1015 Lausanne Switzerland
- National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) Catalysis, EPFL 1015 Lausanne Switzerland
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47
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Liu H, Patel DM, Chen Y, Lee J, Lee TH, Cady SD, Cochran EW, Roling LT, Li W. Unraveling Electroreductive Mechanisms of Biomass-Derived Aldehydes via Tailoring Interfacial Environments. ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.2c03163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hengzhou Liu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, 618 Bissell Road, Ames, Iowa50011, United States
| | - Deep M. Patel
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, 618 Bissell Road, Ames, Iowa50011, United States
| | - Yifu Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, 618 Bissell Road, Ames, Iowa50011, United States
| | - Jungkuk Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, 618 Bissell Road, Ames, Iowa50011, United States
| | - Ting-Han Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, 618 Bissell Road, Ames, Iowa50011, United States
| | - Sarah D. Cady
- Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, 2415 Osborn Drive, Ames, Iowa50011, United States
| | - Eric W. Cochran
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, 618 Bissell Road, Ames, Iowa50011, United States
| | - Luke T. Roling
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, 618 Bissell Road, Ames, Iowa50011, United States
| | - Wenzhen Li
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, 618 Bissell Road, Ames, Iowa50011, United States
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48
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Odinotski S, Dhingra K, GhavamiNejad A, Zheng H, GhavamiNejad P, Gaouda H, Mohammadrezaei D, Poudineh M. A Conductive Hydrogel-Based Microneedle Platform for Real-Time pH Measurement in Live Animals. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2200201. [PMID: 36166698 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202200201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Conventional microneedles (MNs) have been extensively reported and applied toward a variety of biosensing and drug delivery applications. Hydrogel forming MNs with the added ability to electrically track health conditions in real-time is an area yet to be explored. The first conductive hydrogel microneedle (HMN) electrode that is capable of on-needle pH detection with no postprocessing required is presented here. The HMN array is fabricated using a swellable dopamine (DA) conjugated hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel, and is embedded with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) to increase conductivity. The catechol-quinone chemistry intrinsic to DA is used to measure pH in interstitial fluid (ISF). The effect of PEDOT:PSS on the characteristics of the HMN array such as swelling capability and mechanical strength is fully studied. The HMN's capability for pH measurement is first demonstrated using porcine skin equilibrated with different pH solutions ranging from 3.5 to 9. Furthermore, the HMN-pH meter is capable of in vivo measurements with a 93% accuracy compared to a conventional pH probe meter. This HMN technology bridges the gap between traditional metallic electrochemical biosensors and the direct extraction of ISF, and introduces a platform for the development of polymeric wearable sensors capable of on-needle detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Odinotski
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L, Canada
| | - Karan Dhingra
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L, Canada
| | - Amin GhavamiNejad
- Leslie L. Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S, Canada
| | - Hanjia Zheng
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L, Canada
| | - Peyman GhavamiNejad
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L, Canada
| | - Hager Gaouda
- Department of Systems Design Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L, Canada
| | - Dorsa Mohammadrezaei
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L, Canada
| | - Mahla Poudineh
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L, Canada
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49
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Huang J, Climent V, Groß A, Feliu JM. Understanding surface charge effects in electrocatalysis. Part 2: Hydrogen peroxide reactions at platinum. CHINESE JOURNAL OF CATALYSIS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/s1872-2067(22)64138-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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50
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Deng B, Zhao X, Li Y, Huang M, Zhang S, Dong F. Active site identification and engineering during the dynamic evolution of copper-based catalysts for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction. Sci China Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11426-022-1412-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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