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Schweinzer C, Coburger P, Grützmacher H. Structural Changes in the Carbon Sphere of a Dirhodium Complex Induced by Redox or Deprotonation Reactions. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2400072. [PMID: 38520714 PMCID: PMC11165463 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202400072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
A carbon-rich molecule is synthesized, which mainly contains conjugated sp2 and sp hybridized carbon centers. Alkenyl and alkynyl binding sites are arranged such that this compound serves as ligand to a binuclear metal unit with a RhI─RhI bond. Furthermore, CH units are placed in proximity to the metal centers. The dicationic complex [Rh2(bipy)2{Ph2Ptrop(C≡CCy)2}]2+(OTf-)2 allows to study possible responses of the carbon-framework to redox reactions as well as deprotonation reactions. All products are, whenever possible, characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods, NMR and EPR spectroscopy as well as electrochemical methods. It is shown that the carbon skeleton of the ligand framework undergoes C─C bond rearrangement reactions of remarkable diversity. In combination with DFT (density functional theory) studies, these results allow to gain insight into the electronic structure changes caused by metal sites in a carbon-rich environment, which may be of relevance for the properties of metal particles on carbon support materials when they are exposed to hydrogen, electrons, or protons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Schweinzer
- Department of Chemistry and Applied BiosciencesETH ZurichVladimir‐Prelog‐Weg 1Zurich8093Switzerland
| | - Peter Coburger
- Department of ChemistryTU MunichLichtenbergstrasse 485748Garching bei MünchenGermany
| | - Hansjörg Grützmacher
- Department of Chemistry and Applied BiosciencesETH ZurichVladimir‐Prelog‐Weg 1Zurich8093Switzerland
- LIFMIGCMESchool of ChemistrySun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510006China
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Huang L, Cheng L, Ma T, Zhang JJ, Wu H, Su J, Song Y, Zhu H, Liu Q, Zhu M, Zeng Z, He Q, Tse MK, Yang DT, Yakobson BI, Tang BZ, Ren Y, Ye R. Direct Synthesis of Ammonia from Nitrate on Amorphous Graphene with Near 100% Efficiency. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2211856. [PMID: 36799267 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202211856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Ammonia is an indispensable commodity in the agricultural and pharmaceutical industries. Direct nitrate-to-ammonia electroreduction is a decentralized route yet challenged by competing side reactions. Most catalysts are metal-based, and metal-free catalysts with high nitrate-to-ammonia conversion activity are rarely reported. Herein, it is shown that amorphous graphene synthesized by laser induction and comprising strained and disordered pentagons, hexagons, and heptagons can electrocatalyze the eight-electron reduction of NO3 - to NH3 with a Faradaic efficiency of ≈100% and an ammonia production rate of 2859 µg cm-2 h-1 at -0.93 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode. X-ray pair-distribution function analysis and electron microscopy reveal the unique molecular features of amorphous graphene that facilitate NO3 - reduction. In situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and theoretical calculations establish the critical role of these features in stabilizing the reaction intermediates via structural relaxation. The enhanced catalytic activity enables the implementation of flow electrolysis for the on-demand synthesis and release of ammonia with >70% selectivity, resulting in significantly increased yields and survival rates when applied to plant cultivation. The results of this study show significant promise for remediating nitrate-polluted water and completing the NOx cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libei Huang
- Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
- Division of Science, Engineering and Health Study, School of Professional Education and Executive Development (PolyU SPEED), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Le Cheng
- Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Tinghao Ma
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
| | - Jun-Jie Zhang
- Department of Materials Science and Nano Engineering and Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Haikun Wu
- Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Jianjun Su
- Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Yun Song
- Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - He Zhu
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Qi Liu
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Minghui Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, P. R. China
| | - Zhiyuan Zeng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Qiyuan He
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Man-Kit Tse
- Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Deng-Tao Yang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
| | - Boris I Yakobson
- Department of Materials Science and Nano Engineering and Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Ben Zhong Tang
- School of Science and Engineering, Shenzhen Institute of Aggregate Science and Technology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518172, P. R. China
| | - Yang Ren
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
- X-Ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Ave., Argonne, IL, 60439, USA
| | - Ruquan Ye
- Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518057, China
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Gao L, Pan J, Di L, Zhu J, Wang L, Gao S, Zou R, Kang L, Han S, Zhao Y. Neutron diffraction for revealing the structures and ionic transport mechanisms of antiperovskite solid electrolytes. CHINESE JOURNAL OF STRUCTURAL CHEMISTRY 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cjsc.2023.100048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
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Allen CS, Ghamouss F, Boujibar O, Harris PJF. Aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy of a non-graphitizing carbon. Proc Math Phys Eng Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1098/rspa.2021.0580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-graphitizing carbons (NGCs) are an important class of solid carbons which cannot be converted into graphite by high-temperature heat treatment. They include commercially valuable materials such as activated carbon and glassy carbon. These carbons have been intensively studied for decades, but there is still no agreement about their detailed atomic structure, or the reasons for their resistance to graphitization. The first models for graphitizing and NGCs were proposed by Rosalind Franklin in the early 1950s, and while these are broadly correct, they are incomplete. Many alternative models of NGCs have been put forward since Franklin's time, but none has received universal acceptance. Diffraction and spectroscopic techniques can provide important insights into the nature of these carbons, but only direct microscopic imaging can reveal their true atomic structure. Here, we apply aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy to an activated carbon prepared from waste biomass and present evidence for the presence of pentagonal and heptagonal carbon rings. This provides support for a model of the structure of NGC made up of curved fragments in which non-hexagonal rings are dispersed randomly throughout hexagonal networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher S. Allen
- Electron Physical Science Imaging Centre, Diamond Light Source Ltd., OX11 0DE, UK
- Department of Materials, University of Oxford, OX1 3PH, UK
| | - Fouad Ghamouss
- PCM2E, EA 6299 Université de Tours, Parc de Grandmont, 37200 Tours, France
- Materials Science and Nano-Engineering Department, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Hay Moulay Rachid, 43150 Ben Guerir, Morocco
| | - Ouassim Boujibar
- PCM2E, EA 6299 Université de Tours, Parc de Grandmont, 37200 Tours, France
| | - Peter J. F. Harris
- Electron Microscopy Laboratory, University of Reading, JJ Thomson Building, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AF, UK
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Terban MW, Billinge SJL. Structural Analysis of Molecular Materials Using the Pair Distribution Function. Chem Rev 2022; 122:1208-1272. [PMID: 34788012 PMCID: PMC8759070 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
This is a review of atomic pair distribution function (PDF) analysis as applied to the study of molecular materials. The PDF method is a powerful approach to study short- and intermediate-range order in materials on the nanoscale. It may be obtained from total scattering measurements using X-rays, neutrons, or electrons, and it provides structural details when defects, disorder, or structural ambiguities obscure their elucidation directly in reciprocal space. While its uses in the study of inorganic crystals, glasses, and nanomaterials have been recently highlighted, significant progress has also been made in its application to molecular materials such as carbons, pharmaceuticals, polymers, liquids, coordination compounds, composites, and more. Here, an overview of applications toward a wide variety of molecular compounds (organic and inorganic) and systems with molecular components is presented. We then present pedagogical descriptions and tips for further implementation. Successful utilization of the method requires an interdisciplinary consolidation of material preparation, high quality scattering experimentation, data processing, model formulation, and attentive scrutiny of the results. It is hoped that this article will provide a useful reference to practitioners for PDF applications in a wide realm of molecular sciences, and help new practitioners to get started with this technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxwell W. Terban
- Max
Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Heisenbergstraße 1, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Simon J. L. Billinge
- Department
of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
- Condensed
Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
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Jóźwik P, Baran A, Płociński T, Dziedzic D, Nawała J, Liszewska M, Zasada D, Bojar Z. Analysis of the Morphology and Structure of Carbon Deposit Formed on the Surface of Ni 3Al Foils as a Result of Thermocatalytic Decomposition of Ethanol. MATERIALS 2021; 14:ma14206086. [PMID: 34683678 PMCID: PMC8539432 DOI: 10.3390/ma14206086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This article presents the results of investigations of the morphology and structure of carbon deposit formed as a result of ethanol decomposition at 500 °C, 600 °C, and 700 °C without water vapour and with water vapour (0.35 and 1.1% by volume). scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) observations as well as energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopic analyses allowed for a comprehensive characterization of the morphology and structure of cylindrical carbon nanostructures present on the surface of the Ni3Al catalyst. Depending on the reaction mixture composition (i.e., water vapour content) and decomposition temperature, various carbon nanotubes/carbon nanofibres (CNTs/CNFs) were observed: multiwalled carbon nanotubes, herringbone-type multiwall carbon nanotubes, cylindrical carbon nanofibers, platelet carbon nanofibers, and helical carbon nanotubes/nanofibres. The discussed carbon nanostructures exhibited nickel nanoparticles at the ends and in the middle part of the carbon nanostructures as catalytically active centres for efficient ethanol decomposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawel Jóźwik
- Faculty of Advanced Technologies and Chemistry, Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, Military University of Technology, 00-908 Warszawa, Poland; (D.Z.); (Z.B.)
- Correspondence: (P.J.); (A.B.)
| | - Agata Baran
- Faculty of Advanced Technologies and Chemistry, Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, Military University of Technology, 00-908 Warszawa, Poland; (D.Z.); (Z.B.)
- Correspondence: (P.J.); (A.B.)
| | - Tomasz Płociński
- Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, 02-507 Warszawa, Poland;
| | - Daniel Dziedzic
- Faculty of Advanced Technologies and Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Military University of Technology, 00-908 Warszawa, Poland; (D.D.); (J.N.)
| | - Jakub Nawała
- Faculty of Advanced Technologies and Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Military University of Technology, 00-908 Warszawa, Poland; (D.D.); (J.N.)
| | - Malwina Liszewska
- Institute of Optoelectronics, Military University of Technology, 00-908 Warszawa, Poland;
| | - Dariusz Zasada
- Faculty of Advanced Technologies and Chemistry, Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, Military University of Technology, 00-908 Warszawa, Poland; (D.Z.); (Z.B.)
| | - Zbigniew Bojar
- Faculty of Advanced Technologies and Chemistry, Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, Military University of Technology, 00-908 Warszawa, Poland; (D.Z.); (Z.B.)
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