Recent Advances in Carbon Dioxide Adsorption, Activation and Hydrogenation to Methanol using Transition Metal Carbides

The inevitable emission of carbon dioxide (CO₂ ) due to the burning of a substantial amount of fossil fuels has led to serious energy and environmental challenges. Metal-based catalytic CO₂ transformations into commodity chemicals are a favorable approach in the CO₂ mitigation strategy. Among these transformations, selective hydrogenation of CO₂ to methanol is the most promising process that not only fulfils the energy demands but also re-balances the carbon cycle. The investigation of CO₂ adsorption on the surface of heterogeneous catalyst is highly important because the formation of various intermediates which determines the selectivity of product. Transition metal carbides (TMCs) have received considerable attention in recent years because of their noble metal-like reactivity, ceramic-like properties, high chemical and thermal stability. These features make them excellent catalytic materials for a variety of transformations such as CO₂ adsorption and its conversion into value-added chemicals. Herein, the catalytic properties of TMCs are summarize along with synthetic methods, CO₂ binding modes, mechanistic studies, effects of dopant on CO₂ adsorption, and carbon/metal ratio in the CO₂ hydrogenation reaction to methanol using computational as well as experimental studies. Additionally, this Review provides an outline of the challenges and opportunities for the development of potential TMCs in CO₂ hydrogenation reactions.

Iron Catalyzed Cascade Construction of Molybdenum Carbide Heterointerfaces for Understanding Hydrogen Evolution

The intercrystalline interfaces have been proven vital in heterostructure catalysts. However, it is still challenging to generate specified heterointerfaces and to make clear the mechanism of a reaction on the interface. Herein, this work proposes a strategy of Fe-catalyzed cascade formation of heterointerfaces for comprehending the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In the pure solid-phase reaction system, Fe catalyzes the in situ conversion of MoO₂ to MoC and then Mo₂ C, and the consecutive formation leaves lavish intercrystalline interfaces of MoO₂ -MoC (in Fe-MoO₂ /MoC@NC) or MoC-Mo₂ C (in Fe-MoC/β-Mo₂ C@NC), which contribute to HER activity. The improved HER activity on the interface leads to further checking of the mechanism with density functional theory calculation. The computation results reveal that the electroreduction (Volmer step) produced H* prefers to be adsorbed on Mo₂ C; then two pathways are proposed for the HER on the interface of MoC-Mo₂ C, including the single-molecular adsorption pathway (Rideal mechanism) and the bimolecular adsorption pathway (Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism). The calculation results further show that the former is favorable, and the reaction on the MoC-Mo₂ C heterointerface significantly lowers the energy barriers of the rate-determining steps.

Molybdenum nitrides from structures to industrial applications

Owing to their remarkable characteristics, refractory molybdenum nitride (MoN x )-based compounds have been deployed in a wide range of strategic industrial applications. This review reports the electronic and structural properties that render MoN x materials as potent catalytic surfaces for numerous chemical reactions and surveys the syntheses, procedures, and catalytic applications in pertinent industries such as the petroleum industry. In particular, hydrogenation, hydrodesulfurization, and hydrodeoxygenation are essential processes in the refinement of oil segments and their conversions into commodity fuels and platform chemicals. N-vacant sites over a catalyst’s surface are a significant driver of diverse chemical phenomena. Studies on various reaction routes have emphasized that the transfer of adsorbed hydrogen atoms from the N-vacant sites reduces the activation barriers for bond breaking at key structural linkages. Density functional theory has recently provided an atomic-level understanding of Mo–N systems as active ingredients in hydrotreating processes. These Mo–N systems are potentially extendible to the hydrogenation of more complex molecules, most notably, oxygenated aromatic compounds.

Ultrafine Dual-Phased Carbide Nanocrystals Confined in Porous Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Dodecahedrons for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Designing novel non-noble electrocatalysts with controlled structures and composition remains a great challenge for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, a rational synthesis of ultrafine carbide nanocrystals confined in porous nitrogen-doped carbon dodecahedrons (PNCDs) by annealing functional zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) with molybdate or tungstate is reported. By controlling the substitution amount of MO₄ units (M = Mo or W) in the ZIF-8 framework, dual-phase carbide nanocrystals confined in PNCDs (denoted as MC-M₂ C/PNCDs) can be obtained, which exhibit superior activity toward the HER to the single-phased MC/PNCDs and M₂ C/PNCDs. The evenly distributed ultrafine nanocrystals favor the exposure of active sites. PNCDs as the support facilitate charge transfer and protect the nanocrystals from aggregation during the HER process. Moreover, the strong coupling interactions between MC and M₂ C provide beneficial sites for both water dissociation and hydrogen desorption. This work highlights a new feasible strategy to explore efficient electrocatalysts via engineering on nanostructure and composition.

Multiphase Porous Electrochemical Catalysts Derived from Iron-Based Metal-Organic Framework Compounds

Herbicide use has attracted attention recently due to potential damage to human health and lethality to the honey bees and other pollinators. Fenton reagent treatment processes can be applied for the degradation of herbicidal contaminants from water. However, the need to carry out the normal Fenton reactions under acidic conditions often hinders their practical application for pollution control. Herein, we report on the synthesis and application of multiphasic porous electro-Fenton catalysts prepared from calcinated metal-organic framework compounds, CMOF@PCM, and their application for the mineralization of herbicides in aqueous solution at circum-neutral pH. CMOF nanoparticles (NPs) are anchored on porous carbon monolithic (PCM) substrates, which allow for binder-free application. H2O2 is electrochemically generated on the PCM substrate which serves as a cathode, while ·OH is generated by the CMOF NPs at low applied potentials (-0.14 V). Results show that the structure and reactivity of the CMOF@PCM electro-Fenton catalysts are dependent on the specific MOF precursor used during synthesis. For example, CMIL-88-NH2, which is prepared from MIL-88(Fe)-NH2, is a porous core-shell structured NP comprised of a cementite (Fe3C) intermediate layer that is sandwiched between a graphitic shell and a magnetite (Fe3O4) core. The electro-Fenton production of hydroxyl radical on the CMOF@PCM composite material is shown to effectively degrade an array of herbicides.

Mottness collapse without metallization in the domain wall of the triangular-lattice Mott insulator 1T-TaS_{2}

1T-TaS_{2} is a charge-density-wave (CDW) compound with a Mott-insulating ground state. The metallic state obtained by doping, substitution, or pulsed charge injection is characterized by an emergent CDW domain-wall network, while single domain walls can be found in the pristine Mott state. Here we study whether and how the single walls become metallic. Tunneling spectroscopy reveals partial suppression of the Mott gap and the presence of in-gap states strongly localized at the domain-wall sites. Using the real-space dynamical mean field theory description of the strongly correlated quantum-paramagnet ground state, we show that the local gap suppression follows from the increased hopping along the connected zigzag chain of lattice sites forming the domain wall. Furthermore, we show that full metallization is preempted by the splitting of the quasiparticle band into bonding and antibonding subbands due to the structural dimerization of the wall, explaining the presence of the in-gap states and the low density of states at the Fermi level.

Structural Design and Electronic Modulation of Transition-Metal-Carbide Electrocatalysts toward Efficient Hydrogen Evolution

As the key of hydrogen economy, electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs) depend on the availability of cost-efficient electrocatalysts. Over the past years, there is a rapid rise in noble-metal-free electrocatalysts. Among them, transition metal carbides (TMCs) are highlighted due to their structural and electronic merits, e.g., high conductivity, metallic band states, tunable surface/bulk architectures, etc. Herein, representative efforts and progress made on TMCs are comprehensively reviewed, focusing on the noble-metal-like electronic configuration and the relevant structural/electronic modulation. Briefly, specific nanostructures and carbon-based hybrids are introduced to increase active-site abundance and to promote mass transportation, and heteroatom doping and heterointerface engineering are encouraged to optimize the chemical configurations of active sites toward intrinsically boosted HER kinetics. Finally, a perspective on the future development of TMC electrocatalysts is offered. The overall aim is to shed some light on the exploration of emerging materials in energy chemistry.

Synergistic effect of Mo–W carbides on selective hydrodeoxygenation of guaiacol to oxygen-free aromatic hydrocarbons

Mo–W carbide was synthesized via temperature-programmed reduction to generate a β-Mo₂C phase with bulk morphology.

Spinon Fermi Surface in a Cluster Mott Insulator Model on a Triangular Lattice and Possible Application to 1T-TaS_{2}

1T-TaS_{2} is a cluster Mott insulator on the triangular lattice with 13 Ta atoms forming a star of David cluster as the unit cell. We derive a two-dimensional XXZ spin-1/2 model with a four-spin ring exchange term to describe the effective low energy physics of a monolayer 1T-TaS_{2}, where the effective spin-1/2 degrees of freedom arises from the Kramers degenerate spin-orbital states on each star of David. A large scale density matrix renormalization group simulation is further performed on this effective model and we find a gapless spin liquid phase with a spinon Fermi surface at a moderate to large strength region of the four-spin ring exchange term. All peaks in the static spin structure factor are found to be located on the "2k_{F}" surface of a half-filled spinon on the triangular lattice. Experiments to detect the spinon Fermi surface phase in 1T-TaS_{2} are discussed.

Heteronanowires of MoC-Mo2C as efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction

MoC–Mo₂C heteronanowires accomplished via controlled carbonization are efficient in the hydrogen evolution reaction due to a synergistic enhancement.

Exploring efficient noble-metal free electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is one of the most promising pathways for facing the energy crisis. Herein, MoC–Mo₂C heteronanowires composed of well-defined nanoparticles were accomplished via controlled carbonization, showing excellent HER activity, fast kinetic metrics and outstanding stability in both acid and basic electrolytes. In particular, the optimal one consisting of 31.4 wt% MoC displayed a low overpotential (η₁₀ = 126 and 120 mV for reaching a current density of –10 mA cm^–2), a small Tafel slope (43 and 42 mV dec^–1) and a low onset overpotential (38 and 33 mV) in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ and 1.0 M KOH, respectively. Such prominent performance, outperforming most of the current noble-metal free electrocatalysts, was ascribed to the carbide surface with an optimized electron density, and the consequently facilitated HER kinetics. This work elucidates a feasible way toward efficient electrocatalysts via heteronanostructure engineering, shedding some light on the exploration and optimization of catalysts in energy chemistry.

Finite temperature orbital and spin magnetism of small Fe linear chains

The finite temperature spin and orbital magnetism of N≤ 10 Fe(N) linear chains is theoretically studied in the framework of a spin fluctuation theory based on a realistic d-band model Hamiltonian, which includes the spin-orbit coupling interaction in a non-perturbative way. Spin and orbital magnetic moments are calculated as a function of the temperature by using an exchange Monte Carlo method that takes into account in a full way the short-range magnetic order. The finite temperature anisotropy effects on the spin and orbital cluster moment values are analysed by considering magnetization directions perpendicular to and along the chain axis. The temperature dependence of the orbital cluster moment follows a general trend similar to that of the spin one and shows clear anisotropy effects at low and intermediate temperatures, before total thermal disorder appears. Interesting anisotropy effects driven by thermal spin fluctuations are also observed for the spin results in most of the systems.

Controlled nitridation of tantalum (oxy)nitride nanoparticles towards optimized metal-support interactions with gold nanocatalysts

Optimized metal-support interactions were achieved on ionothermally prepared tantalum (oxy)nitrides with controlled nitridation, and the as-formed Auδ⁻ species on TaON is efficient for nitrobenzene hydrogenation.

Metal non-oxide nanostructures developed from organic-inorganic hybrids and their catalytic application

The rational design of metal non-oxides is important for their catalytic application, which is however limited by the fact that the current synthetic strategies are short of effective control over formation reactions. Recently, the hybrids evenly integrating organic with inorganic molecules on a nanoscale significantly provided quasi-homogeneous reactions towards well-defined nanocatalysts of metal non-oxides, in which their structures and properties can be modulated in a wide range. Focusing on the nanostructures and the related catalytic behaviors, this feature article seeks to provide some control on the key structures and properties of metal non-oxides (e.g. carbides, nitrides, sulfides and selenides). It is thus anticipated to shed some light on the development of emerging materials for efficient catalysis, especially those used in energy utilization.

Characterization of iron ferromagnetism by the local atomic volume: from three-dimensional structures to isolated atoms

We present a comprehensive study of the relationship between the ferromagnetism and the structural properties of Fe systems from three-dimensional ones to isolated atoms based on the spin-density functional theory. We have found a relation between the magnetic moment and the volume of the Voronoi polyhedron, determining, in most cases, the value of the total magnetic moment as a function of this volume with an average accuracy of ±0.28 μ(B) and of the 3d magnetic moment with an average accuracy of ±0.07 μ(B) when the atomic volume is larger than 22 ų. It is demonstrated that this approach is applicable for many three-dimensional systems, including high-symmetry structures of perfect body-centered cubic (bcc), face-centered cubic (fcc), hexagonal close-packed (hcp), double hexagonal close-packed (dhcp), and simple cubic (sc) crystals, as well as for lower-symmetry ones, for example atoms near a grain boundary (GB) or a surface, around a vacancy or in a linear chain (for low-dimensional cases, we provide a generalized definition of the Voronoi polyhedron). Also, we extend the validity of the Stoner model to low-dimensional structures, such as atomic chains, free-standing monolayers and surfaces, determining the Stoner parameter for these systems. The ratio of the 3d-exchange splitting to the magnetic moment, corresponding to the Stoner parameter, is found to be I(3d) = (0.998 ± 0.006) eV /μ(B) for magnetic moments up to 3.0 μ(B). Further, the 3d exchange splitting changes nearly linearly in the region of higher magnetic moments (3.0-4.0 μ(B)) and the corresponding Stoner exchange parameter equals I(h)(3d) = (0.272 ± 0.006) eV /μ(B). The existence of these two regions reflects the fact that, with increasing Voronoi volume, the 3d bands separate first and, consequently, the 3d magnetic moment increases. When the Voronoi volume is sufficiently large (≥22 ų), the separation of the 3d bands is complete and the magnetic moment reaches a value of 3.0 μ(B). Then, when the volume further increases, the 4s bands start to separate, increasing thus the 4s magnetic moment. Surprisingly, in the region of higher magnetic moments (≥3.0 μ(B)), there is also a linear relationship between the 4s exchange splitting and the total magnetic moment with a slope of I(h)(4s) = (1.053 ± 0.016) eV /μ(B), which is nearly identical to I(3d) for magnetic moments up to 3.0 μB. These linear relations can be considered as an extension of the Stoner model for low-dimensional systems.

Pt-like behavior of high-performance counter electrodes prepared from binary tantalum compounds showing high electrocatalytic activity for dye-sensitized solar cells

Ta-based compounds show Pt-like behavior: Binary tantalum compounds as counter electrodes (CEs) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) demonstrate Pt-like electrocatalytic activity and competitive photovoltaic performance, matching the performance of DSCs with Pt CEs. The first-principle density functional theory (DFT) calculations provide a strategy for understanding the relationship between the electronic structure and the catalytic activity of CE catalysts in DSCs.

Cohesion, Compound Formation and Phase Diagrams from First Principles

The physical picture of cohesion and compound formation provided by parameter-free, self-consistent, energy-band calculations will be described. For transition-metal elements, the calculations allow us to “see” which electrons are holding the solid together and which are holding it apart. For compounds, calculated heats of formation agree well with available measurements and are in general agreement with those given by Miedema's empirical formula. (The agreement with Miedema is paradoxical, in that Miedema's conception of the formation process differs qualitatively from ours.) Preliminary, but very encouraging, results of efforts to extend the analysis to disordered materials and to the calculation of phase diagrams are described.

Calculation of spin and orbital magnetizations in Fe slab systems at finite temperature

The temperature dependence of spin and orbital local magnetizations is theoretically determined for the non-bulk atomic region of (001) and (110) Fe slab systems. A d band Hamiltonian, including spin-orbit coupling terms, was used to model the slabs, which were emulated by using Fe films of sufficient thickness to reach a bulk behavior at their most inner atomic layers. The temperature effects were considered within the static approximation and a simple mean field theory was used to integrate the local magnetic moment and charge thermal fluctuations. The results reflect a clear interplay between electronic itinerancy and the local atomic environment and they can be physically interpreted from the local small charge transfers occurring in the superficial region of the slabs. For recovering the experimental behavior on the results for the (001) slab system, the geometrical relaxations at its non-bulk atomic layers and a d band filling variation are required. A study on the magnetic anisotropy aspects in the superficial region of the slabs is additionally performed by analyzing the results for the orbital local magnetization calculated along two different magnetization directions in both slab systems.

Manipulating electromagnetic radiation with magnetic photonic crystals

We examine manipulating electromagnetic waves in magnetic photonic crystals (MPCs) with external magnetic fields. We predict new giant magnetoreflectivity and giant magnetorefractivity effects: with an external magnetic field of a magnitude much smaller than the anisotropy field of the ferromagnet, the MPC can be changed from completely reflecting to nonreflecting with corresponding changes in the angle of refraction. Application to the storage of electromagnetic radiation is also discussed.

The pseudogap and anisotropic thermal expansion in RMn(4)Al(8) (R = La,Y,Lu and Sc)

The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility shows a broad maximum at ∼550 and 630 K for LuMn(4)Al(8) and ScMn(4)Al(8), respectively, which can be interpreted as due to the presence of a pseudogap in the effective bands as in LaMn(4)Al(8) and YMn(4)Al(8). The anisotropic thermal expansion observed for RMn(4)Al(8) (R = La, Y, Lu and Sc) and the sensitive volume dependence of the gap width throughout the RMn(4)Al(8) system suggest dominant magnetic coupling in Mn spin chains along the c axis.