1
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Jiang X, Chu W, Ren X, Ma F, Chen R, Ning S, Zhang Y, Zeng C, Shi L, Ren L, Qi X, Zhang H, Ni H, Ye J. Optimizing Coordinated Active Sites of Transition Metal Complexes: Exploring Metal-Molecule Interactions for Governing CO 2-to-CO Conversion. ACS NANO 2025; 19:17336-17346. [PMID: 40309960 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c15428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2025]
Abstract
Syngas (H2/CO) is an essential chemical feedstock for industrial products. In these focal points, electrocatalytic CO2 reduction has emerged as a desirable strategy for realizing effective syngas production to satisfy energy and environmental requirements. In this work, a metal-molecule hybrid electrode with inherent H2 generation favorability has been crafted by loading molecular Co(Ni)-bpy (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) complexes on Ag foil. The efficient and stable CO2-to-CO conversion with adjustable faradic efficiency from 13 to 98% was realized by optimizing the Co(Ni)-bpy complexes. The regulation of molecular catalysts with the merits of high electron affinity can provide a coordination environment that allows for the localization of Co/Ni active sites at optimal positions with lower binding energies, maintaining their monodisperse properties, and being beneficial for strengthening the CO2 binding and inhibiting competitive reactions. An in-depth understanding of surface and coordination status has been realized by FIB-HRTEM and EXAFS, which confirm that the intimate metal-molecular interaction and well-dispersed mononuclear Co/Ni active sites play vital roles in enhancing catalytic performance. The strong electron residual between the Ag surface and metal-coordinated molecular catalysts may also contribute to the dramatic CO2-to-CO conversion. This study highlights the beneficial role of metal-molecule interactions in electrocatalytic reactions and contributes to ongoing efforts toward achieving controllable selectivity in electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to syngas using molecular catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingxin Jiang
- School of Metallurgy and Energy, Faculty of Material, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081, P. R. China
| | - Weiqing Chu
- School of Metallurgy and Energy, Faculty of Material, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081, P. R. China
| | - Xiaohui Ren
- School of Metallurgy and Energy, Faculty of Material, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081, P. R. China
| | - Feng Ma
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081, P. R. China
| | - Rongsheng Chen
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081, P. R. China
| | - Shangbo Ning
- Research Center for Solar Driven Carbon Neutrality, The College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, P. R. China
| | - Ye Zhang
- Lab of Optoelectronic Technology for Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, P. R. China
| | - Chao Zeng
- School of Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, P. R. China
| | - Li Shi
- School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, P. R. China
| | - Long Ren
- Institute for Quantum Science and Technology, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, P. R. China
| | - Xiang Qi
- Hunan Key Laboratory for Micro-Nano Energy Materials and Devices, and School of Physics and Optoelectronic, Xiangtan University, Hunan 411105, P. R. China
| | - Hua Zhang
- School of Metallurgy and Energy, Faculty of Material, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081, P. R. China
| | - Hongwei Ni
- School of Metallurgy and Energy, Faculty of Material, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081, P. R. China
| | - Jinhua Ye
- Research Center for Solar Driven Carbon Neutrality, The College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, P. R. China
- Advanced Catalytic Materials Research Center, School of Material Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P. R. China
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2
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Du R, Chen Z, Wang S, Zeng S, Jia R, Zhang K, Lu D, Wang H, Cheng Y. Manipulating the Interfacial Hydrophobic Microenvironment via Electrolyte Engineering Promotes Electrocatalytic Fatty Alcohol Oxidation Coupled with Hydrogen Production. JACS AU 2025; 5:1974-1982. [PMID: 40313837 PMCID: PMC12042034 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.5c00215] [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: 02/24/2025] [Revised: 04/01/2025] [Accepted: 04/02/2025] [Indexed: 05/03/2025]
Abstract
The selective oxidation of fatty alcohols to fatty acids represents a pivotal transformation in organic synthesis. Traditional methods often require harsh conditions and environmentally harmful oxidants or solvents. Electrocatalytic oxidation emerges as a promising green alternative, enabling mild oxidation in aqueous media and concurrent energy-efficient hydrogen production at the cathode. However, the poor solubility of fatty alcohols in water poses a significant challenge, reducing the reactant availability at the electrode surface, thereby hindering mass transfer and overall reaction rates. Herein, we develop an electrolyte engineering strategy that incorporates cetyltrimethylammonium hydroxide (CTAOH) as an additive. This strategy significantly enhances the oxidation current density of fatty alcohols as well as the production rate of fatty acids on a gold electrocatalyst. Through a mechanistic investigation combining experimental evidence from a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and in situ attenuated total reflectance surface-enhanced infrared spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we confirm that the preferential adsorption of CTAOH creates a hydrophobic interfacial microenvironment at the anode, promoting the enrichment of reactant at the electrode-electrolyte interface. This work highlights the significance of interfacial hydrophobicity modulation in boosting aqueous-phase electrocatalytic oxidation, paving the way for more efficient electrocatalytic transformations involving water-insoluble reactants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiqi Du
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
| | - Zemao Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
| | - Shiyan Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
| | - Shumao Zeng
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
| | - Rui Jia
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
| | - Kaizheng Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
| | - Diannan Lu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
| | - Haihui Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
| | - Yi Cheng
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
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3
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Chen Z, Xiao Y, Qiao X, Ou H, Lee CF, Wang HT, Shao YC, Han L. Monitoring chalcogenide ions-guided in situ transform active sites of tailored bismuth electrocatalysts for CO 2 reduction to formate. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2025; 122:e2420922122. [PMID: 40042908 PMCID: PMC11912470 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2420922122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2025] [Indexed: 03/19/2025] Open
Abstract
Although bismuth catalysts enable accelerated electrochemical CO2-to-formate conversion, the intrinsic active sites and forming mechanisms under operating conditions remain elusive. Herein, we prepared Bi2O2NCN, Bi2O3, and Bi2O2S as precatalysts. Among them, Bi2O2NCN-derived catalyst possesses optimum performance of electrochemical CO2-to-formate, exhibiting an upsurge of Faradaic efficiency to 98.3% at -0.6 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrodes. In-situ infrared and electrochemical impedance spectra trace and interpret the superior performance. Multimodal structural analyses utilizing quasi-in-situ X-ray diffraction, in-situ X-ray absorption near edge structure and in-situ Raman spectra provide powerful support to monitoring the catalysts' in-situ transforms to metallic Bi, identifying the formation of the active sites influenced by the chalcogenide ions-guided: Carbodiimide promotes to form of the dominant Bi(003) facet exposure, which distinguishes from sulfide- and oxide-preferred dominant Bi(012) facets exposure. Concurrently, theoretical insights garnered from multiscale/multilevel computational analyses harmoniously corroborate the experimental findings. These findings show the pivotal role of chalcogenide in tailoring bismuth electrocatalysts for selective CO2 reduction to formate, illuminating the significance of controlling structural chemistry in designing catalysts toward high-efficiency renewable energy conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou350002, China
- Fujian Science and Technology Innovation Laboratory for Optoelectronic Information of China, Fuzhou350108, China
| | - Yi Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou350002, China
| | - Xianji Qiao
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou310027, China
| | - Honghui Ou
- Xi’an Jiaotong University-Oxford International Joint Laboratory for Catalysis, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an710049, China
| | - Chi-Feng Lee
- Department of Physics, Tamkang University, New Taipei City251301, Taiwan
| | - Hsiao-Tsu Wang
- Department of Physics, Tamkang University, New Taipei City251301, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Cheng Shao
- National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu30076, Taiwan
| | - Lili Han
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou350002, China
- Fujian Science and Technology Innovation Laboratory for Optoelectronic Information of China, Fuzhou350108, China
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4
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Li X, Kang W, Fan X, Tan X, Masa J, Robertson AW, Jung Y, Han B, Texter J, Cheng Y, Dai B, Sun Z. Electrochemical CO 2 reduction to liquid fuels: Mechanistic pathways and surface/interface engineering of catalysts and electrolytes. Innovation (N Y) 2025; 6:100807. [PMID: 40098663 PMCID: PMC11910886 DOI: 10.1016/j.xinn.2025.100807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/14/2025] [Indexed: 03/19/2025] Open
Abstract
The high energy density of green synthetic liquid chemicals and fuels makes them ideal for sustainable energy storage and transportation applications. Electroreduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) directly into such high value-added chemicals can help us achieve a renewable C cycle. Such electrochemical reduction typically suffers from low faradaic efficiencies (FEs) and generates a mixture of products due to the complexity of controlling the reaction selectivity. This perspective summarizes recent advances in the mechanistic understanding of CO2 reduction reaction pathways toward liquid products and the state-of-the-art catalytic materials for conversion of CO2 to liquid C1 (e.g., formic acid, methanol) and C2+ products (e.g., acetic acid, ethanol, n-propanol). Many liquid fuels are being produced with FEs between 80% and 100%. We discuss the use of structure-binding energy relationships, computational screening, and machine learning to identify promising candidates for experimental validation. Finally, we classify strategies for controlling catalyst selectivity and summarize breakthroughs, prospects, and challenges in electrocatalytic CO2 reduction to guide future developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Woojong Kang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Institute of Chemical Processes, and Institute of Engineering Research, Seoul National University, 1 Kwanak-ro, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Xinyi Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Xinyi Tan
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Justus Masa
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
| | - Alex W Robertson
- Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Yousung Jung
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Institute of Chemical Processes, and Institute of Engineering Research, Seoul National University, 1 Kwanak-ro, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Buxing Han
- Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - John Texter
- Strider Research Corporation, Rochester, NY 14610-2246, USA
- School of Engineering and Coating Research Institute, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI 48197, USA
| | - Yuanfu Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Bin Dai
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering/State Key Laboratory Incubation Base for Green Processing of Chemical Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China
| | - Zhenyu Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
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5
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Yan M, Yang R, Liu C, Gao Y, Zhang B. In Situ Probing the Anion-Widened Anodic Electric Double Layer for Enhanced Faradaic Efficiency of Chlorine-Involved Reactions. J Am Chem Soc 2025; 147:6698-6706. [PMID: 39953989 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c16173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2025]
Abstract
The electric double layer (EDL), which is directly related to ions, influences the electrocatalytic performance. However, the effects of anions on the anodic EDL and reaction kinetics are unclear, especially in water-mediated electrosynthesis. Here, ClO4- anions are discovered to widen the anodic EDL to inhibit the competitive oxygen evolution reaction (OER) for the gram-scale electrosynthesis of 2-chlorocyclohexanol with a 90% Faradaic efficiency (FE) at 100 mA cm-2. The combined results of molecular dynamics simulations and in situ spectroscopies provide solid evidence for the widened EDL that originates from the repulsion of water molecules from the interface by ClO4-. The addition of ClO4- has a negligible effect on chlorination kinetics because of the electrostatic interaction between the anode and Cl- but obviously suppresses the interaction between water and the anode, leading to high FEs of anodic electrosynthesis by increasing the energy barrier of the undesirable OER. In addition, this method is suitable for other chlorination reactions with enhanced FEs at 100 mA cm-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingming Yan
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Rong Yang
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Cuibo Liu
- Institute of Molecular Plus, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Ying Gao
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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6
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Jang H, Gardner AM, Walters LJ, Neale AR, Hardwick LJ, Cowan AJ. The Role of Surfactant in Electrocatalytic Carbon Dioxide Reduction in the Absence of Metal Cations. ACS ELECTROCHEMISTRY 2025; 1:20-24. [PMID: 39878147 PMCID: PMC11728718 DOI: 10.1021/acselectrochem.4c00040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2024] [Revised: 09/06/2024] [Accepted: 09/23/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2025]
Abstract
Carbon dioxide electroreduction does not occur on Au when metal cations are absent from the electrode surfaces. Here we show that the electroreduction can be enabled without metal cations, albeit with low efficiency, by the presence of cationic surfactants on Au. The findings demonstrate that in addition to possibly stabilizing CO2 reduction intermediates the presence of surfactants plays a role in suppressing the competing reactions. At potentials negative of a critical potential, a cationic surfactant adsorbs onto the electrode surface, displacing interfacial water molecules, hampering the access of proton donors to the electrode surface and inhibiting hydrogen evolution during electrolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hansaem Jang
- Stephenson
Institute for Renewable Energy (SIRE) and the Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZF, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian M. Gardner
- Stephenson
Institute for Renewable Energy (SIRE) and the Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZF, United Kingdom
- Low
Energy Ion Scattering Facility, George Holt Building, University of Liverpool, Brownlow Street, Liverpool L69 3GB, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy J. Walters
- Stephenson
Institute for Renewable Energy (SIRE) and the Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZF, United Kingdom
| | - Alex R. Neale
- Stephenson
Institute for Renewable Energy (SIRE) and the Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZF, United Kingdom
| | - Laurence J. Hardwick
- Stephenson
Institute for Renewable Energy (SIRE) and the Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZF, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander J. Cowan
- Stephenson
Institute for Renewable Energy (SIRE) and the Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZF, United Kingdom
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7
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Zhang K, Xu Y, Liu F, Wang Q, Zou X, Tang M, Leung MK, Ao Z, Zhao X, Zhang X, An L. Leveraging Interfacial Electric Field for Smart Modulation of Electrode Surface in Nitrate to Ammonia Conversion. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2025; 12:e2410763. [PMID: 39621532 PMCID: PMC11775551 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202410763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2024] [Revised: 10/26/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2025]
Abstract
The efficiency of nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) at low nitrate concentration is predominantly hindered by the poor affinity of nitrate ions and competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), particularly in neutral and acidic media. Here, an innovative strategy to leverage the interfacial electric field (IEF) is introduced to boost the NO3RR performance. By in situ constructing tannic acid-metal ion (TA-M2+) crosslinked structure on the electrode surface, the TA-M2+-CuO NW/Cu foam sample exhibits an exceptional Faraday efficiency of 99.4% at -0.2 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) and 83.9% at 0.0 V versus RHE under neutral and acidic conditions, respectively. The computational studies unveil that the TA-Cu2+ complex on the CuO (111) plane induces the increasing concentration of nitrate at the interface, accelerating NO3RR kinetics over HER via the IEF effect. This interfacial modulation strategy also contributes the enhanced ammonia production performance when it is employed on commercial electrode materials and flow reactors, exhibiting great potential in practical application. Overall, combined results illustrated multiple merits of the IEF effect, paving the way for future commercialization of NO3RR in the ammonia production industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kouer Zhang
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHung HomKowloonHong Kong SAR999077China
| | - Yifan Xu
- Ability R&D Energy Research CentreSchool of Energy and EnvironmentCity University of Hong KongKowloonHong Kong SAR999077China
| | - Fatang Liu
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHung HomKowloonHong Kong SAR999077China
- College of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringNortheast Petroleum UniversityDaqing163318China
| | - Qing Wang
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHung HomKowloonHong Kong SAR999077China
| | - Xiaohong Zou
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHung HomKowloonHong Kong SAR999077China
| | - Mingcong Tang
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHung HomKowloonHong Kong SAR999077China
| | - Michael K.H. Leung
- Ability R&D Energy Research CentreSchool of Energy and EnvironmentCity University of Hong KongKowloonHong Kong SAR999077China
- State Key Laboratory of Marine PollutionCity University of Hong KongKowloonHong Kong SARChina
| | - Zhimin Ao
- Advanced Interdisciplinary Institute of Environment and EcologyGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Wastewater Information Analysis and Early WarningBeijing Normal UniversityZhuhai519087China
| | - Xunhua Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Quantum Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education School of PhysicsSoutheast UniversityNanjing211189China
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHung HomKowloonHong Kong SAR999077China
- Research Institute for Smart EnergyThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHung HomKowloonHong Kong SAR999077China
| | - Liang An
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHung HomKowloonHong Kong SAR999077China
- Research Institute for Smart EnergyThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHung HomKowloonHong Kong SAR999077China
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8
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Kuang Y, Chen G, Mudiyanselage DH, Rabiee H, Ma B, Dorosti F, Nanjundan AK, Zhu Z, Wang H, Ge L. Engineering Interfacial Molecular Interactions on Ag Hollow Fibre Gas Diffusion Electrodes for High Efficiency in CO 2 Conversion to CO. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202403251. [PMID: 39380544 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202403251] [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: 08/30/2024] [Revised: 10/01/2024] [Accepted: 10/09/2024] [Indexed: 10/10/2024]
Abstract
The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) occurs at the nanoscale interface of the electrode-electrolyte. Therefore, tailoring the interfacial properties in the interface microenvironment provides a powerful strategy to optimise the activity and selectivity of electrocatalysts towards the desired products. Here, the microenvironment at the electrode-electrolyte interface of the flow-through Ag-based hollow fibre gas diffusion electrode (Ag HFGDE) is modulated by introducing surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the electrolyte additive. The porous hollow fibre configuration and gas penetration mode facilitate the CO2 mass transfer and the formation of the triple-phase interface. Through the ordered arrangement of hydrophobic long-alkyl chains, CTAB molecules at the electrode/electrolyte interface promoted CO2 penetration to active sites and repelled water to reduce the activity of competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). By applying CTAB-containing catholyte, Ag HFGDE achieved a high CO Faradaic efficiency (FE) of over 95 % in a wide potential range and double the partial current density of CO. The enhancement of CO selectivity and suppression of hydrogen was attributed to the improvement of charge transfer and the CO2/H2O ratio enhancement. These findings highlight the importance of adjusting the local microenvironment to enhance the reaction kinetics and product selectivity in the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction CO2RR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yizhu Kuang
- Centre for Future Materials, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, QLD, 4300, Australia
| | - Guoliang Chen
- Centre for Future Materials, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, QLD, 4300, Australia
| | | | - Hesamoddin Rabiee
- Centre for Future Materials, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, QLD, 4300, Australia
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
- University of Bern, Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Freiestrasse 3, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Beibei Ma
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Fatereh Dorosti
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Ashok Kumar Nanjundan
- Centre for Future Materials, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, QLD, 4300, Australia
- School of Engineering, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, QLD, 4300, Australia
| | - Zhonghua Zhu
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Hao Wang
- Centre for Future Materials, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, QLD, 4300, Australia
- School of Engineering, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, QLD, 4300, Australia
| | - Lei Ge
- Centre for Future Materials, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, QLD, 4300, Australia
- School of Engineering, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, QLD, 4300, Australia
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9
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Qin Y, Xia C, Wu T, Zhang J, Gao G, Xia BY, Coote ML, Ding S, Su Y. Specific Adsorption of Alkaline Cations Enhances CO-CO Coupling in CO 2 Electroreduction. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:32539-32549. [PMID: 39556788 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c10455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2024]
Abstract
Electrolyte alkaline cations can significantly modulate the reaction selectivity of electrochemical CO2 reduction (eCO2R), enhancing the yield of the valuable multicarbon (C2+) chemical feedstocks. However, the mechanism underlying this cation effect on the C-C coupling remains unclear. Herein, by performing constant-potential AIMD simulations, we studied the dynamic behavior of interfacial K+ ions over Cu surfaces during C-C coupling and the origin of the cation effect. We showed that the specific adsorption of K+ readily occurs at the surface sites adjacent to the *CO intermediates on the Cu surfaces. Furthermore, this specific adsorption of K+ during *CO-*CO coupling is more important than quasi-specific adsorption for enhancing coupling kinetics, reducing the coupling barriers by approximately 0.20 eV. Electronic structure analysis revealed that charge redistribution occurs between the specifically adsorbed K+, *CO, and Cu sites, and this can account for the reduced barriers. In addition, we identified excellent *CO-*CO coupling selectivity on Cu(100) with K+ ions. Experimental results show that suppressing surface K+-specific adsorption using the surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) significantly decreases the Faradaic efficiency for C2 products from 41.1% to 4.3%, consistent with our computational findings. This study provides crucial insights for improving the selectivity toward C2+ products by rationally tuning interfacial cation adsorption during eCO2R. Specifically, C-C coupling can be enhanced by promoting K+-specific adsorption, for example, by confining K+ within a coated layer or using pulsed negative potentials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyang Qin
- School of Chemistry, Engineering Research Center of Energy Storage Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, National Innovation Platform (Center) for Industry-Education Integration of Energy Storage Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
- Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia 5042, Australia
| | - Chenfeng Xia
- Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry and Service Failure, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Tiantian Wu
- School of Chemistry, Engineering Research Center of Energy Storage Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, National Innovation Platform (Center) for Industry-Education Integration of Energy Storage Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Jianrui Zhang
- School of Chemistry, Engineering Research Center of Energy Storage Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, National Innovation Platform (Center) for Industry-Education Integration of Energy Storage Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Guoxin Gao
- School of Chemistry, Engineering Research Center of Energy Storage Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, National Innovation Platform (Center) for Industry-Education Integration of Energy Storage Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Bao Yu Xia
- Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry and Service Failure, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Michelle L Coote
- Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia 5042, Australia
| | - Shujiang Ding
- School of Chemistry, Engineering Research Center of Energy Storage Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, National Innovation Platform (Center) for Industry-Education Integration of Energy Storage Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Yaqiong Su
- School of Chemistry, Engineering Research Center of Energy Storage Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, National Innovation Platform (Center) for Industry-Education Integration of Energy Storage Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
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10
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Yoo JM, Ingenmey J, Salanne M, Lukatskaya MR. Anion Effect in Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction: From Spectators to Orchestrators. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:31768-31777. [PMID: 39406354 PMCID: PMC11583205 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c10661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2024]
Abstract
The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (eCO2RR) offers a pathway to produce valuable chemical fuels from CO2. However, its efficiency in aqueous electrolytes is hindered by the concurrent H2 evolution reaction (HER), which takes place at similar potentials. While the influence of cations on this process has been extensively studied, the influence of anions remains largely unexplored. In this work, we study how eCO2RR selectivity and activity on a gold catalyst are affected by a wide range of inorganic and carboxylate anions. We utilize in situ differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS) for real-time product monitoring coupled with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We show that anions significantly impact eCO2RR kinetics and eCO2RR selectivity. MD simulations reveal a new descriptor─free energy of anion physisorption─where weakly adsorbing anions enable favorable CO2 reduction kinetics, despite the negative charge carried by the electrode surface. By leveraging these fundamental insights, we identify propionate as the most promising anion, achieving nearly 100% Faradaic efficiency while showing high CO production rates that are comparable to those in bicarbonate. These insights underscore the vital role of anion selection in achieving a highly efficient eCO2RR in aqueous electrolytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Mun Yoo
- Electrochemical Energy Systems Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Ingenmey
- CNRS, Physicochimie des Électrolytes et Nanosystèmes Interfaciaux, Sorbonne Université, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Salanne
- CNRS, Physicochimie des Électrolytes et Nanosystèmes Interfaciaux, Sorbonne Université, F-75005 Paris, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 75231 Paris, France
| | - Maria R Lukatskaya
- Electrochemical Energy Systems Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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11
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Nelson VE, O'Brien CP, Edwards JP, Liu S, Gabardo CM, Sargent EH, Sinton D. Scaling CO 2 Electrolyzer Cell Area from Bench to Pilot. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:50818-50825. [PMID: 39254196 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c11103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/11/2024]
Abstract
To contribute meaningfully to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reduction, CO2 electrolyzer technology will need to scale immensely. Bench-scale electrolyzers are the norm, with active areas <5 cm2. However, cell areas on the order of 100s or 1000s of cm2 will be required for industrial deployment. Here, we study the effects of increasing cell area, scaling over 2 orders of magnitude from a 5 cm2 lab-scale cell to an 800 cm2 pilot plant-scale cell. A direct scaling of the bench-scale cell architecture to the larger area results in a ∼20% drop in ethylene (C2H4) selectivity and an increase in the parasitic hydrogen (H2) evolution reaction (HER). We instrument an 800 cm2 electrolyzer cell to serve as a diagnostic tool and determine that nonuniformities in electrode compression and flow-influenced local CO2 availability are the key drivers of performance loss upon scaling. Machining of an initial 800 cm2 cell results in a standard deviation in MEA compression that is 7-fold that of a similarly produced 5 cm2 cell (0.009 mm). Using these findings, we redesign an 800 cm2 cell for compression tolerance and increased CO2 transport and achieve an H2 FE in the revised 800 cm2 cell similar to that of the 5 cm2 case (16% at 200 mA cm-2). These results demonstrate that by ensuring uniform compression and fluid flow, the CO2 electrolyzer area can be scaled over 100-fold and retain C2H4 selectivity (within 10% of small-scale selectivity).
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian E Nelson
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Road, Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Colin P O'Brien
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Road, Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Jonathan P Edwards
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Road, Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Shijie Liu
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Road, Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Christine M Gabardo
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Road, Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Edward H Sargent
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, 10 King's College Road, Toronto, ON M5S 3G4, 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, 5 King's College Road, Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, Canada
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12
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Yang J, Jiao J, Liu S, Yin Y, Cheng Y, Wang Y, Zhou M, Zhao W, Tong X, Jing L, Zhang P, Sun X, Zhu Q, Kang X, Han B. Switching Reaction Pathways of CO 2 Electroreduction by Modulating Cations in the Electrochemical Double Layer. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202410145. [PMID: 38979674 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202410145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Tuning the selectivity of CO2 electroreduction reaction (CO2RR) solely by changing electrolyte is a very attractive topic. In this study, we conducted CO2RR in different aqueous electrolytes over bulk metal electrodes. It was discovered that controlled CO2RR could be achieved by modulating cations in the electrochemical double layer. Specifically, ionic liquid cations in the electrolyte significantly inhibits the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), while yielding high Faraday efficiencies toward CO (FECO) or formate (FEformate) depending on the alkali metal cations. For example, the product could be switched from CO (FECO=97.3 %) to formate (FEformate=93.5 %) by changing the electrolyte from 0.1 M KBr-0.5 M 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (OmimBr) to 0.1 M CsBr-0.5 M OmimBr aqueous solutions over pristine Cu foil electrode. In situ spectroscopy and theoretical calculations reveal that the ordered structure generated by the assembly of Omim+ under an applied negative potential alters the hydrogen bonding structure of the interfacial water, thereby inhibiting the HER. The difference in selectivity in the presence of different cations is attributed to the hydrogen bonding effect caused by Omim+, which alters the solvated structure of the alkali metal cations and thus affects the stabilization of intermediates of different pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahao Yang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jiapeng Jiao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Shiqiang Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yaoyu Yin
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yingying Cheng
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yiyong Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Meng Zhou
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Wenling Zhao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xing Tong
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lihong Jing
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Pei Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Xiaofu Sun
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qinggong Zhu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xinchen Kang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Buxing Han
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
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13
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Wang M, Kong L, Lu X, Wu CML. Coordination Environment Engineering to Regulate the Adsorption Strength of Intermediates in Single Atom Catalysts for High-performance CO 2 Reaction Reduction. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2310339. [PMID: 38295011 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202310339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
The modulation of the coordination environment of single atom catalysts (SACs) plays a vital role in promoting CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). Herein, N or B doped Fe-embedded graphyne (Fe-GY), Fe-nXGYm (n = 1, 2, 3; X = N, B; m = 1, 2, 3), are employed as probes to reveal the effect of the coordination environment engineering on CO2RR performance via heteroatom doping in SACs. The results show that the doping position and number of N or B in Fe-GY significantly affects catalyst activity and CO2RR product selectivity. In comparison, Fe-1NGY exhibits high-performance CO2RR to CH4 with a low limiting potential of -0.17 V, and Fe-2NGY3 is demonstrated as an excellent CO2RR electrocatalyst for producing HCOOH with a low limiting potential of -0.16 V. With applied potential, Fe-GY, Fe-1NGY, and Fe-2NGY3 exhibit significant advantages in CO2RR to CH4 while hydrogen evolution reaction is inhibited. The intrinsic essence analysis illustrates that heteroatom doping modulates the electronic structure of active sites and regulates the adsorption strength of the intermediates, thereby rendering a favorable coordination environment for CO2RR. This work highlights Fe-nXGYm as outstanding SACs for CO2RR, and provides an in-depth insight into the intrinsic essence of the promotion effect from heteroatom doping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maohuai Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P. R. China
| | - Lingyan Kong
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoqing Lu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, Shandong, 266580, P. R. China
| | - Chi-Man Lawrence Wu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P. R. China
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14
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Wei S, Liu W, Bai P, Yang C, Kong X, Xu L. Magnetic fields promote electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction via subtle modulations of magnetic moments and molecular bonding. ECO-ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH 2024; 3:247-255. [PMID: 38708006 PMCID: PMC11068524 DOI: 10.1016/j.eehl.2024.02.003] [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: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Introducing a magnetic-field gradient into an electrically driven chemical reaction is expected to give rise to intriguing research possibilities. In this work, we elaborate on the modes and mechanisms of electrocatalytic activity (from the perspective of alignment of magnetic moments) and selectivity (at the molecular level) for the CO2 reduction reaction in response to external magnetic fields. We establish a positive correlation between magnetic field strengths and apparent current densities. This correlation can be rationalized by the formation of longer-range ordering of magnetic moments and the resulting decrease in the scattering of conduction electrons and charge-transfer resistances as the field strength increases. Furthermore, aided by the magnetic-field-equipped operando infrared spectroscopy, we find that applied magnetic fields are capable of weakening the C-O bond strength of the key intermediate ∗COOH and elongating the C-O bond length, thereby increasing the faradaic efficiency for the electroreduction of CO2 to CO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilin Wei
- MOE Key Laboratory of Coal Processing and Efficient Utilization, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Weiqi Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Coal Processing and Efficient Utilization, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Peiyao Bai
- MOE Key Laboratory of Coal Processing and Efficient Utilization, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Chuangchuang Yang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Coal Processing and Efficient Utilization, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Xiao Kong
- MOE Key Laboratory of Coal Processing and Efficient Utilization, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Lang Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Coal Processing and Efficient Utilization, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
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15
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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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16
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Guo L, Zhou J, Liu F, Meng X, Ma Y, Hao F, Xiong Y, Fan Z. Electronic Structure Design of Transition Metal-Based Catalysts for Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction. ACS NANO 2024; 18:9823-9851. [PMID: 38546130 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c01456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
With the increasingly serious greenhouse effect, the electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) has garnered widespread attention as it is capable of leveraging renewable energy to convert CO2 into value-added chemicals and fuels. However, the performance of CO2RR can hardly meet expectations because of the diverse intermediates and complicated reaction processes, necessitating the exploitation of highly efficient catalysts. In recent years, with advanced characterization technologies and theoretical simulations, the exploration of catalytic mechanisms has gradually deepened into the electronic structure of catalysts and their interactions with intermediates, which serve as a bridge to facilitate the deeper comprehension of structure-performance relationships. Transition metal-based catalysts (TMCs), extensively applied in electrochemical CO2RR, demonstrate substantial potential for further electronic structure modulation, given their abundance of d electrons. Herein, we discuss the representative feasible strategies to modulate the electronic structure of catalysts, including doping, vacancy, alloying, heterostructure, strain, and phase engineering. These approaches profoundly alter the inherent properties of TMCs and their interaction with intermediates, thereby greatly affecting the reaction rate and pathway of CO2RR. It is believed that the rational electronic structure design and modulation can fundamentally provide viable directions and strategies for the development of advanced catalysts toward efficient electrochemical conversion of CO2 and many other small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Guo
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
- Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center (NPMM), City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Jingwen Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
- Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center (NPMM), City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Fu Liu
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Xiang Meng
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
- Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center (NPMM), City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Yangbo Ma
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Fengkun Hao
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Yuecheng Xiong
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
- Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center (NPMM), City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Zhanxi Fan
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
- Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center (NPMM), City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518057, China
- Hong Kong Institute for Clean Energy (HKICE), City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
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17
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Song Y, Guo P, Ma T, Su J, Huang L, Guo W, Liu Y, Li G, Xin Y, Zhang Q, Zhang S, Shen H, Feng X, Yang D, Tian J, Ravi SK, Tang BZ, Ye R. Ultrathin, Cationic Covalent Organic Nanosheets for Enhanced CO 2 Electroreduction to Methanol. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2310037. [PMID: 37931925 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202310037] [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: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Metalloporphyrins and metallophthalocyanines emerge as popular building blocks to develop covalent organic nanosheets (CONs) for CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). However, existing CONs predominantly yield CO, posing a challenge in achieving efficient methanol production through multielectron reduction. Here, ultrathin, cationic, and cobalt-phthalocyanine-based CONs (iminium-CONs) are reported for electrochemical CO2-to-CH3OH conversion. The integration of quaternary iminium groups enables the formation of ultrathin morphology with uniformly anchored cobalt active sites, which are pivotal for facilitating rapid multielectron transfer. Moreover, the cationic iminium-CONs exhibit a lower activity for hydrogen evolution side reaction. Consequently, iminium-CONs manifest significantly enhanced selectivity for methanol production, as evidenced by a remarkable 711% and 270% improvement in methanol partial current density (jCH3OH) compared to pristine CoTAPc and neutral imine-CONs, respectively. Under optimized conditions, iminium-CONs deliver a high jCH3OH of 91.7 mA cm-2 at -0.78 V in a flow cell. Further, iminium-CONs achieve a global methanol Faradaic efficiency (FECH3OH) of 54% in a tandem device. Thanks to the single-site feature, the methanol is produced without the concurrent generation of other liquid byproducts. This work underscores the potential of cationic covalent organic nanosheets as a compelling platform for electrochemical six-electron reduction of CO2 to methanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Song
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, China
| | - Peng Guo
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Self-Assembly Chemistry for Organic Functional Molecules, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Tinghao Ma
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, China
| | - Jianjun Su
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Libei Huang
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Weihua Guo
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Yong Liu
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Geng Li
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Yinger Xin
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Siwei Zhang
- Shenzhen Institute of Molecular Aggregate Science and Engineering, School of Science and Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Longgang District, Shenzhen, 518172, China
- Department of Chemistry and the Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Hanchen Shen
- Shenzhen Institute of Molecular Aggregate Science and Engineering, School of Science and Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Longgang District, Shenzhen, 518172, China
- Department of Chemistry and the Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Xing Feng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Information Photonics Technology, School of Material and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
| | - Dengtao Yang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, China
| | - Jia Tian
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Self-Assembly Chemistry for Organic Functional Molecules, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Sai Kishore Ravi
- School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Ben Zhong Tang
- Shenzhen Institute of Molecular Aggregate Science and Engineering, School of Science and Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Longgang District, Shenzhen, 518172, China
- Department of Chemistry and the Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Ruquan Ye
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, China
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18
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Chen Y, Li XY, Chen Z, Ozden A, Huang JE, Ou P, Dong J, Zhang J, Tian C, Lee BH, Wang X, Liu S, Qu Q, Wang S, Xu Y, Miao RK, Zhao Y, Liu Y, Qiu C, Abed J, Liu H, Shin H, Wang D, Li Y, Sinton D, Sargent EH. Efficient multicarbon formation in acidic CO 2 reduction via tandem electrocatalysis. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 19:311-318. [PMID: 37996517 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-023-01543-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
The electrochemical reduction of CO2 in acidic conditions enables high single-pass carbon efficiency. However, the competing hydrogen evolution reaction reduces selectivity in the electrochemical reduction of CO2, a reaction in which the formation of CO, and its ensuing coupling, are each essential to achieving multicarbon (C2+) product formation. These two reactions rely on distinct catalyst properties that are difficult to achieve in a single catalyst. Here we report decoupling the CO2-to-C2+ reaction into two steps, CO2-to-CO and CO-to-C2+, by deploying two distinct catalyst layers operating in tandem to achieve the desired transformation. The first catalyst, atomically dispersed cobalt phthalocyanine, reduces CO2 to CO with high selectivity. This process increases local CO availability to enhance the C-C coupling step implemented on the second catalyst layer, which is a Cu nanocatalyst with a Cu-ionomer interface. The optimized tandem electrodes achieve 61% C2H4 Faradaic efficiency and 82% C2+ Faradaic efficiency at 800 mA cm-2 at 25 °C. When optimized for single-pass utilization, the system reaches a single-pass carbon efficiency of 90 ± 3%, simultaneous with 55 ± 3% C2H4 Faradaic efficiency and a total C2+ Faradaic efficiency of 76 ± 2%, at 800 mA cm-2 with a CO2 flow rate of 2 ml min-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanjun Chen
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Xiao-Yan Li
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Zhu Chen
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Adnan Ozden
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jianan Erick Huang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pengfei Ou
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Juncai Dong
- Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinqiang Zhang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cong Tian
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Byoung-Hoon Lee
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Xinyue Wang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shijie Liu
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Qingyun Qu
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Sasa Wang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rui Kai Miao
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yong Zhao
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yanjiang Liu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chenyue Qiu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jehad Abed
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hengzhou Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Heejong Shin
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Dingsheng Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yadong Li
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - David Sinton
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Edward H Sargent
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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19
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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: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [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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20
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Gerke CS, Xu Y, Yang Y, Foley GD, Zhang B, Shi E, Bedford NM, Che F, Thoi VS. Electrochemical C-N Bond Formation within Boron Imidazolate Cages Featuring Single Copper Sites. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:26144-26151. [PMID: 38053495 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c08359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Electrocatalysis expands the ability to generate industrially relevant chemicals locally and on-demand with intermittent renewable energy, thereby improving grid resiliency and reducing supply logistics. Herein, we report the feasibility of using molecular copper boron-imidazolate cages, BIF-29(Cu), to enable coupling between the electroreduction reaction of CO2 (CO2RR) with NO3- reduction (NO3RR) to produce urea with high selectivity of 68.5% and activity of 424 μA cm-2. Remarkably, BIF-29(Cu) is among the most selective systems for this multistep C-N coupling to-date, despite possessing isolated single-metal sites. The mechanism for C-N bond formation was probed with a combination of electrochemical analysis, in situ spectroscopy, and atomic-scale simulations. We found that NO3RR and CO2RR occur in tandem at separate copper sites with the most favorable C-N coupling pathway following the condensation between *CO and NH2OH to produce urea. This work highlights the utility of supramolecular metal-organic cages with atomically discrete active sites to enable highly efficient coupling reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carter S Gerke
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Yuting Xu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, United States
| | - Yuwei Yang
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Gregory D Foley
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Briana Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Ethan Shi
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Nicholas M Bedford
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Fanglin Che
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, United States
| | - V Sara Thoi
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
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21
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Chen Z, Cao S, Li J, Yang C, Wei S, Liu S, Wang Z, Lu X. N,S coordination in Ni single-atom catalyst promoting CO 2RR towards HCOOH. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:29951-29959. [PMID: 37902067 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp03722c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
Carbon-based single atom catalysts (SACs) are attracting extensive attention in the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) due to their maximal atomic utilization, easily regulated active center and high catalytic activity, in which the coordination environment plays a crucial role in the intrinsic catalytic activity. Taking NiN4 as an example, this study reveals that the introduction of different numbers of S atoms into N coordination (Ni-NxS4-x (x = 1-4)) results in outstanding structural stability and catalytic activity. Owing to the additional orbitals around -1.60 eV and abundant Ni dxz, dyz, dx2, and dz2 orbital occupation after S substitution, N,S coordination can effectively facilitate the protonation of adsorbed intermediates and thus accelerate the overall CO2RR. The CO2RR mechanisms for CO and HCOOH generation via two-electron pathways are systematically elucidated on NiN4, NiN3S1 and NiN2S2. NiN2S2 yields HCOOH as the most favorable product with a limiting potential of -0.24 V, surpassing NiN4 (-1.14 V) and NiN3S1 (-0.50 V), which indicates that the different S-atom substitution of NiN4 has considerable influence on the CO2RR performance. This work highlights NiN2S2 as a high-performance CO2RR catalyst to produce HCOOH, and demonstrates that N,S coordination is an effective strategy to regulate the performance of atomically dispersed electrocatalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zengxuan Chen
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, Shandong 266580, P. R. China.
| | - Shoufu Cao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, Shandong 266580, P. R. China.
| | - Jiao Li
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, Shandong 266580, P. R. China.
| | - Chunyu Yang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, Shandong 266580, P. R. China.
| | - Shuxian Wei
- College of Science, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, Shandong 266580, P. R. China
| | - Siyuan Liu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, Shandong 266580, P. R. China.
| | - Zhaojie Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, Shandong 266580, P. R. China.
| | - Xiaoqing Lu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, Shandong 266580, P. R. China.
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22
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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: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [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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23
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De La Torre P, An L, Chang CJ. Porosity as a Design Element for Developing Catalytic Molecular Materials for Electrochemical and Photochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2302122. [PMID: 37144618 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202302122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The catalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) using sustainable energy inputs is a promising strategy for upcycling of atmospheric carbon into value-added chemical products. This goal has inspired the development of catalysts for selective and efficient CO2 conversion using electrochemical and photochemical methods. Among the diverse array of catalyst systems designed for this purpose, 2D and 3D platforms that feature porosity offer the potential to combine carbon capture and conversion. Included are covalent organic frameworks (COFs), metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), porous molecular cages, and other hybrid molecular materials developed to increase active site exposure, stability, and water compatibility while maintaining precise molecular tunability. This mini-review showcases catalysts for the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR) that incorporate well-defined molecular elements integrated into porous materials structures. Selected examples provide insights into how different approaches to this overall design strategy can augment their electrocatalytic and/or photocatalytic CO2 reduction activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia De La Torre
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720-1460, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720-1460, USA
| | - Lun An
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720-1460, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720-1460, USA
| | - Christopher J Chang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720-1460, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720-1460, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720-1460, USA
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24
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Ni W, Guan Y, Chen H, Zhang Y, Wang S, Zhang S. Molecular Engineering of Cation Solvation Structure for Highly Selective Carbon Dioxide Electroreduction. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202303233. [PMID: 37507348 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202303233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Balancing the activation of H2 O is crucial for highly selective CO2 electroreduction (CO2 RR), as the protonation steps of CO2 RR require fast H2 O dissociation kinetics, while suppressing hydrogen evolution (HER) demands slow H2 O reduction. We herein proposed one molecular engineering strategy to regulate the H2 O activation using aprotic organic small molecules with high Gutmann donor number as a solvation shell regulator. These organic molecules occupy the first solvation shell of K+ and accumulate in the electrical double layer, decreasing the H2 O density at the interface and the relative content of proton suppliers (free and coordinated H2 O), suppressing the HER. The adsorbed H2 O was stabilized via the second sphere effect and its dissociation was promoted by weakening the O-H bond, which accelerates the subsequent *CO2 protonation kinetics and reduces the energy barrier. In the model electrolyte containing 5 M dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as an additive (KCl-DMSO-5), the highest CO selectivity over Ag foil increased to 99.2 %, with FECO higher than 90.0 % within -0.75 to -1.15 V (vs. RHE). This molecular engineering strategy for cation solvation shell can be extended to other metal electrodes, such as Zn and Sn, and organic molecules like N,N-dimethylformamide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenpeng Ni
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410004, China
| | - Yongji Guan
- Institute of Optoelectronics and Electromagnetic Information, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Houjun Chen
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410004, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410004, China
| | - Shuangyin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chem/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, Advanced Catalytic Engineering Research Center of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Shiguo Zhang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410004, China
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25
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Ren Z, Zhao B, Xie J. Designing N-Confused Metalloporphyrin-Based Covalent Organic Frameworks for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Carbon Dioxide Reduction. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2301818. [PMID: 37010014 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202301818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) into value-added products is promising to alleviate greenhouse gas emission and energy demands. Metalloporphyrin-based covalent organic frameworks (MN4 -Por-COFs) provide a platform for rational design of electrocatalyst for CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR). Herein, through systematic quantum-chemical studies, the N-confused metallo-Por-COFs are reported as novel catalysts for CO2 RR. For MN4 -Por-COFs, among the ten 3d metals, M = Co/Cr stands out in catalyzing CO2 RR to CO or HCOOH; hence, N-confused Por-COFs with Co/CrN3 C1 and Co/CrN2 C2 centers are designed. Calculations indicate CoNx Cy -Por-COFs exhibit lower limiting potential (-0.76 and -0.60 V) for CO2 -to-CO reduction than its parent CoN4 -Por-COFs (-0.89 V) and make it feasible to yield deep-reduction degree C1 products CH3 OH and CH4 . Electronic structure analysis reveals that substituting CoN4 to CoN3 C1 /CoN2 C2 increases the electron density on Co-atom and raises the d-band center, thus stabilizing the key intermediates of the potential determining step and lowering the limiting potential. For similar reason, changing the core from CrN4 to CrN3 C1 /CrN2 C2 lowers the limiting potential for CO2 -to-HCOOH reduction. This work predicts N-confused Co/CrNx Cy -Por-COFs to be high-performance CO2 RR catalyst candidates. Inspiringly, as a proof-of-concept study, it provides an alternative strategy for coordination regulation and theoretical guidelines for rational design of catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixin Ren
- Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic/Electrophotonic Conversion Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Bo Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic/Electrophotonic Conversion Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Jing Xie
- Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic/Electrophotonic Conversion Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
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26
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An H, de Ruiter J, Wu L, Yang S, Meirer F, van der Stam W, Weckhuysen BM. Spatiotemporal Mapping of Local Heterogeneities during Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction. JACS AU 2023; 3:1890-1901. [PMID: 37502158 PMCID: PMC10369669 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00129] [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: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
The activity and selectivity of a copper electrocatalyst during the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (eCO2RR) are largely dominated by the interplay between local reaction environment, the catalyst surface, and the adsorbed intermediates. In situ characterization studies have revealed many aspects of this intimate relationship between surface reactivity and adsorbed species, but these investigations are often limited by the spatial and temporal resolution of the analytical technique of choice. Here, Raman spectroscopy with both space and time resolution was used to reveal the distribution of adsorbed species and potential reaction intermediates on a copper electrode during eCO2RR. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the in situ Raman spectra revealed that a working electrocatalyst exhibits spatial heterogeneities in adsorbed species, and that the electrode surface can be divided into CO-dominant (mainly located at dendrite structures) and C-C dominant regions (mainly located at the roughened electrode surface). Our spectral evaluation further showed that in the CO-dominant regions, linear CO was observed (as characterized by a band at ∼2090 cm-1), accompanied by the more classical Cu-CO bending and stretching vibrations located at ∼280 and ∼360 cm-1, respectively. In contrast, in the C-C directing region, these three Raman bands are suppressed, while at the same time a band at ∼495 cm-1 and a broad Cu-CO band at ∼2050 cm-1 dominate the Raman spectra. Furthermore, PCA revealed that anodization creates more C-C dominant regions, and labeling experiments confirmed that the 495 cm-1 band originates from the presence of a Cu-C intermediate. These results indicate that a copper electrode at work is very dynamic, thereby clearly displaying spatiotemporal heterogeneities, and that in situ micro-spectroscopic techniques are crucial for understanding the eCO2RR mechanism of working electrocatalyst materials.
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27
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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: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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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28
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Wang Y, Xiao Y, Wang Y, Lin Q, Zhu Y, Ni Z, Qiu R. Electroreductive Defluorination of Unsaturated PFAS by a Quaternary Ammonium Surfactant-Modified Cathode via Direct Cathodic Reduction. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:7578-7589. [PMID: 37116179 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c08182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Remediation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater remains a technological challenge due to the trace concentrations of PFAS and the strength of their C-F bonds. This study investigated an electroreductive system with a quaternary ammonium surfactant-modified cathode for degrading (E)-perfluoro(4-methylpent-2-enoic acid) (PFMeUPA) at a low cathodic potential. A removal efficiency of 99.81% and defluorination efficiency of 78.67% were achieved under -1.6 V (vs Ag/AgCl) at the cathode modified by octadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (OTAB). The overall degradation procedure started with the adsorption of PFMeUPA onto the modified cathode. This adsorption process was promoted by hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions between the surfactants and PFMeUPA, of which the binding percentage, binding mode, and binding energy were determined via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The step-wise degradation pathway of PFMeUPA, including reductive defluorination and hydrogenation, was derived. Meanwhile, C-F bond breaking with direct electron transfer only was achieved for the first time in this study, which also showed that the C═C bond structure of PFAS facilitates the C-F cleavage. Overall, this study highlights the crucial role of quaternary ammonium surfactants in electron transfer and electrocatalytic activities in the electroreductive system and provides insights into novel remediation approaches on PFAS-contaminated groundwater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Ye Xiao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yafei Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Qingqi Lin
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural & Rural Pollution Abatement and Environmental Safety, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yanping Zhu
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural & Rural Pollution Abatement and Environmental Safety, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Zhuobiao Ni
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural & Rural Pollution Abatement and Environmental Safety, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Rongliang Qiu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural & Rural Pollution Abatement and Environmental Safety, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
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29
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Deng Y, Zhao J, Wang S, Chen R, Ding J, Tsai HJ, Zeng WJ, Hung SF, Xu W, Wang J, Jaouen F, Li X, Huang Y, Liu B. Operando Spectroscopic Analysis of Axial Oxygen-Coordinated Single-Sn-Atom Sites for Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:7242-7251. [PMID: 36877826 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c12952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Sn-based materials have been demonstrated as promising catalysts for the selective electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). However, the detailed structures of catalytic intermediates and the key surface species remain to be identified. In this work, a series of single-Sn-atom catalysts with well-defined structures is developed as model systems to explore their electrochemical reactivity toward CO2RR. The selectivity and activity of CO2 reduction to formic acid on Sn-single-atom sites are shown to be correlated with Sn(IV)-N4 moieties axially coordinated with oxygen (O-Sn-N4), reaching an optimal HCOOH Faradaic efficiency of 89.4% with a partial current density (jHCOOH) of 74.8 mA·cm-2 at -1.0 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). Employing a combination of operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy, attenuated total reflectance surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and 119Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy, surface-bound bidentate tin carbonate species are captured during CO2RR. Moreover, the electronic and coordination structures of the single-Sn-atom species under reaction conditions are determined. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further support the preferred formation of Sn-O-CO2 species over the O-Sn-N4 sites, which effectively modulates the adsorption configuration of the reactive intermediates and lowers the energy barrier for the hydrogenation of *OCHO species, as compared to the preferred formation of *COOH species over the Sn-N4 sites, thereby greatly facilitating CO2-to-HCOOH conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yachen Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Jian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China
| | - Shifu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China.,Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, P. R. China
| | - Ruru Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China.,Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, P. R. China
| | - Jie Ding
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637459, Singapore
| | - Hsin-Jung Tsai
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Jing Zeng
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
| | - Sung-Fu Hung
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
| | - Wei Xu
- Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Beijing 100049, P. R. China.,RICMASS, Rome International Center for Materials Science Superstripes, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Junhu Wang
- Center for Advanced Mössbauer Spectroscopy, Mössbauer Effect Data Center, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China
| | - Frédéric Jaouen
- Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, Montpellier 34095, France
| | - Xuning Li
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Yanqiang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China.,Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, P. R. China
| | - Bin Liu
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637459, Singapore.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
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30
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Pennathur AK, Tseng C, Salazar N, Dawlaty JM. Controlling Water Delivery to an Electrochemical Interface with Surfactants. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:2421-2429. [PMID: 36688713 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c11503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Most electrochemical reactions require delivery of protons, often from water, to surface-adsorbed species. However, water also acts as a competitor to many such processes by directly reacting with the electrode, which necessitates using water in small amounts. Controlling the water content and structure near the surface is an important frontier in directing the reactivity and selectivity of electrochemical reactions. Surfactants accumulate near surfaces, and therefore, they can be used as agents to control interfacial water. Using mid-IR spectro-electrochemistry, we show that a modest concentration (1 mM) of the cationic surfactant CTAB in mixtures of 10 M water in an organic solvent (dDMSO) has a large effect on the interfacial water concentration, changing it by up to ∼35% in the presence of an applied potential. The major cause of water content change is displacement due to the accumulation or depletion of surfactants driven by potential. Two forces drive the surfactants to the electrode: the applied potential and the hydrophobic interactions with the water in the bulk. We have quantified their competition by varying the water content in the bulk. To our knowledge, for the first time, we have identified the electrochemical equivalent of the hydrophobic drive. For our system, a change in applied potential of 1 V has the same effect as adding a 0.55 mole fraction of water to the bulk. This work illustrates the significance of surfactants in the partitioning of water between the bulk and the surface and paves the way toward engineering interfacial water structures for controlling electrochemical reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuj K Pennathur
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Cindy Tseng
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Noemi Salazar
- Department of Chemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Jahan M Dawlaty
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
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31
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Cao Y, Shi L, Li M, You B, Liao R. Deciphering the Selectivity of the Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction to CO by a Cobalt Porphyrin Catalyst in Neutral Aqueous Solution: Insights from DFT Calculations. ChemistryOpen 2023; 12:e202200254. [PMID: 36744721 PMCID: PMC9900731 DOI: 10.1002/open.202200254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were conducted to investigate the cobalt porphyrin-catalyzed electro-reduction of CO2 to CO in an aqueous solution. The results suggest that CoII -porphyrin (CoII -L) undertakes a ligand-based reduction to generate the active species CoII -L⋅- , where the CoII center antiferromagnetically interacts with the ligand radical anion. CoII -L⋅- then performs a nucleophilic attack on CO2 , followed by protonation and a reduction to give CoII -L-COOH. An intermolecular proton transfer leads to the heterolytic cleavage of the C-O bond, producing intermediate CoII -L-CO. Subsequently, CO is released from CoII -L-CO, and CoII -L is regenerated to catalyze the next cycle. The rate-determining step of this CO2 RR is the nucleophilic attack on CO2 by CoII -L⋅- , with a total barrier of 20.7 kcal mol-1 . The competing hydrogen evolution reaction is associated with a higher total barrier. A computational investigation regarding the substituent effects of the catalyst indicates that the CoPor-R3 complex is likely to display the highest activity and selectivity as a molecular catalyst.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu‐Chen Cao
- Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry for Energy Conversion and StorageMinistry of EducationHubei Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry and Materia MedicaHubei Key Laboratory of Materials Chemistry and Service FailureSchool of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430074P. R. China
| | - Le‐Le Shi
- Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry for Energy Conversion and StorageMinistry of EducationHubei Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry and Materia MedicaHubei Key Laboratory of Materials Chemistry and Service FailureSchool of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430074P. R. China
| | - Man Li
- Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry for Energy Conversion and StorageMinistry of EducationHubei Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry and Materia MedicaHubei Key Laboratory of Materials Chemistry and Service FailureSchool of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430074P. R. China
| | - Bo You
- Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry for Energy Conversion and StorageMinistry of EducationHubei Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry and Materia MedicaHubei Key Laboratory of Materials Chemistry and Service FailureSchool of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430074P. R. China
| | - Rong‐Zhen Liao
- Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry for Energy Conversion and StorageMinistry of EducationHubei Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry and Materia MedicaHubei Key Laboratory of Materials Chemistry and Service FailureSchool of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430074P. R. China
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32
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Pan H, Wang F, She S, Zhang Z, Min S. Boosting CO 2 electroreduction on a Zn electrode via concurrent surface reconstruction and interfacial surfactant modification. Dalton Trans 2023; 52:556-561. [PMID: 36597855 DOI: 10.1039/d2dt03685a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Herein, we report an effective strategy for improving the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) performance of a Zn foil electrode via concurrent surface reconstruction and interfacial surfactant modification. The oxide-derived and CTAB-modified Zn electrode (OD-Zn-CTAB) prepared by electrochemically reducing the air-annealed Zn foil electrode in the presence of CTAB exhibits high electrocatalytic activity and selectivity for CO production with a CO partial current density (jCO) of 8.2 mA cm-2 and a CO faradaic efficiency (FECO) of 90% at -1.0 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), greatly outperforming the pristine Zn foil (FECO = 32.0%; jCO = 0.5 mA cm-2) and OD-Zn (FECO = 77.6%; jCO = 5.0 mA cm-2) obtained by electroreduction of annealed Zn. The greatly enhanced CO2RR performance of OD-Zn-CTAB can be attributed to the increased number of active sites originating from the surface reconstruction and the formation of a favorable CTAB-modified electrode/electrolyte (E/E) interface that can efficiently adsorb and activate CO2 while inhibiting the competitive H2 evolution reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Pan
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan, 750021, P. R. China.
| | - Fang Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan, 750021, P. R. China.
| | - Shixiong She
- College of Chemical Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, P. R. China
| | - Zhengguo Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan, 750021, P. R. China.
| | - Shixiong Min
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan, 750021, P. R. China.
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33
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Liu G, Zhan J, Zhang Z, Zhang LH, Yu F. Recent Advances of the Confinement Effects Boosting Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction. Chem Asian J 2023; 18:e202200983. [PMID: 36373345 DOI: 10.1002/asia.202200983] [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: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Powered by clean and renewable energy, electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR) to chemical feedstocks is an effective way to mitigate the greenhouse effect and artificially close the carbon cycle. However, the performance of electrocatalytic CO2 RR was impeded by the strong thermodynamic stability of CO2 molecules and the high susceptibility to hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in aqueous phase systems. Moreover, the numerous reaction intermediates formed at very near potentials lead to poor selectivity of reaction products, further preventing the industrialization of CO2 RR. Catalysis in confined space can enrich the reaction intermediates to improve their coverage at the active site, increase local pH to inhibit HER, and accelerate the mass transfer rate of reactants/products and subsequently facilitate CO2 RR performance. Therefore, we summarize the research progress on the application of the confinement effects in the direction of CO2 RR in theoretical and experimental directions. We first analyzed the mechanism of the confinement effect. Subsequently, the confinement effect was discussed in various forms, which can be characterized as an abnormal catalytic phenomenon due to the relative limitation of the reaction region. In specific, based on the physical structure of the catalyst, the confinement effect was divided in four categories: pore structure confinement, cavity structure confinement, active center confinement, and other confinement methods. Based on these discussions, we also have summarized the prospects and challenges in this field. This review aims to stimulate greater interests for the development of more efficient confined strategy for CO2 RR in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guomeng Liu
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Energy Conservation in Chemical Process Integration and Resources Utilization School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, P. R. China
| | - Jiauyu Zhan
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Energy Conservation in Chemical Process Integration and Resources Utilization School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, P. R. China
| | - Zisheng Zhang
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Energy Conservation in Chemical Process Integration and Resources Utilization School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, P. R. China
| | - Lu-Hua Zhang
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Energy Conservation in Chemical Process Integration and Resources Utilization School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, P. R. China
| | - Fengshou Yu
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Energy Conservation in Chemical Process Integration and Resources Utilization School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, P. R. China
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34
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Wang X, Zhu Y, Li H, Lee JM, Tang Y, Fu G. Rare-Earth Single-Atom Catalysts: A New Frontier in Photo/Electrocatalysis. SMALL METHODS 2022; 6:e2200413. [PMID: 35751459 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202200413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Single-atom catalysts (SACs) provide well-defined active sites with 100% atom utilization, and can be prepared using a wide range of support materials. Therefore, they are attracting global attention, especially in the fields of energy conversion and storage. To date, research has focused on transition-metal and precious-metal-based SACs. More recently, rare-earth (RE)-based SACs have emerged as a new frontier in photo/electrocatalysis owing to their unique electronic structure arising from the spin-orbit coupling of the 4f and valence orbitals, unsaturated coordination environment, and unique behavior as charge-transport bridges. However, a systematic review on the role of the RE active sites, catalytic mechanisms, and synthetic methods for RE SACs is lacking. Therefore, in this review, the latest developments in RE SACs having applications in photo/electrocatalysis are summarized and discussed. First, the theoretical advantages of RE SACs for photo/electrocatalysis are briefly introduced, focusing on the roles of the 4f orbitals and coupled energy levels. In addition, the most recent research progress on RE SACs is summarized for several important photo/electrocatalytic reactions and the corresponding catalytic mechanisms are discussed. Further, the synthetic strategies for the production of RE SACs are reported. Finally, challenges for the development of RE SACs are highlighted, along with future research directions and perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Power Batteries, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, P. R. China
| | - Yu Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Power Batteries, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, P. R. China
| | - Hao Li
- Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan
| | - Jong-Min Lee
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technology University, Singapore, 637459, Singapore
| | - Yawen Tang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Power Batteries, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, P. R. China
| | - Gengtao Fu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Power Batteries, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, P. R. China
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