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Kim L, Scougale WR, Sharma P, Shirato N, Wieghold S, Rose V, Chen W, Balasubramanian G, Chien T. Distinguishing Elements at the Sub-Nanometer Scale on the Surface of a High Entropy Alloy. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024:e2402442. [PMID: 38682745 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202402442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Materials in crystalline form possess translational symmetry (TS) when the unit cell is repeated in real space with long- and short-range orders. The periodic potential in the crystal regulates the electron wave function and results in unique band structures, which further define the physical properties of the materials. Amorphous materials lack TS due to the randomization of distances and arrangements between atoms, causing the electron wave function to lack a well-defined momentum. High entropy materials provide another way to break the TS by randomizing the potential strength at periodic atomic sites. The local elemental distribution has a great impact on physical properties in high entropy materials. It is critical to distinguish elements at the sub-nanometer scale to uncover the correlations between the elemental distribution and the material properties. Here, the use of synchrotron X-ray scanning tunneling microscopy (SX-STM) with sub-nm scale resolution in identifying elements on a high entropy alloy (HEA) surface is demonstrated. By examining the elementally sensitive X-ray absorption spectra with an STM tip to enhance the spatial resolution, the elemental distribution on an HEA's surface at a sub-nm scale is extracted. These results open a pathway towards quantitatively understanding high entropy materials and their material properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Kim
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
| | - William R Scougale
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
| | - Prince Sharma
- Department of Mechanical Engineering & Mechanics, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, 18015, USA
| | - Nozomi Shirato
- Nanoscience and Technology Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, 60439, USA
| | - Sarah Wieghold
- Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, 60439, USA
| | - Volker Rose
- Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, 60439, USA
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Ganesh Balasubramanian
- Department of Mechanical Engineering & Mechanics, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, 18015, USA
| | - TeYu Chien
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
- Center for Quantum Information Science & Engineering, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
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Zhang H, Tan M, Hu L, Gui R, Liu X, Zhang X, Sun Z, Cao L, Yao T. Uncovering Structural Evolution during the Dealloying Process in Pt-Based Oxygen-Reduction Catalyst. J Phys Chem Lett 2024; 15:3071-3077. [PMID: 38466813 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c00260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
The comprehensive understanding toward the dealloying process is crucial for designing alloy catalysts employed in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, the specific leaching procedure and subsequent reconstruction of the dealloyed catalyst still remain unclear. Herein, we employ in situ X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy to monitor the dealloying process of a two-dimensional PtTe ordered alloy, known for its enhanced ORR activity. Our findings reveal the unsynchronous evolutions of Pt and Te sites, wherein the Pt component undergoes a structural transformation prior to the complete leaching of Te, leading to the formation of a defect-rich Pt catalyst. This dealloyed catalyst exhibits a significant enhancement in ORR activity, featuring a half-wave potential of 0.90 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode and a mass activity of 0.62 A mgPt-1, outperforming the performance of commercial Pt/C counterpart. This in-depth understanding of the dealloying mechanism enriches our knowledge for the development of high-performance Pt-based alloy catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huijuan Zhang
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230029, P.R. China
| | - Minyuan Tan
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230029, P.R. China
| | - Longfei Hu
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230029, P.R. China
| | - Renjie Gui
- Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Xiaokang Liu
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230029, P.R. China
| | - Xue Zhang
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230029, P.R. China
| | - Zhiguo Sun
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230029, P.R. China
| | - Linlin Cao
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230029, P.R. China
| | - Tao Yao
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230029, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
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Sun S, Zhang Y, Shi X, Sun W, Felser C, Li W, Li G. From Charge to Spin: An In-Depth Exploration of Electron Transfer in Energy Electrocatalysis. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024:e2312524. [PMID: 38482969 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202312524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Catalytic materials play crucial roles in various energy-related processes, ranging from large-scale chemical production to advancements in renewable energy technologies. Despite a century of dedicated research, major enduring challenges associated with enhancing catalyst efficiency and durability, particularly in green energy-related electrochemical reactions, remain. Focusing only on either the crystal structure or electronic structure of a catalyst is deemed insufficient to break the linear scaling relationship (LSR), which is the golden rule for the design of advanced catalysts. The discourse in this review intricately outlines the essence of heterogeneous catalysis reactions by highlighting the vital roles played by electron properties. The physical and electrochemical properties of electron charge and spin that govern catalysis efficiencies are analyzed. Emphasis is placed on the pronounced influence of external fields in perturbing the LSR, underscoring the vital role that electron spin plays in advancing high-performance catalyst design. The review culminates by proffering insights into the potential applications of spin catalysis, concluding with a discussion of extant challenges and inherent limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubin Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices, and Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Application Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Chemistry-Synthesis Technology Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry-Synthesis Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Yudi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices, and Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Application Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China
- College of Material Sciences and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 A Yuquan Rd, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xin Shi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices, and Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Application Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China
- School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, 818 A Fenghua Rd, Jiangbei District, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Wen Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices, and Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Application Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China
- College of Material Sciences and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 A Yuquan Rd, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Claudia Felser
- Topological Quantum Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Nöthnitzer Strasse 40, 01187, Dresden, Germany
| | - Wei Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices, and Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Application Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China
- CISRI & NIMTE Joint Innovation Center for Rare Earth Permanent Magnets, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo Institute of Material Technology and Engineering, Ningbo, 315201, China
| | - Guowei Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices, and Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Application Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China
- College of Material Sciences and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 A Yuquan Rd, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, China
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Hu Z, Chen K, Zhu Y, Liu B, Shen J. Synergistic Effects of PtRhNiFeCu High Entropy Alloy Nanocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution and Oxygen Reduction Reactions. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024:e2309819. [PMID: 38229574 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202309819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
The unique properties of high entropy alloy (HEA) catalysts, particularly their severe lattice distortion and the synergistic effect of multiple components, endow them with exceptional multifunctional catalytic performance. Herein, it is revealed for the first time, that the ultrasmall PtRhNiFeCu HEA nanoparticles catalyst shows outstanding catalytic activity for both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The catalyst exhibits an impressively low overpotential of 13 mV at 10 mA cm-2 , a Tafel slope of 29.6 mV dec-1, and high mass activity of 7.6 A mgPt -1 at -50 mV in alkaline media, and long-term stability of at least 20 h. Moreover, the catalyst also demonstrates effective catalytic activity for acidic ORR with a commendable performance of 1.23 A mgPt -1 , much exceeding the commercial Pt/C catalyst. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations unveil that the efficient electrocatalytic performance for HER and ORR can be primarily attributed to the synergistic effect between components tailors and optimizes the electronic structure of PtRhNiFeCu/C HEA, which not only enhances the HER activity through increasing water capture capability, decreasing energetic barrier for water dissociation, and optimizing hydrogen absorption but also initiates non-platinum active sites with high ORR activity, achieving the improved ORR performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwei Hu
- Shanghai Engineering Research Centre of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Kuangyin Chen
- Shanghai Engineering Research Centre of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Yihua Zhu
- Shanghai Engineering Research Centre of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Bin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Jianhua Shen
- Shanghai Engineering Research Centre of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
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Chang R, Li H, Tian X, Yang Y, Dong T, Wang Z, Lai J, Feng S, Wang L. In Situ, Rapid Synthesis of Carbon-Loaded High Density and Ultrasmall High Entropy Oxide Nanoparticles as Efficient Electrocatalysts. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024:e2309937. [PMID: 38178644 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202309937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
High entropy materials offer almost unlimited catalytic possibilities due to their variable composition, unique structure, and excellent electrocatalytic performance. However, due to the strong tendency of nanoparticles to coarsen and agglomerate, it is still a challenge to synthesize nanoparticles using simple methods to precisely control the morphology and size of the nanoparticles in large quantities, and their large-scale application is limited by high costs and low yields. Herein, a series of high-entropy oxides (HEOs) nanoparticles with high-density and ultrasmall size (<5 nm) loaded on carbon nanosheets with large quantities are prepared by Joule-heating treatment of gel precursors in a short period of time (≈60 s). Among them, the prepared (FeCoNiRuMn)3 O4-x catalyst shows the best electrocatalytic activity for oxygen evolution reaction, with low overpotentials (230 mV @10 mA cm-2 , 270 mV @100 mA cm-2 ), small Tafel slope (39.4 mV dec-1 ), and excellent stability without significant decay at 100 mA cm-2 after 100 h. The excellent performance of (FeCoNiRuMn)3 O4-x can be attributed to the synergistic effect of multiple elements and the inherent structural stability of high entropy systems. This study provides a more comprehensive design idea for the preparation of efficient and stable high entropy catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Chang
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Chemical Engineering, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China
| | - Hongdong Li
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Chemical Engineering, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China
| | - Xiaofeng Tian
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Chemical Engineering, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China
| | - Yu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Chemical Engineering, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China
| | - Tian Dong
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Chemical Engineering, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China
| | - Zhenhui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Chemical Engineering, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China
| | - Jianping Lai
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Chemical Engineering, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China
| | - Shouhua Feng
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Chemical Engineering, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China
| | - Lei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Chemical Engineering, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Eco-Chemical Engineering and Green Manufacturing, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China
- Shandong Engineering Research Center for Marine Environment Corrosion and Safety Protection, College of Environment and Safety Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China
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