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At least 181 records · Page 10

Highly Selective Oxygen Reduction to Hydrogen Peroxide on a Carbon-Supported Single-Atom Pd Electrocatalyst

Selective electrochemical two-electron oxygen reduction is a promising route for renewable and on-site H 2 O 2 generation as an alternative to the anthraquinone process. In this study, we report a high-performance nitrogen-coordinated single-atom Pd electrocatalyst, which is derived from Pd-doped zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) through one-step thermolysis. High-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) combined with X-ray absorption spectroscopy verifies atomically dispersed Pd atoms on nitrogen-doped carbon (Pd-NC). The single-atom Pd-NC catalyst exhibits excellent electrocatalytic performance for two-electron oxygen reduction to H 2 O 2 , which shows ~95% selectivity toward H 2 O 2 and an unprecedented onset potential of ~0.8 V versus revisable hydrogen electrode (RHE) in 0.1 M KOH. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that the Pd-N 4 catalytic sites thermodynamically prefer *–O bond breaking to O–O bond breaking, corresponding to a high selectivity for H 2 O 2 production. This work provides a deep insight into the understanding of the catalytic process and design of high-performance 2e– ORR catalysts.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Unraveling the Surface Termination and Evolution of Surface States for Electrocatalyst PtSn 4 in Alkaline HER

Semimetal PtSn 4 has been experimentally demonstrated as a promising topological electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) under both acidic and alkaline conditions. While two possible mechanisms have been proposed to explain its activity, the role of its surface states in HER remains unclear. It is indeed in question how the surface states of this alloy evolve as HER proceeds. In this study, we investigate the surface termination that sustains conducting surface states on PtSn 4 , and we track their evolution during HER catalysis. We show that a reconstructed surface with a Sn-poor termination reproduces the scanning tunneling microscopy pattern observed in experiments and sustains a conducting surface. Through phase diagram and geometric structure analysis, we outline the HER profile following the Volmer–Heyrovsky mechanism. As hydrogen atoms adsorb onto the surface, the structure undergoes further reconstruction to an equilibrium phase with a coverage of two hydrides per unit cell. Meanwhile, the surface electronic bands evolve in response to interactions with the adsorbed hydrogen atoms. A hybridization diagram is further proposed for understanding the surface state evolution based on wave function and chemical bonding analyses. While the Pt atoms serve as conventional sites for hydrogen binding, the surface states of PtSn 4 are essential for stabilizing the hydrogen antibonding states via in-phase electronic interactions with the Sn components. This stabilization results in frontier surface bands that are responsible for driving the HER catalysis. Here, our findings provide a detailed description for the direct involvement of surface states on PtSn4 when employed as a catalyst for HER.

catalysts↗

Studying the Durability of Molybdenum Carbide Aerogel as an Electrocatalyst Support for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Carbon-supported platinum nanoparticles (Pt/C) are currently the state-of-the-art catalyst in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Unfortunately, the carbon support lacks the ability to stabilize the metal catalyst, as platinum tends to dissolve and agglomerate, significantly compromising the durability. Herein, we synthesized a ceramic material, molybdenum carbide aerogel (MCAG), and utilized it as a Pt support for PEMFCs, as an alternative for conventional carbon supports. N 2 adsorption and XRD analysis showed that the MCAG possesses a combination of high porosity and a well-defined ceramic crystalline structure. The Pt/MCAG system was studied for its electrocatalytic activity toward ORR in a half-cell and demonstrated satisfactory reaction kinetics and electrochemical active surface area, comparable to the commercial Pt/C. For durability examination, an accelerated stress test (AST) in a single cell was conducted with the Pt/MCAG catalyst at the cathode, following the U.S. DOE electrocatalyst AST protocol. Intermediate polarization curves and cyclic voltammograms were recorded over the course of the AST to monitor the aging process. The results indicated that the MCAG support exhibited superior durability in long-term fuel cell operation compared to a carbon support. The Pt/MCAG system demonstrated stable behavior during the progressive stages of the AST, retaining more than 50% of its initial performance by the end of the test, whereas carbon-supported Pt preserved only 30%.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

A High-Entropy Oxide as High-Activity Electrocatalyst for Water Oxidation

High-entropy materials are an emerging pathway in the development of high-activity (electro)catalysts because of the inherent tunability and coexistence of multiple potential active sites, which may lead to earth-abundant catalyst materials for energy-efficient electrochemical energy storage. In this report, we identify how the multication composition in high-entropy perovskite oxides (HEO) contributes to high catalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), i.e., the key kinetically limiting half-reaction in several electrochemical energy conversion technologies, including green hydrogen generation. We compare the activity of the (001) facet of LaCr 0.2 Mn 0.2 Fe 0.2 Co 0.2 Ni 0.2 O 3-δ with the parent compounds (single B-site in the ABO 3 perovskite). While the single B-site perovskites roughly follow the expected volcano-type activity trends, the HEO clearly outperforms all of its parent compounds with 17 to 680 times higher currents at a fixed overpotential. As all samples were grown as an epitaxial layer, our results indicate an intrinsic composition–function relationship, avoiding the effects of complex geometries or unknown surface composition. In-depth X-ray photoemission studies reveal a synergistic effect of simultaneous oxidation and reduction of different transition metal cations during the adsorption of reaction intermediates. The surprisingly high OER activity demonstrates that HEOs are a highly attractive, earth-abundant material class for high-activity OER electrocatalysts, possibly allowing the activity to be fine-tuned beyond the scaling limits of mono- or bimetallic oxides.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Understanding the Stability of Manganese Chromium Antimonate Electrocatalysts through Multimodal In Situ and Operando Measurements

Herein, we utilize an on-line electrochemical flow cell coupled with an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) to characterize the impact of composition and reactant gas on the multielement dissolution of Mn(-Cr)-Sb-O electrocatalysts. Compared to Mn 2 O 3 and Cr 2 O 3 oxides, we find that the antimonate framework stabilizes Mn at OER potentials and Cr at both ORR and OER potentials. Furthermore, dissolution of Mn and Cr from Mn(-Cr)-Sb-O is found to be driven by ORR reaction rate, with minimal dissolution under N 2 . We observe preferential dissolution of Cr totaling 13% over 10 minutes at 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9 V vs RHE, with only 1.5% loss of Mn, indicating an enrichment of Mn at the surface of the particles. Despite this asymmetric dissolution, in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) showed no measurable changes in the Mn K-edge at comparable potentials. This lack of change could suggest that modification to the Mn oxidation state in the surface layer is too small or that layer is too thin to be measured with the bulk XAS measurement. Lastly, on-line ICP-MS was used to assess the effects of applied potential, scan rate, and current of Mn-Cr-Sb-O during cyclic voltammetry and accelerated stress tests. With this deeper understanding of the interplay between oxygen reduction and dissolution, testing procedures were identified to maximize both activity and stability. This work highlights the use of multi-modal in situ characterization techniques in tandem to build a more complete model of stability and develop protocols for optimizing catalyst performance.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Cooperative Effects Drive Water Oxidation Catalysis in Cobalt Electrocatalysts through the Destabilization of Intermediates

A barrier to understanding the factors driving catalysis in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is understanding multiple over- lapping redox transitions in the OER catalysts. The complexity of these transitions obscure the relationship between the coverage of adsorbates and OER kinetics, leading to an experimental challenge in measuring activity descriptors, such as binding energies, as well as adsorbate interactions, which may destabilize intermediates and modulate their binding energies. Herein, we utilize a newly designed optical spectroelectrochemistry system to measure these phenomena in order to contrast the behavior of two electrocatalysts, cobalt oxyhydroxide (CoOOH) and cobalt-iron hexacyanoferrate (cobalt-iron Prussian blue, CoFe-PB). Three distinct optical spectra are observed in each catalyst, corresponding to three separate redox transitions, the last of which we show to be active for the OER using time-resolved spectroscopy and electrochemical mass spectroscopy. By combining predictions from density functional theory with parameters obtained from electroadsorption isotherms, we demonstrate that a destabilization of catalytic intermediates occurs with increasing coverage. In CoOOH, a strong (~0.34 eV/ monolayer) destabilization of a strongly bound catalytic intermediate is observed, leading to a potential offset between the accumulation of the intermediate and measurable O 2 evolution. We contrast these data to CoFe-PB, where catalytic intermediate generation and O 2 evolution onset coincide due to weaker binding and destabilization (~0.19 eV/monolayer). By considering a correlation between activation energy and binding strength, we suggest that such adsorbate driven destabilization may account for a significant fraction of the observed OER catalytic activity in both materials. Finally, we disentangle the effects of adsorbate interactions on state coverages and kinetics to show how adsorbate interactions determine the observed Tafel slopes. Crucially, the case of CoFe-PB shows that, even where interactions are weaker, adsorption remains non-Nernstian, which strongly influences the observed Tafel slope.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

High-Performance Iridium–Molybdenum Oxide Electrocatalysts for Water Oxidation in Acid: Bayesian Optimization Discovery and Experimental Testing

Ir oxides are costly and scarce catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in acid. There has been extensive interest in developing alternatives that are either Ir-free or require smaller amounts of Ir to drive the reactions at acceptable rates. One design strategy is to identify Ir-based mixed oxides that achieve similar performance while requiring smaller amounts of Ir. The obstacle to this strategy has been a very large phase space of the Ir-based mixed metal oxides, in terms of the metals combined with Ir and the different crystallographic structures of the mixed oxides, which prevents a thorough exploration of possible materials. In this work, we developed a workflow that uses machine-learning-aided Bayesian optimization in combination with density functional theory to make the exploration of this phase space plausible. This screening identified Mo as a promising dopant for forming acid-tolerant Ir-based oxides for the OER. We synthesized and characterized the Ir–Mo mixed oxides in the form of thin-film electrocatalysts with a known surface area. We show that these mixed oxides exhibited overpotentials ~30 mV lower than a pure Ir control while maintaining 24% lower Ir dissolution rates than the Ir control. Furthermore, these findings suggest that Mo is a promising dopant and highlight the promise of machine learning to guide the experimental exploration and optimization of catalytic materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Lanthanum-Promoted Electrocatalyst for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction: Unique Catalyst or Oxide Deconstruction?

A conventional performance metric for electrocatalysts that promote the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is the current density at a given overpotential. However, the assumption that increased current density at lower overpotentials indicates superior catalyst design is precarious for OER catalysts in the working environment, as the crystalline lattice is prone to deconstruction and amorphization, thus greatly increasing the concentration of catalytic active sites. We show this to be the case for La 3+ incorporation into Co 3 O 4 . Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Raman spectroscopy and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) reveal smaller domain sizes with decreased long-range order and increased amorphization for La-modified Co 3 O 4 . This lattice deconstruction is exacerbated under the conditions of OER as indicated by operando spectroscopies. The overpotential for OER decreases with increasing La 3+ concentration, with maximum activity achieved at 17% La incorporation. HRTEM images and electron diffraction patterns clearly show the formation of an amorphous overlayer during OER catalysis that is accelerated with La 3+ addition. O 1s XPS spectra after OER show the loss of lattice-oxide and an increase in peak intensities associated with hydroxylated or defective O-atom environments, consistent with Co(O) x (OH) y species in an amorphous overlayer. Furthermore, our results suggest that improved catalytic activity of oxides incorporated with La 3+ ions (and likely other metal ions) is due to an increase in the number of terminal octahedral Co(O) x (OH) y edge sites upon Co 3 O 4 lattice deconstruction, rather than enhanced intrinsic catalysis.

Catalysts↗

Strained-Induced Morphological Reconstruction of RuO 2 (110) Thin-Film Electrocatalysts

Strain is a widely used strategy for electrocatalyst engineering. Overstraining, however, can lead to unintentional materials transformation. We investigate the impact of strain on the surface morphology of a rutile RuO 2 (110) film grown on a symmetry-matching rutile TiO 2 (110) substrate. When the film thickness exceeds 9 nm, the RuO 2 surface relaxes by forming step edges that expose the {011} plane. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation shows that the (011) facet is among the lower energy surfaces of rutile RuO 2 , suggesting that this formation incurs minimal energetic penalties. In situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) shows that the film maintains the (110) structure of the terrace during electrochemistry. Inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) further reveals the insensitivity of the Ru dissolution to strain. Here, our findings show a strain-relieving pathway via surface reconstruction in RuO 2 (110) and provide an example of a strain-relieving mechanism that does not affect dissolution.

Evolution reactions↗

Selective Reduction of Carbon Dioxide in Water Using [M(bpy2+)(CO)3(I)]2+ (M = Mn, Re) Electrocatalysts with Pendent Cations

Manganese(I) carbonyl complexes are promising electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction, yet their application in homogeneous aqueous media remains limited by poor solubility and selectivity. Here, we report water-soluble Mn(I) and Re(I) complexes fac-[M(bpy2+)(CO)3X]2+ (X = I or Cl), featuring bipyridine ligands functionalized with -Ph-CH2-(NMe3)+ cationic ammonium groups that integrate water solubility with secondary-sphere stabilization. In bicarbonate buffer at pH 6.8, the Mn catalyst is completely selective for CO production at a low overpotential (η = 0.3 V), operating by a protonation-first mechanism with observed rates of ~10 s−1. Pulse radiolysis reveals that the one-electron reduced Mn species undergoes dimerization in the absence of CO2 but uniquely reacts competitively with CO2 through an initial pre-equilibrium followed by fast formation of a dinuclear CO2-bridged species (ΔGo = −12.4 kcal mol−1). At a higher 0.6 V over-potential, a faster reduction-first pathway (~100 s−1) is available upon reduction of the metallo-carboxylic acid intermediate, Mn-CO2H2+; however, this regime is functionally limited by the formation of a resistive, noncatalytic film on the electrode surface. Comparison to the analo-gous water-soluble Re catalyst (kobs = 440 s−1, η = 0.6 V) highlights the distinct mechanistic ad-vantages of earth-abundant Mn in low-potential catalysis. These results demonstrate how cati-onic second-sphere design enables selective, homogeneous CO2 reduction in water while reveal-ing competing radical and electrode-mediated processes that govern catalytic performance.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Modulating coordinate site occupancy in high-entropy spinel electrocatalysts

High entropy spinel oxides provide a versatile platform for electrocatalysis because multiple metal cations can be incorporated into a single crystalline lattice, enabling tunable electronic structures. However, controlling how these cations distribute between tetrahedral and octahedral coordination sites remains a major challenge, limiting rational catalyst design. Here, we modulate cation coordination site occupancy between tetrahedral and octahedral sites in a Co–Fe–Cr–Mn–Ni framework by introducing a sixth cation (Zn, Ga, Mg, or Al) with distinct site preference energies. Using density functional theory, synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and magnetic circular dichroism, we demonstrate that Zn preferentially occupies tetrahedral sites, driving increased octahedral occupancy of cobalt. This redistribution increases the population of octahedrally coordinated cobalt in mixed oxidation states, enhances electrical conductivity, and improves oxygen evolution reaction activity. Our findings establish coordination site occupancy as a critical design parameter, providing a strategic pathway for tailoring multicomponent spinel electrocatalysts with optimized performance.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

High-performance ionomerless cathode anion-exchange membrane fuel cells with ultra-low-loading Ag–Pd alloy electrocatalysts

Rapid translation of catalysts from fundamental studies to high-performance devices could facilitate the process of developing and commercializing anion-exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs). Traditionally, translation from material screening in three-electrode rotating disk electrode (RDE) cells to AEMFCs is complicated by differences in microenvironments, e.g. solid ionomer/membrane vs liquid electrolyte. Herein, we introduce a platform for translation to devices that utilizes ionomerless ultra-low-loading Ag-Pd alloy electrocatalyst cathodes synthesized by co-physical vapor deposition (PVD). Our ionomerless cathodes allow for systematic H 2 -O 2 AEMFC experiments while demonstrating comparable activity trends to those in three-electrode cells. Furthermore, here we show that our Ag 10 Pd 90 -based AEMFC reaches a peak power density of ~1 W cm$_{geo}^{-2}$ and ~10 W mg$_{PGM Cathode}^{-1}$ satisfying the U.S. Department of Energy’s platinum-group-metal (PGM) loading and cost targets. Our approach shows promise in facilitating the rapid translation between three-electrode studies and AEMFCs, offering a simple and effective design for decreasing PGM loadings.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Non-iridium-based electrocatalyst for durable acidic oxygen evolution reaction in proton exchange membrane water electrolysis

Iridium-based electrocatalysts remain the only practical anode catalysts for proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis, due to their excellent stability under acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER), but are greatly limited by their high cost and low reserves. Here, in this study, we report a nickel-stabilized, ruthenium dioxide (Ni-RuO 2 ) catalyst, a promising alternative to iridium, with high activity and durability in acidic OER for PEM water electrolysis. While pristine RuO 2 showed poor acidic OER stability and degraded within a short period of continuous operation, the incorporation of Ni greatly stabilized the RuO 2 lattice and extended its durability by more than one order of magnitude. When applied to the anode of a PEM water electrolyser, our Ni-RuO 2 catalyst demonstrated >1,000 h stability under a water-splitting current of 200 mA cm -2 , suggesting potential for practical applications. Density functional theory studies, coupled with operando differential electrochemical mass spectroscopy analysis, confirmed the adsorbate-evolving mechanism on Ni-RuO 2 , as well as the critical role of Ni dopants in stabilization of surface Ru and subsurface oxygen for improved OER durability.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Density functional theory studies of transition metal carbides and nitrides as electrocatalysts

Transition metal carbides and nitrides are interesting non-precious materials that have been shown to replace or reduce the loading of precious metals for catalyzing several important electrochemical reactions. The purpose of this review is to summarize density functional theory (DFT) studies, describe reaction pathways, identify activity and selectivity descriptors, and present a future outlook in designing carbide and nitride catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), nitrogen reduction reaction (N 2 RR), CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) and alcohol oxidation reactions. Furthermore, this topic is of high interest to scientific communities working in the field of electrocatalysis and this review should provide theoretical guidance for the rational design of improved carbide and nitride electrocatalysts.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Partially reduced Ru/RuO 2 composites as efficient and pH-universal electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution

Efficient and long-term stable electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) via water splitting are urgently desired to ease the energy crisis and develop the sustainability of human society. However, the HER performance of state-of-the-art Pt in non-acidic solutions is unsatisfactory due to the severely sluggish kinetics. In this work, DFT theoretical calculations reveal that the Ru/RuO 2 composites enable high HER activity to be pursued under non-acidic conditions because of the distinctive Ru and RuO 2 interface, which possess not only a strong capability to adsorb and dissociate water but also appropriate binding energies of H and OH. Therefore, we employ a simple strategy, including heating under an oxygen-poor environment and/or in situ electrochemical reduction, to partially reduce RuO 2 . The formed Ru/RuO 2 interfaces demonstrate superior HER activities (e.g. η 10 = 17 mV, 35 mV dec –1 in 1 M KOH) than Pt/C (e.g. η 10 = 27 mV, 58 mV dec –1 in 1 M KOH) at both small (10–100 mA cm –2 ) and large (1 A cm –2 ) current densities in alkaline solution and even real seawater. Comprehensive experiments were conducted to investigate the structure-HER performance relationships. Moreover, benefiting from the bifunctional character of RuO2, a two-electrode system based on Ru/RuO 2 composites and RuO 2 exhibits the lowest cell voltage for water splitting in both 1 M KOH and 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 , respectively. A 300 h-stability test at 10 mA cm –2 without an obvious decay demonstrates the industrial prospects of the Ru/RuO 2 composites to generate green energy.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Engineering metal–metal oxide surfaces for high-performance oxygen reduction on Ag–Mn electrocatalysts

Understanding fundamental material–property relationships in mixed-element catalyst systems is crucial to advancing the viability of renewable electrochemical energy technologies, an important part of creating a more sustainable future. Herein, we report our insight on the nature and dynamics of highly active silver–manganese oxide (Ag–MnOx) catalyst surfaces for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) via a combined experimental–theoretical approach. Experimentally, we synthesize well-mixed Ag–Mn co-deposited thin films that are measurably flat and smooth, despite Mn surface migration and oxidation upon air exposure and electrochemical measurements. Cyclic voltammetry in 0.1 M KOH demonstrates up to 10-fold specific activity enhancements over pure Ag at 0.8 V vs. RHE for Ag-rich films (70–95% Ag in bulk). To further understand the Ag–Mn system, separate samples were synthesized with small amounts of Mn sequentially deposited onto the surface of a pure Ag thin film (Mn@Ag), ranging from partial to full surface coverage (down to 0.3 nm Mn $cm^{-2}_{geo}$ ~ 0.2 μg Mn $cm^{-2}_{geo}$). These sequentially deposited Mn@Ag films show analogous performance to their co-deposited counterparts indicating similar enhanced active sites. With density functional theory (DFT), we calculate that this enhancement arises from the tuned d-band of these material surfaces owing to the optimal hybridization of the electronic structures in specific Ag and MnO x geometries. Together, electrochemical measurements, DFT calculations, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and valence-band X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggest synergistic electronic interactions between Ag and MnOx yield enhanced oxygen adsorption, and thus ORR activity, with DFT highlighting the Ag–MnO x interface sites as the most enhanced. This work demonstrates how combined experimental–theoretical methods can help design electrocatalysts with enhanced electrocatalytic properties and understand the nature of complex mixed metal–metal oxide surfaces.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗