The mesoporous photocatalyst InVO4 was synthesized by the template-directing self-assembling method.The synthesized InVO4 was characterized by means of X-ray diffraction,transmission electron microscopy,N2 adsorption,...The mesoporous photocatalyst InVO4 was synthesized by the template-directing self-assembling method.The synthesized InVO4 was characterized by means of X-ray diffraction,transmission electron microscopy,N2 adsorption,and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy.The results showed that the crystal structure of InVO4 could be controlled by changing the calcination temperature.Compared with the anatase TiO2 and conventional InVO4,the mesoporous InVO4 was more responsive toward visible light.The evolution rate of H2 from water over the mesoporous InVO4 achieved（1?836） μmol/（g·h） under UV light irradiation, which was much higher than the anatase TiO2 and conventional InVO4.展开更多
Exploring bifunctional catalysts for the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions （HER and OER） with high efficiency, low cost, and easy integration is extremely crucial for future renewable energy systems. Herein, t...Exploring bifunctional catalysts for the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions （HER and OER） with high efficiency, low cost, and easy integration is extremely crucial for future renewable energy systems. Herein, ternary NiCoP nanosheet arrays （NSAs） were fabricated on 3D Ni foam by a facile hydrothermal method followed by phosphorization. These arrays serve as bifunctional alkaline catalysts, exhibiting excellent electrocatalytic performance and good working stability for both the HER and OER. The overpotentials of the NiCoP NSA electrode required to drive a current density of 50 mA/cm2 for the HER and OER are as low as 133 and 308 mV, respectively, which is ascribed to excellent intrinsic electrocatalytic activity, fast electron transport, and a unique superaerophobic structure. When NiCoP was integrated as both anodic and cathodic material, the electrolyzer required a potential as low as -1.77 V to drive a current density of 50 mA/cm2 for overall water splitting, which is much smaller than a reported electrolyzer using the same kind of phosphide-based material and is even better than the combination of Pt/C and Ir/C, the best known noble metal-based electrodes. Combining satisfactory working stability and high activity, this NiCoP electrode paves the way for exploring overall water splitting catalysts.展开更多
The development of high-efficiency electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reactions （OERs） plays an important role in the water-splitting process. Herein, we report a facile way to obtain two-dimensional （2D） singl...The development of high-efficiency electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reactions （OERs） plays an important role in the water-splitting process. Herein, we report a facile way to obtain two-dimensional （2D） single-unit-cell-thick layered double hydroxide （LDH） nanosheets （NSs, - 1.3 nm） within only 5 min. These nanosheets presented significantly enhanced OER performance compared to bulk LDH systems fabricated using the conventional co-precipitation method. The current strategy further allowed control over the chemical compositions and electrochemical activities of the LDH NSs. For example, CoFe-LDH NSs presented the lowest overpotential of 0.28 V at 10 mA/cm2, and the NiFe-LDHs NSs showed Tafel slopes of 33.4 mV/decade and nearly 100% faradaic efficiency, thus outperforming state-of-the-art IrO2 water electrolysis catalysts. Moreover, positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy observations confirmed that rich defects and distorted lattices occurred within the 2D LDH NSs, which could supply abundant electrochemically active OER sites. Periodic calculations based on density functional theory （DFT） further showed that the CoFe- and NiFe-LDHs presented very low energy gaps and obvious spin-polarization behavior, which facilitated high electron mobility during the OER process. Therefore, this work presents a combined experimental and theoretical study on 2D single-unit-cell-thick LDH NSs with high OER activities, which have potential application in water splitting for renewable energy.展开更多
The hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) is a half-cell reaction in water electrolysis for producing hydrogen gas. In industrial water electrolysis, the HER is often conducted in alkaline media to achieve higher stability...The hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) is a half-cell reaction in water electrolysis for producing hydrogen gas. In industrial water electrolysis, the HER is often conducted in alkaline media to achieve higher stability of the electrode materials. However, the kinetics of the HER in alkaline medium is slow relative to that in acid because of the low concentration of protons in the former.Under the latter conditions, the entire HER process will require additional effort to obtain protons by water dissociation near or on the catalyst surface. Heterostructured catalysts, with fascinating synergistic effects derived from their heterogeneous interfaces, can provide multiple functional sites for the overall reaction process. At present, the activity of the most active known heterostructured catalysts surpasses(platinum-based heterostructures) or approaches (noble-metal-free heterostructures) that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst under alkaline conditions, demonstrating an infusive potential to break through the bottlenecks. This review summarizes the most representative and recent heterostructured HER catalysts for alkaline medium. The basics and principles of the HER under alkaline conditions are first introduced, followed by a discussion of the latest advances in heterostructured catalysts with/without noblemetal-based heterostructures. Special focus is placed on approaches for enhancing the reaction rate by accelerating the Volmer step. This review aims to provide an overview of the current developments in alkaline HER catalysts, as well as the design principles for the future development of heterostructured nano-or micro-sized electrocatalysts.展开更多
A template-free hydrothermal-assisted thermal polymerization method has been developed for the large-scale synthesis of one-dimensional （1D） graphitic carbon nitride （g-C3N4） microtubes. The g-C3N4 microtubes were...A template-free hydrothermal-assisted thermal polymerization method has been developed for the large-scale synthesis of one-dimensional （1D） graphitic carbon nitride （g-C3N4） microtubes. The g-C3N4 microtubes were obtained by simple thermal polymerization of melamine-cyanuric acid complex microrods under N2 atmosphere, which were synthesized by hydrothermal treatment of melamine solution at 180℃ for 24 h. The as-obtained g-C3N4 microtubes exhibited a large surface area and a unique one-dimensional tubular structure, which provided abundant active sites for proton reduction and also facilitated the electron transfer processes. As such, the g-C3N4 microtubes showed enhanced photocatalytic H2 production activity in lactic acid aqueous solutions under visible light irradiation （A 〉 420 nm）, which was - 3.1 times higher than that of bulk g-C3N4 prepared by direct thermal polymerization of the melamine precursor under the same calcination conditions.展开更多
Nanocarbons are of progressively increasing importance in energy electrocatalysis, including oxygen reduction, oxygen evolution, hydrogen evolution, COreduction, etc. Precious-metal-free or metal-free nanocarbon-based...Nanocarbons are of progressively increasing importance in energy electrocatalysis, including oxygen reduction, oxygen evolution, hydrogen evolution, COreduction, etc. Precious-metal-free or metal-free nanocarbon-based electrocatalysts have been revealed to potentially have effective activity and remarkable durability, which is promising to replace precious metals in some important energy technologies,such as fuel cells, metal–air batteries, and water splitting. In this review, rather than overviewing recent progress completely, we aim to give an in-depth digestion of present achievements, focusing on the different roles of nanocarbons and material design principles. The multifunctionalities of nanocarbon substrates(accelerating the electron and mass transport, regulating the incorporation of active components,manipulating electron structures, generating confinement effects, assembly into 3 D free-standing electrodes) and the intrinsic activity of nanocarbon catalysts(multi-heteroatom doping, hierarchical structure,topological defects) are discussed systematically, with perspectives on the further research in this rising research field. This review is inspiring for more insights and methodical research in mechanism understanding, material design, and device optimization, leading to a targeted and high-efficiency development of energy electrocatalysis.展开更多
Rational design and controllable synthesis of efficient electrocatalysts for water oxidation is of significant importance for the development of promising energy conversion systems, in particular integrated photoelect...Rational design and controllable synthesis of efficient electrocatalysts for water oxidation is of significant importance for the development of promising energy conversion systems, in particular integrated photoelectrochemical water splitting devices. Cobalt oxide(Co3O4) nanostructures with mixed valences(Ⅱ,Ⅲ)have been regarded as promising electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction(OER). They are able to promote catalytic support of OER but with only modest activity. Here, we demonstrate that the OER performance of cubic Co3O4 electrocatalyst is obviously improved when they are anchored on delaminated two-dimensional(2D) Ti3C2 MXene nanosheets. Upon activation the overpotential of the hybrid catalyst delivers 300 m V at a current density of 10 m A cm(2) in basic solutions, which is remarkably lower than those of Ti3C2 MXene and Co3O4 nanocubes. The strong interfacial electrostatic interactions between two components contribute to the exceptional catalytic performance and stability. The enhanced OER activity and facile synthesis make these Co3O4 nanocubes-decorated ultrathin 2D Ti3C2 MXene nanosheets useful for constructing efficient and stable electrodes for high-performance electrochemical water splitting.展开更多
文摘The mesoporous photocatalyst InVO4 was synthesized by the template-directing self-assembling method.The synthesized InVO4 was characterized by means of X-ray diffraction,transmission electron microscopy,N2 adsorption,and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy.The results showed that the crystal structure of InVO4 could be controlled by changing the calcination temperature.Compared with the anatase TiO2 and conventional InVO4,the mesoporous InVO4 was more responsive toward visible light.The evolution rate of H2 from water over the mesoporous InVO4 achieved（1?836） μmol/（g·h） under UV light irradiation, which was much higher than the anatase TiO2 and conventional InVO4.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program,2013CB632405)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21033003 and 21173043)~~
基金This work was support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （Nos. 21125101 and 21520102002）, the Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in the University, and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, and the long-term subsidy mechanism from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education of PRC.
文摘Exploring bifunctional catalysts for the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions （HER and OER） with high efficiency, low cost, and easy integration is extremely crucial for future renewable energy systems. Herein, ternary NiCoP nanosheet arrays （NSAs） were fabricated on 3D Ni foam by a facile hydrothermal method followed by phosphorization. These arrays serve as bifunctional alkaline catalysts, exhibiting excellent electrocatalytic performance and good working stability for both the HER and OER. The overpotentials of the NiCoP NSA electrode required to drive a current density of 50 mA/cm2 for the HER and OER are as low as 133 and 308 mV, respectively, which is ascribed to excellent intrinsic electrocatalytic activity, fast electron transport, and a unique superaerophobic structure. When NiCoP was integrated as both anodic and cathodic material, the electrolyzer required a potential as low as -1.77 V to drive a current density of 50 mA/cm2 for overall water splitting, which is much smaller than a reported electrolyzer using the same kind of phosphide-based material and is even better than the combination of Pt/C and Ir/C, the best known noble metal-based electrodes. Combining satisfactory working stability and high activity, this NiCoP electrode paves the way for exploring overall water splitting catalysts.
基金This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China （No. 2014CB932103）, the National Natural Science Foundation of China （Nos. 21301016 and 21473013）, and the Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation （No. 2152016）.
文摘The development of high-efficiency electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reactions （OERs） plays an important role in the water-splitting process. Herein, we report a facile way to obtain two-dimensional （2D） single-unit-cell-thick layered double hydroxide （LDH） nanosheets （NSs, - 1.3 nm） within only 5 min. These nanosheets presented significantly enhanced OER performance compared to bulk LDH systems fabricated using the conventional co-precipitation method. The current strategy further allowed control over the chemical compositions and electrochemical activities of the LDH NSs. For example, CoFe-LDH NSs presented the lowest overpotential of 0.28 V at 10 mA/cm2, and the NiFe-LDHs NSs showed Tafel slopes of 33.4 mV/decade and nearly 100% faradaic efficiency, thus outperforming state-of-the-art IrO2 water electrolysis catalysts. Moreover, positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy observations confirmed that rich defects and distorted lattices occurred within the 2D LDH NSs, which could supply abundant electrochemically active OER sites. Periodic calculations based on density functional theory （DFT） further showed that the CoFe- and NiFe-LDHs presented very low energy gaps and obvious spin-polarization behavior, which facilitated high electron mobility during the OER process. Therefore, this work presents a combined experimental and theoretical study on 2D single-unit-cell-thick LDH NSs with high OER activities, which have potential application in water splitting for renewable energy.
基金financial support provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos.61301026 and 51802073)the supports from the Talent Introduction Foundation (No.ZRC2014448)+1 种基金the Key Discipline Foundation (No.AKZDXK2015A01) of Anhui Science and Technology Universitythe financial support by the Singapore National Research Foundation under its Campus for Research Excellence And Technological Enterprise (CREATE) program through the Cambridge Center for Carbon Reduction in Chemical Technology (C4T) and eCO2EP programs
文摘The hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) is a half-cell reaction in water electrolysis for producing hydrogen gas. In industrial water electrolysis, the HER is often conducted in alkaline media to achieve higher stability of the electrode materials. However, the kinetics of the HER in alkaline medium is slow relative to that in acid because of the low concentration of protons in the former.Under the latter conditions, the entire HER process will require additional effort to obtain protons by water dissociation near or on the catalyst surface. Heterostructured catalysts, with fascinating synergistic effects derived from their heterogeneous interfaces, can provide multiple functional sites for the overall reaction process. At present, the activity of the most active known heterostructured catalysts surpasses(platinum-based heterostructures) or approaches (noble-metal-free heterostructures) that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst under alkaline conditions, demonstrating an infusive potential to break through the bottlenecks. This review summarizes the most representative and recent heterostructured HER catalysts for alkaline medium. The basics and principles of the HER under alkaline conditions are first introduced, followed by a discussion of the latest advances in heterostructured catalysts with/without noblemetal-based heterostructures. Special focus is placed on approaches for enhancing the reaction rate by accelerating the Volmer step. This review aims to provide an overview of the current developments in alkaline HER catalysts, as well as the design principles for the future development of heterostructured nano-or micro-sized electrocatalysts.
文摘A template-free hydrothermal-assisted thermal polymerization method has been developed for the large-scale synthesis of one-dimensional （1D） graphitic carbon nitride （g-C3N4） microtubes. The g-C3N4 microtubes were obtained by simple thermal polymerization of melamine-cyanuric acid complex microrods under N2 atmosphere, which were synthesized by hydrothermal treatment of melamine solution at 180℃ for 24 h. The as-obtained g-C3N4 microtubes exhibited a large surface area and a unique one-dimensional tubular structure, which provided abundant active sites for proton reduction and also facilitated the electron transfer processes. As such, the g-C3N4 microtubes showed enhanced photocatalytic H2 production activity in lactic acid aqueous solutions under visible light irradiation （A 〉 420 nm）, which was - 3.1 times higher than that of bulk g-C3N4 prepared by direct thermal polymerization of the melamine precursor under the same calcination conditions.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program (Nos. 2016YFA0202500 and 2016YFA0200102)the Natural Scientific Foundation of China (No. 21561130151)Royal Society for the award of a Newton Advanced Fellowship (Ref: NA140249)
文摘Nanocarbons are of progressively increasing importance in energy electrocatalysis, including oxygen reduction, oxygen evolution, hydrogen evolution, COreduction, etc. Precious-metal-free or metal-free nanocarbon-based electrocatalysts have been revealed to potentially have effective activity and remarkable durability, which is promising to replace precious metals in some important energy technologies,such as fuel cells, metal–air batteries, and water splitting. In this review, rather than overviewing recent progress completely, we aim to give an in-depth digestion of present achievements, focusing on the different roles of nanocarbons and material design principles. The multifunctionalities of nanocarbon substrates(accelerating the electron and mass transport, regulating the incorporation of active components,manipulating electron structures, generating confinement effects, assembly into 3 D free-standing electrodes) and the intrinsic activity of nanocarbon catalysts(multi-heteroatom doping, hierarchical structure,topological defects) are discussed systematically, with perspectives on the further research in this rising research field. This review is inspiring for more insights and methodical research in mechanism understanding, material design, and device optimization, leading to a targeted and high-efficiency development of energy electrocatalysis.
基金financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21975129, 51902164)Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20180777, BK20190759)+4 种基金Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of China (18KJB430018, 19KJB430003)Scientific Research Foundation for Advanced Talents (CXL2018046)Science Innovation Foundation for Young Scientists (CX2018012)supported by Student’s Platform for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program in Jiangsu Province (201810298029Z)Student’s Platform for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program (2018NFUSPITP602)。
文摘Rational design and controllable synthesis of efficient electrocatalysts for water oxidation is of significant importance for the development of promising energy conversion systems, in particular integrated photoelectrochemical water splitting devices. Cobalt oxide(Co3O4) nanostructures with mixed valences(Ⅱ,Ⅲ)have been regarded as promising electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction(OER). They are able to promote catalytic support of OER but with only modest activity. Here, we demonstrate that the OER performance of cubic Co3O4 electrocatalyst is obviously improved when they are anchored on delaminated two-dimensional(2D) Ti3C2 MXene nanosheets. Upon activation the overpotential of the hybrid catalyst delivers 300 m V at a current density of 10 m A cm(2) in basic solutions, which is remarkably lower than those of Ti3C2 MXene and Co3O4 nanocubes. The strong interfacial electrostatic interactions between two components contribute to the exceptional catalytic performance and stability. The enhanced OER activity and facile synthesis make these Co3O4 nanocubes-decorated ultrathin 2D Ti3C2 MXene nanosheets useful for constructing efficient and stable electrodes for high-performance electrochemical water splitting.
