The oxygen evolution reaction(OER)activity of single-atom catalysts(SACs)is closely related to the coordination environment of the active site.Oxygencoordinated atomic metal species bring about unique features beyond ...The oxygen evolution reaction(OER)activity of single-atom catalysts(SACs)is closely related to the coordination environment of the active site.Oxygencoordinated atomic metal species bring about unique features beyond nitrogen-coordinated atomic metal species due to the fact that the M-O bond is weaker than the M-N bond.Herein,a series of metal-oxygen-carbon structured low-nucleus clusters(LNCs)are successfully anchored on the surface of multiwalled carbon nanotubes(M-MWCNTs,M=Ni,Co,or Fe)through a foolproof low-temperature gas transfer(300℃)method without any further treatment.The morphology and coordination configuration of the LNCs at the atomic level were confirmed by comprehensive characterizations.The synthetic Ni-MWCNTs electrocatalyst features excellent OER activity and stability under alkaline conditions,transcending the performances of Co-MWCNTs,Fe-MWCNTs and RuO_(2).Density functional theory calculations reveal that the moderate oxidation of low-nucleus Ni clusters changes the unoccupied orbital of Ni atoms,thereby lowering the energy barrier of the OER rate-limiting step and making the OER process more energy-efficient.This study demonstrates a novel versatile platform for large-scale manufacturing of oxygen-coordinated LNC catalysts.展开更多
基金Leading Innovative and Entrepreneur Team Introduction Program of Zhejiang,Grant/Award Number:2019R01006National Key R&D Program of China,Grant/Award Number:2018YFB0104300。
文摘The oxygen evolution reaction(OER)activity of single-atom catalysts(SACs)is closely related to the coordination environment of the active site.Oxygencoordinated atomic metal species bring about unique features beyond nitrogen-coordinated atomic metal species due to the fact that the M-O bond is weaker than the M-N bond.Herein,a series of metal-oxygen-carbon structured low-nucleus clusters(LNCs)are successfully anchored on the surface of multiwalled carbon nanotubes(M-MWCNTs,M=Ni,Co,or Fe)through a foolproof low-temperature gas transfer(300℃)method without any further treatment.The morphology and coordination configuration of the LNCs at the atomic level were confirmed by comprehensive characterizations.The synthetic Ni-MWCNTs electrocatalyst features excellent OER activity and stability under alkaline conditions,transcending the performances of Co-MWCNTs,Fe-MWCNTs and RuO_(2).Density functional theory calculations reveal that the moderate oxidation of low-nucleus Ni clusters changes the unoccupied orbital of Ni atoms,thereby lowering the energy barrier of the OER rate-limiting step and making the OER process more energy-efficient.This study demonstrates a novel versatile platform for large-scale manufacturing of oxygen-coordinated LNC catalysts.
