Abstract Developing efficient and stable Pt‐based oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts via both economical and controllable routes is critical for the practical application of electrochemical energy devices. Herein, a scalable, controllable, and general ambient‐O 2 ‐involved aqueous‐solution cultivating strategy to prepare Pt x M y (M = Ni, Fe, Co) bunched‐nanocages aerogels (BNCs AG) is demonstrated, based on a newly established high‐M‐to‐Pt‐precursor‐ratio‐and‐B‐incorporation‐facilitated M‐rich core and Pt‐rich shell hydrogel formation process. The Pt 83 Ni 17 BNCs AG shows prominent ORR performance with a mass activity (MA) of 1.95 A mg Pt −1 and specific activity of 3.55 mA cm −2 , which are 8.9‐times and 9.6‐times that of Pt supported on carbon (Pt/C), respectively. Particularly, the Pt 83 Ni 17 BNCs AG displays greatly enhanced durability (MA 82.6% retention) compared to Pt/C (MA 31.8% retention) after a 20 000‐cycles accelerated durability test. Systematic studies including density functional theory calculations uncover that the excellent activity is closely related to the optimized ligand and strain effects with the optimized Ni content in this aerogel; the outstanding durability is endowed by the lowered‐down Ni leaching with the optimized Pt/Ni ratio and the inhibited sintering due to its appropriate porosity. This work provides new perspectives on the development of electrocatalysts with both high performance and low cost.
Abstract Bismuth vanadate (BiVO 4 ) has been widely investigated as a photocatalyst or photoanode for solar water splitting, but its activity is hindered by inefficient cocatalysts and limited understanding of the underlying mechanism. Here we demonstrate significantly enhanced water oxidation on the particulate BiVO 4 photocatalyst via in situ facet-selective photodeposition of dual-cocatalysts that exist separately as metallic Ir nanoparticles and nanocomposite of FeOOH and CoOOH (denoted as FeCoO x ), as revealed by advanced techniques. The mechanism of water oxidation promoted by the dual-cocatalysts is experimentally and theoretically unraveled, and mainly ascribed to the synergistic effect of the spatially separated dual-cocatalysts (Ir, FeCoO x ) on both interface charge separation and surface catalysis. Combined with the H 2 -evolving photocatalysts, we finally construct a Z-scheme overall water splitting system using [Fe(CN) 6 ] 3−/4− as the redox mediator, whose apparent quantum efficiency at 420 nm and solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency are optimized to be 12.3% and 0.6%, respectively.
Abstract Nickel–iron‐based layered double hydroxides (NiFe LDHs) have attracted tremendous research and industrial interests for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysis. However, methodologies on simultaneous regulation of performance‐influencing factors remain scarce and their real synergistic effects are not clear enough. Herein, a versatile polyoxometallic acids (POMs) etching approach is reported to ingeniously reconstruct NiFe LDH, including 3D morphological nanotailoring, Fe 3+ and α‐Ni(OH) 2 active species reconfiguration, creation of multiple Ni, Fe, and O vacancies, and intercalation of POM polyanionic clusters. The experimental and theoretical data collaboratively unveil that control of the key performance‐influencing factors and their multiple synergistic mechanisms dominantly contribute to the step‐like OER performance enhancement. The reinforced electrocatalyst is further produced with low cost and high performance up to Ф180 mm in diameter, showing its feasibility and advancement of the promising configuration of NiFe LDH‐PMo12(+) II Ni@NiFe LDH(−) for alkaline anion‐exchange‐membrane electrode stack cells. Furthermore, to mathematically evaluate the evolution, a novel empirical formula is proposed for quantitative identification of structure–activity correlations, which offers an opportunity for first and fast reliability on materials screening.
An unprecedented molecular pumping cassette was designed and implemented for the construction of molecular necklaces, that is, radial [n]catenanes. The mechanism was fully confirmed on a model [2]pseudorotaxane, and the novel clipping-followed-by-pumping strategy was used to prepare a series of [n]catenanes (n = 2–5). A pair of [3]catenane diastereomers sequentially threaded with two different wheels was also accomplished. The success of utilizing molecular pumping to construct molecular necklaces offers new insights into complex molecular architectures and expands the application of molecular machines in synthesis.
Read moreThis review highlights recent advances in CO 2 photocatalytic reduction using polyoxometalate composites (MOFs/g-C 3 N 4 /LDHs), offering insights to optimize performance.
Read moreAbstract The development of efficient direct air capture (DAC) systems coupled with photocatalytic CO 2 conversion is still an appealing challenge. Here, we engineered a series of defective Cu 3 ‐based metal–organic frameworks (Cu 3 ‐MOFs) for integrated atmospheric CO 2 capture and in situ photoreduction. The defective Cu 3 ‐MOFs were constructed through selective removal of coordinated CO 3 2− from pristine MOFs with HCl etching, generating unsaturated Cu active sites for CO 2 harvesting, and the Cu 3 ‐MOFs demonstrated enhanced CO 2 capture kinetics and capacity that compared to their pristine counterpart. Remarkably, the captured CO 2 could be directly photoreduced to C 2 H 4 with an optimal production rate of 18.25 µmol·g −1 ·h −1 without additional photosensitizer or sacrificial agent. The experimental and theoretical results revealed that the defective sites not only facilitated CO 2 adsorption but also promoted C–C coupling of *CO intermediates, thereby enhancing C 2 H 4 production. This work provides deep insights for designing advanced materials toward direct air‐to‐fuel conversion.
Read moreRegular hollow mesoporous superparticles with an opening window and controllable surface grooves can significantly improve the high-loading performance of aqueous zinc ion hybrid capacitors, but their synthesis remains a great challenge. Herein, an electrostatic force-assisted monomicelle confined assembly strategy is demonstrated for synthesizing such regular mesoporous hollow superparticles. The mesoporous superparticles feature a hollow (∼250 nm) in the center and a tailored transverse window (35–50 nm) to enable the superparticles to be totally connected from the inner to external surface, and a monolayer of spherical mesopores (∼15 nm) is arrayed in an orderly fashion on the hollow shell to form the unique crisscrossed grooves. Notably, an accurate manipulation in the width (29.5–62.4 nm), depth (2.1–40.7 nm), and number in the horizontal and vertical (11 × 11–5 × 5) grooves can be realized. Finally, the mesoporous superparticles as the high-loading electrodes in aqueous zinc ion hybrid capacitors exhibit a weak polarization, a high specific capacity (205 mAh g,–1 at 0.1 A g–1), and an excellent rate performance (105 mAh g–1 at 10 A g–1). The adjustability of surface grooves enables the orthogonal control of the charge transfer rate and ion diffusion rate. The mesoporous superstructures demonstrate the potential for energy storage applications in different environments.
Read moreAbstract Crystal‐facet heterojunction engineering of mesoporous nanoreactors with highly redox‐active represents an efficacious strategy for the transformation of CO 2 into valuable C 2 products (e.g., C 2 H 4 ). Herein, hollow mesoporous cube‐like CuS nanoreactors (~860 nm) with controlled anisotropic crystal‐facets are prepared through an interfacial‐confined ion dynamic migration‐rearrangement strategy. The regulation of the S 2− ion concentration facilitates the modulation of the highly active (110) to (100) crystal‐facet ratios from 0.119 to 0.288, and induces the formation of anisotropic crystal‐facet heterojunctions. The controllable crystal‐facet heterojunctions trigger the directional charge carrier migration, and are accompanied with the formation of tandem S‐defect sites (Cu 0 ‐S 1 @S 3 ). Both of them promote the efficient electron‐hole pair dissociation and attain asymmetric C−C coupling. The hollow mesoporous CuS nanoreactors with optimized crystal‐facet ratio of 0.224 (HMe‐CuS‐3) deliver a high selectivity of 72.7 % for the photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 to acetylene (C 2 H 2 ). Further constructed Au‐(110) and Co 3 O 4 ‐(100) spatially separated cascade nanoreactors (SS‐Au@Co 3 O 4 ‐CuS) achieve CO 2 ‐C 2 H 4 photoreduction, in which the Co‐sites enhance H 2 O dissociation to provide protons and the protonation of *CO to *COH. The *COH is further captured by Au‐sites to accomplish the asymmetric *CO‐*COH coupling and subsequent protonation, ensuring a high C 2 H 4 generation rate of 4.11 μmol/g/h with a selectivity as high as 90.6 %.
Read moreStable, nonprecious catalysts are vital for large-scale alkaline water electrolysis. Here, we report a grafted superstructure, MOF@POM, formed by self-assembling a metal-organic framework (MOF) with polyoxometalate (POM). In situ electrochemical transformation converts MOF into active metal (oxy)hydroxides to produce a catalyst with a low overpotential of 178 millivolts at 10 milliamperes per square centimeter in alkaline electrolyte. An anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer incorporating this catalyst achieves 3 amperes per square centimeter at 1.78 volts at 80°C and stable operation at 2 amperes per square centimeter for 5140 hours at room temperature. In situ electrochemical spectroscopy and theoretical studies reveal that the synergistic interactions between metal atoms create a fast electron-transfer channel from catalytic iron and cobalt sites, nickel, and tungsten in the polyoxometalate to the electrode, stabilizing the metal sites and preventing dissolution.
Read moreA bimetallic MOF, CoMg-TCPP, is reported for the photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide to formic acid.
Read moreAbstract We explored a co‐dissolved strategy to embed mono‐dispersed Pt center into V 2 O 5 support via dissolving [PtV 9 O 28 ] 7− into [V 10 O 28 ] 6− aqueous solution. The uniform dispersion of [PtV 9 O 28 ] 7− in [V 10 O 28 ] 6− solution allows [PtV 9 O 28 ] 7− to be surrounded by [V 10 O 28 ] 6− clusters via a freeze‐drying process. The V centers in both [PtV 9 O 28 ] 7− and [V 10 O 28 ] 6− were converted into V 2 O 5 via a calcination process to stabilize Pt center. These double separations can effectively prevent the Pt center agglomeration during the high‐temperature conversion process, and achieve 100 % utilization of Pt in [PtV 9 O 28 ] 7− . The resulting Pt‐V 2 O 5 single‐atom‐site catalysts exhibit a CH 4 yield of 247.6 μmol g −1 h −1 , 25 times higher than that of Pt nanoparticle on the V 2 O 5 support, which was accompanied by the lactic acid photooxidation to form pyruvic acid. Systematical investigations on this unambiguous structure demonstrate an important role of Pt−O atomic pair synergy for highly efficient CO 2 photoreduction.
Read moreDue to complexities from the interaction between steel tube and concrete filling of concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns, their strengths are very complicated, which is a highly nonlinear relation with material strengths and geometry. Categorical gradient Boosting (CatBoost), which is advanced boosting machine, is presented to solve the problems. A total of 3103 tests, which is divided in four datasets, is trained and tested the learners to determine the ultimate axial strength as the output variable while the strength of materials (concrete and steel) and geometry (e.g., diameters/width/heights, thickness, effective length, eccentricities) are the input ones. The comparison of the present results from 10-fold cross validation and those from the code predictions (AISC 360-16, Eurocode 4 and AS/NZS 2327) and previous study shows very high prediction accuracy in terms of coefficient of determination (R2), which is the lowest value (R2 = 0.964) for Dataset 2 and the highest one (R2 = 0.996) for Dataset 1. While the predictions from three codes beyond material limit and slenderness are less conservative than those within it, CatBoost provides nearly similar experiment results with the mean values as unity without any limits. This algorithm can be used to predict an accurate strength of CFST columns.
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