The rational design of highly active and stable atomically dispersed M-X4(M=Fe,Co,Ni,etc.,X=C,N)-based catalysts holds promises for wide application in almost all realms of catalysis.Despite great effort in the constr...The rational design of highly active and stable atomically dispersed M-X4(M=Fe,Co,Ni,etc.,X=C,N)-based catalysts holds promises for wide application in almost all realms of catalysis.Despite great effort in the construction of specific M-X4 centers,the possible effect of non-coordinated heteroatoms on the catalytic activity of metal centers has been rarely explored.Herein,we develop a new type of M-X4 catalyst composed of Fe-N4 centers and non-coordinated B heteroatoms(FeNC+B)and find the key role of non-coordinated B adjacent to Fe-N4 centers in tailoring their electron density and final catalytic selectivity.The experimental and theoretical results demonstrated that non-coordinated boron atoms could decrease the electron density of Fe-N4 centers to a suitable level and thus boost the selective production of nitriles from amine oxidation by depressing the formation of imines due to the flattened energy barrier of the reversible conversion of imines back to amines.As a reusable heterocatalyst,the state-of-the-art FeNC+B catalyst provides a turn-over frequency(TOF)value of 21.6 molbenzonitrile·molFe^−1·h^−1(100℃),outpacing that of bench-marked nonnoble-metal-based homogeneous catalyst by a factor of 3.4.展开更多
Controllable design and synthesis of catalysts with the target active sites are extremely important for their applications such as for the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)in fuel cells.However,the controllably synthesiz...Controllable design and synthesis of catalysts with the target active sites are extremely important for their applications such as for the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)in fuel cells.However,the controllably synthesizing electrocatalysts with a single type of active site still remains a grand challenge.In this study,we developed a facile and scalable method for fabricating highly efficient ORR electrocatalysts with sole atomic Fe-N4 species as the active site.Herein,the use of cost-effective highly porous carbon as the support not only could avoid the aggregation of the atomic Fe species but also a feasible approach to reduce the catalyst cost.The obtained atomic Fe-N4 in activated carbon(aFe@AC)shows excellent ORR activity.Its half-wave potential is 59 mV more negative but 47 mV more positive than that of the commercial Pt/C in acidic and alkaline electrolytes,respectively.The full cell performance test results show that the aFe@AC sample is a promising candidate for direct methanol fuel cells.This study provides a general method to prepare catalysts with a certain type of active site and definite numbers.展开更多
Atomically dispersed iron-nitrogen-carbon(Fe-N-C) catalysts have emerged as the most promising alternative to the expensive Pt-based catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) in proton exchange membrane fuel ce...Atomically dispersed iron-nitrogen-carbon(Fe-N-C) catalysts have emerged as the most promising alternative to the expensive Pt-based catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) in proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs),however suffer from low site density of active Fe-N4 moiety and limited mass transport during the catalytic reaction.To address these challenges,we report a three-dimensional(3D) metal-organic frameworks(MOF)-derived Fe-N-C single-atom catalyst.In this well-designed Fe-N-C catalyst,the micro-scale interconnected skeleton,the nano-scale ordered pores and the atomic-scale abundant carbon edge defects inside the skeleton significantly enhance the site density of active Fe-N4 moiety,thus improving the Fe utilization in the final catalyst.Moreover,the combination of the above mentioned micro-and nano-scale structures greatly facilitates the mass transport in the 3D Fe-N-C catalyst.Therefore,the multiscale engineered Fe-N-C single-atom catalyst achieves excellent ORR performance under acidic condition and affords a significantly enhanced current density and power density in PEMFC.Our findings may open new opportunities for the rational design of FeN-C catalysts through multiscale structural engineering.展开更多
Iron-nitrogen-carbon single-atom catalysts(Fe-N-C SACs)are widely acknowledged for their effective oxygen reduction activity,however,their activity requires further enhancement.Meanwhile,additional structural optimiza...Iron-nitrogen-carbon single-atom catalysts(Fe-N-C SACs)are widely acknowledged for their effective oxygen reduction activity,however,their activity requires further enhancement.Meanwhile,additional structural optimization is necessary to enhance mass transport and achieve higher power density in practical applications.Herein,using ZIF-8 as a template,we synthesized yolk-shell catalysts featuring complex sites of Fe single atoms and Cu nanoclusters(y-FeCu/NC)via partial etching and liquid-phase loading.The synthesized y-FeCu/NC catalyst exhibits high specific surface area and mesoporous volume.Combined with the advantages of highly active sites and yolk-shell structure,the y-FeCu/NC catalyst demonstrated outstanding catalytic performance in the oxygen reduction reaction,achieving a half-wave potential(E_(1/2))of 0.97 V in 0.1 M KOH.As a practical energy device,Zn-air battery(ZAB)assembled with y-FeCu/NC catalyst achieved a remarkable power density of 356.3 mW·cm^(-2),representing an improvement of approximately 28.5%compared to its solid FeCu/NC counterpart.Furthermore,it showcased impressive stability,surpassing all control samples.展开更多
Single-atomic Fe-N4 is the well-acknowledged active site in iron-nitrogen-carbon(Fe-N-C)material for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR).The adjusting of the electronic distribution of Fe-N4 is promising for further enhanc...Single-atomic Fe-N4 is the well-acknowledged active site in iron-nitrogen-carbon(Fe-N-C)material for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR).The adjusting of the electronic distribution of Fe-N4 is promising for further enhancing the performance of the Fe-N-C catalyst.Herein,a phosphorus(P)-doped Fe-N-C catalyst with penta-coordinated single atom sites(FeNPC)is reported for efficient oxygen reduction.Fe K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy(XAS)verifies the coordination environment of single Fe atom,while density functional theory(DFT)calculations reveal that the penta-coordination and neighboring doped P atoms can simultaneously change the electronic distribution of Fe-N_(4)and its adsorption strength of key intermediates,reducing the reactionfree energy of the potential-limiting step.Electrochemical tests validate the remarkable intrinsic ORR activity of FeNPC in alkaline media(a half-wave potential(E_(1/2))of 0.904 V vs.reversible hydrogen electrode(RHE)and limited current density(JL)of 6.23 mA·cm^(−2))and an enhanced ORR performance in neutral(E_(1/2)=0.751 V,J_(L)=5.27 mA·cm^(−2))and acidic media(E_(1/2)=0.735 V,JL=5.82 mA·cm^(−2))with excellent stability,highlighting the benefits of optimizing the local environment of singleatomic Fe-N4.展开更多
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.21722103,21931005,21720102002,and 21673140)Shanghai Science and Technology Committee(No.19JC1412600)the SJTU-MPI partner group.The authors thank Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility for providing beam time(No.BL14W1).
文摘The rational design of highly active and stable atomically dispersed M-X4(M=Fe,Co,Ni,etc.,X=C,N)-based catalysts holds promises for wide application in almost all realms of catalysis.Despite great effort in the construction of specific M-X4 centers,the possible effect of non-coordinated heteroatoms on the catalytic activity of metal centers has been rarely explored.Herein,we develop a new type of M-X4 catalyst composed of Fe-N4 centers and non-coordinated B heteroatoms(FeNC+B)and find the key role of non-coordinated B adjacent to Fe-N4 centers in tailoring their electron density and final catalytic selectivity.The experimental and theoretical results demonstrated that non-coordinated boron atoms could decrease the electron density of Fe-N4 centers to a suitable level and thus boost the selective production of nitriles from amine oxidation by depressing the formation of imines due to the flattened energy barrier of the reversible conversion of imines back to amines.As a reusable heterocatalyst,the state-of-the-art FeNC+B catalyst provides a turn-over frequency(TOF)value of 21.6 molbenzonitrile·molFe^−1·h^−1(100℃),outpacing that of bench-marked nonnoble-metal-based homogeneous catalyst by a factor of 3.4.
基金The authors would like to thank the Australian Research Council(ARC DP170103317,DP200103043)for financial support during the course of this study.Prof Jun Chen would like to thank the Australian National Fabrication Facility and EMC at the University of Wollongong for facilities/equipment access.
文摘Controllable design and synthesis of catalysts with the target active sites are extremely important for their applications such as for the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)in fuel cells.However,the controllably synthesizing electrocatalysts with a single type of active site still remains a grand challenge.In this study,we developed a facile and scalable method for fabricating highly efficient ORR electrocatalysts with sole atomic Fe-N4 species as the active site.Herein,the use of cost-effective highly porous carbon as the support not only could avoid the aggregation of the atomic Fe species but also a feasible approach to reduce the catalyst cost.The obtained atomic Fe-N4 in activated carbon(aFe@AC)shows excellent ORR activity.Its half-wave potential is 59 mV more negative but 47 mV more positive than that of the commercial Pt/C in acidic and alkaline electrolytes,respectively.The full cell performance test results show that the aFe@AC sample is a promising candidate for direct methanol fuel cells.This study provides a general method to prepare catalysts with a certain type of active site and definite numbers.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51722103,52071231 and 51571149)the Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin City(19JCJQJC61900)。
文摘Atomically dispersed iron-nitrogen-carbon(Fe-N-C) catalysts have emerged as the most promising alternative to the expensive Pt-based catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) in proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs),however suffer from low site density of active Fe-N4 moiety and limited mass transport during the catalytic reaction.To address these challenges,we report a three-dimensional(3D) metal-organic frameworks(MOF)-derived Fe-N-C single-atom catalyst.In this well-designed Fe-N-C catalyst,the micro-scale interconnected skeleton,the nano-scale ordered pores and the atomic-scale abundant carbon edge defects inside the skeleton significantly enhance the site density of active Fe-N4 moiety,thus improving the Fe utilization in the final catalyst.Moreover,the combination of the above mentioned micro-and nano-scale structures greatly facilitates the mass transport in the 3D Fe-N-C catalyst.Therefore,the multiscale engineered Fe-N-C single-atom catalyst achieves excellent ORR performance under acidic condition and affords a significantly enhanced current density and power density in PEMFC.Our findings may open new opportunities for the rational design of FeN-C catalysts through multiscale structural engineering.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2022YFC2105900).
文摘Iron-nitrogen-carbon single-atom catalysts(Fe-N-C SACs)are widely acknowledged for their effective oxygen reduction activity,however,their activity requires further enhancement.Meanwhile,additional structural optimization is necessary to enhance mass transport and achieve higher power density in practical applications.Herein,using ZIF-8 as a template,we synthesized yolk-shell catalysts featuring complex sites of Fe single atoms and Cu nanoclusters(y-FeCu/NC)via partial etching and liquid-phase loading.The synthesized y-FeCu/NC catalyst exhibits high specific surface area and mesoporous volume.Combined with the advantages of highly active sites and yolk-shell structure,the y-FeCu/NC catalyst demonstrated outstanding catalytic performance in the oxygen reduction reaction,achieving a half-wave potential(E_(1/2))of 0.97 V in 0.1 M KOH.As a practical energy device,Zn-air battery(ZAB)assembled with y-FeCu/NC catalyst achieved a remarkable power density of 356.3 mW·cm^(-2),representing an improvement of approximately 28.5%compared to its solid FeCu/NC counterpart.Furthermore,it showcased impressive stability,surpassing all control samples.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.21875285,22171288,and 22005340)the Key Research and Development Projects of Shandong Province(No.2019JZZY010331)the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province(No.ZR2020MB017).
文摘Single-atomic Fe-N4 is the well-acknowledged active site in iron-nitrogen-carbon(Fe-N-C)material for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR).The adjusting of the electronic distribution of Fe-N4 is promising for further enhancing the performance of the Fe-N-C catalyst.Herein,a phosphorus(P)-doped Fe-N-C catalyst with penta-coordinated single atom sites(FeNPC)is reported for efficient oxygen reduction.Fe K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy(XAS)verifies the coordination environment of single Fe atom,while density functional theory(DFT)calculations reveal that the penta-coordination and neighboring doped P atoms can simultaneously change the electronic distribution of Fe-N_(4)and its adsorption strength of key intermediates,reducing the reactionfree energy of the potential-limiting step.Electrochemical tests validate the remarkable intrinsic ORR activity of FeNPC in alkaline media(a half-wave potential(E_(1/2))of 0.904 V vs.reversible hydrogen electrode(RHE)and limited current density(JL)of 6.23 mA·cm^(−2))and an enhanced ORR performance in neutral(E_(1/2)=0.751 V,J_(L)=5.27 mA·cm^(−2))and acidic media(E_(1/2)=0.735 V,JL=5.82 mA·cm^(−2))with excellent stability,highlighting the benefits of optimizing the local environment of singleatomic Fe-N4.
