Articles tagged with Electrocatalysis
Engineers at UIC have been awarded a grant to build a system that selectively removes and destroys PFAS, commonly called 'forever chemicals,' from industrial and municipal wastewaters. The team will develop a prototype of their system and deploy it for scale-up and pilot testing in California's Orange County Water District.
Researchers discovered Bi2O3 nanoparticles transform into active phase Bi/Bi2O3 nanosheets, showing enhanced catalytic performance and stability. Theoretical calculations support the role of surface-exposed Bi in promoting formate production.
Researchers developed a novel graphene-based NiSe2 nanocrystalline array that significantly enhances the efficiency of hydrogen evolution reactions. The composite material achieves an overpotential of 158 mV and exhibits extremely stable performance, providing a promising approach for the development of high-efficiency electrocatalysts.
Researchers developed a technique to synthesize porous carbon nanosheets from metal-organic frameworks, preserving catalytically active sites. The resulting nanosheets exhibit high performance in energy conversion and storage applications, including oxygen reduction reaction activities.
Scientists have developed artificial photosynthesis to produce food in the dark, bypassing sunlight's need. This technology converts CO2, electricity, and water into acetate, a key component of vinegar, boosting food production's conversion efficiency up to 18 times.
Scientists investigated the local structure of a high-entropy Cantor alloy using X-ray absorption spectroscopy, revealing structural relaxations in chromium atoms and no evidence of secondary phases. The study correlated these findings with macroscopic magnetic properties.
Researchers investigated well-defined metal-organic ensembles for efficient carbon dioxide reduction, highlighting the importance of structural engineering and metal center tuning. The study aims to inspire design and fabrication of high-performance CO2 reduction electrocatalysts.
Researchers have developed a new approach to create highly efficient 1D Pt-based nanostructures for fuel cells. These nanostructures exhibit improved catalytic performance, fast electron transfer, and resistance to dissolution and aggregation.
Defect engineering is an effective way to regulate the catalytic performance of 2D materials. Researchers constructed various defects, including edge defects and dopant-derived defects, to enhance hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity. The review paper introduces their structure-function relationship in HER.
A research team has developed a highly active catalyst for CO2 reduction using electrocatalysts with dual-atom iron sites. The catalyst shows a 2.8 times higher conversion efficiency compared to single-atom catalysts.
The review article discusses unconventional metal-based materials for electrocatalysis, including s-, d-, and f-block metals. It aims to accelerate research and development of novel, innovative catalyst materials for efficient green hydrogen production.
Researchers from Waseda University have developed an alternative technique, sampled current voltammetry (SCV), to accurately determine the activity of electrocatalysts used in water-splitting reactions. The study shows that SCV can provide reliable measurements of electrocatalytic performance at constant steady-state applied voltages.
Researchers developed a data-guided combinatorial synthesis strategy and computational modeling to identify promising high entropy alloys for electrocatalysis. The method enables the exploration of atomic scale effects on catalytic activity, providing insights into composition-activity-stability trends.
A novel InOOH electrocatalyst with frustrated Lewis pairs enables efficient urea synthesis from CO2 and N2 at room temperature. The catalyst achieves a high urea yield rate of 6.85 mmol h-1 g-1, promising a sustainable solution to excessive CO2 emissions during N2 fixation.
Researchers developed an in-situ imaging method to visualize electron transfer on metal nanoplates, revealing site-dependent heterogeneity. The study decoupled mass transfer effects and extracted rate constants, providing insights into electrocatalytic reactions.
Researchers developed a nickel-cobalt metal dimer on nitrogen-doped carbon that can catalyze electrolysis under both acidic and basic conditions. The new system exhibits comparable overvoltage to commercial Pt-based catalysts and shows significant activity enhancements compared to individual single-atom catalysts.
A team of Chinese researchers has developed an electrocatalyst that efficiently converts CO2 into liquid fuels with multiple carbon atoms. The primary products are ethanol, acetone, and n-butanol, which have high energy density and are safe to store and transport.
The study found that a new electrocatalyst exhibits excellent acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity. The results revealed the structure of the active layer and its evolution amid electrolyzing, providing new approaches for engineering superb acidic OER nanocatalysts.
Researchers review strategies to enhance Cu-based catalysts' performance in CO2 reduction, including surface structure tuning and local environment regulation. The study aims to overcome current challenges and outline future opportunities for efficient CO2 conversion.
Researchers synthesized a uniform Cu-N-C single-atom catalyst that exhibits comparable alkaline ORR activity to Pt/C. The active site structure undergoes dynamic changes during the reaction, transforming into HO-Cu-N2 under reaction conditions.
Recent research advances in wet-chemical synthesis of two-dimensional metal nanomaterials have improved the efficiency and stability of electrocatalysts. The authors reviewed various synthetic methods and explored their applications in different electrochemical reactions.
Researchers at Pusan National University have developed a novel electrocatalyst that can effectively produce hydrogen and oxygen from water at low cost. The catalyst, composed of transition metal phosphates, achieves high surface area and fast charge transfer, making it suitable for commercial on-site production of hydrogen.
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore have devised a new method for producing urea, a key compound in fertilisers, through electrocatalysis. This approach produces urea five times more efficiently than previous methods and has the potential to contribute to sustainable agricultural practices.
Researchers developed a theory-guided microchemical engineering approach to optimize electrocatalytic performance of methanol oxidation reaction in 3D ordered and crossed-linked channels. Increasing the channel size promoted mass transfer, weakening vertical electron flow, leading to optimal performance.
A new method for producing urea, a critical fertilizer element, has been developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin. The process uses electrocatalysis and reduces energy consumption compared to traditional methods.
A team of scientists has developed an electrochemical reduction reaction pathway that converts CO2 into 1-butanol without CO dimerization. The use of copper phosphide as a cathode enables high product selectivity and efficiency, making it a promising alternative to traditional fossil fuels.
The review discusses defect and interface engineering for e-NRR electrocatalysts, emphasizing active sites and intrinsic mechanisms. It highlights the potential strategies to develop more advanced NRR electrocatalysts, promoting the creation of more efficient catalysts for electrochemical nitrogen reduction.
Researchers at the University of Waterloo discovered that nanoscale electrocatalysts degrade and lose effectiveness over time due to atomic rearrangement. The study identifies two key reasons for this degradation: surface attachment of small molecules and electromigration.
Researchers from Boston College and Yale University found a mechanistic switch in the oxygen evolution reaction that uses water to produce hydrogen gas. The switch occurs when applying voltage to the catalyst surface, enabling efficient electrocatalysts to be chosen or optimized depending on the potential regime.
Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology have found a promising alternative to expensive electrocatalysts used in hydrogen production. Calcium iron oxide (CaFe2O4) has shown exceptional oxygen evolution reaction performance and durability, offering a cost-effective solution for water splitting.
Direct ethanol fuel cells have high energy density, low toxicity, and easy operation, but lack robust electrocatalysts for anodic ethanol oxidation. The study proposes alloying effects with core-shell construction to optimize Pd shell surfaces, achieving highest mass activity and specific activity for catalyzing ethanol electro-oxidation
Researchers have developed CuCo oxy- and thio-spinels as advanced oxygen evolution electrocatalysts, achieving low overpotentials of 267 mV for OER. The non-metallic electronic regulation in these spinel structures enhances Co active sites' valence states, accelerating electron exchange with oxygen adsorbates.
Researchers at Oregon State University have made a significant breakthrough in producing hydrogen from water using an electrochemical catalytic process. The study found that this method is cleaner and more sustainable than traditional natural gas-based production, with potential applications in fuel cells and industrial processes.
Researchers developed a highly efficient and long-lasting electrocatalyst for water oxidation using cobalt, iron, and ruthenium. The single atomic alloy catalyst's surface oxygen adsorption stabilizes the catalytic intermediate, increasing overall efficiency.
Researchers have discovered a new electrocatalyst, Hf2B2Ir5, that exhibits high activity in the oxygen evolution reaction during water electrolysis. The material's cage-like crystal structure and cooperative phases enable stable and efficient performance over long periods.
A new crystal model system accurately identifies catalytic active sites in electrocatalysis, revealing pyridine N as a suitable active site for CO2 reduction. The study provides significant insights into the reaction mechanism and catalyst performance.
A team of international researchers, led by the University of Bern, has created an electrocatalyst that improves the electrochemical reaction in fuel cells without a carbon carrier. This breakthrough technology promises stable fuel cell operation even at higher temperatures and high current density.
Researchers have developed a three-pronged approach to predict novel electrocatalysts, which can simulate many atoms at once and transform catalyst development. The new method allows for high-throughput screening powered by machine learning, accelerating the discovery of efficient electrocatalysts.
Scientists studying CO-covered Pt(111) electrodes found that carbon monoxide can induce structural degradation under benign conditions. The presence of vacancies in the topmost Pt layer contributes to this effect.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids developed a new intermetallic compound Al2Pt as a precursor for oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalyst material. The compound's reduced density of states and polar chemical bonding provide inherent OER activity, increasing stability under harsh oxidative conditions.
Researchers have developed a novel electrode material that allows for direct charging of oxygen from the air, improving lithium-oxygen battery performance. The new strategy involves stabilizing atomic-level electrocatalysts within metal-organic frameworks, resulting in reduced overpotential and increased life cycle.
A study by Dr. Yuqin Zou and colleagues reveals that hierarchically nanostructured NiO-Co3O4 electrodes with plentiful interface defects exhibit excellent HMF oxidation activity and stability. The researchers demonstrate the positive role of cation vacancies in catalyzing the electro-oxidation process.
Researchers from TU Dresden have developed novel noble metal aerogels that exhibit exceptional electrocatalytic properties, outperforming commercial platinum catalysts in a range of applications. These advanced materials show promise for efficient electrochemical hydrogen production, including green hydrogen and fuel cells.
Researchers developed a counter-intuitive disturbance-promoted gelation method, accelerating gelation to one to ten minutes at room temperature. The method exhibits enhanced photoelectrocatalytic properties, outperforming commercial palladium/carbon.
Researchers designed a new yolk-shell structured hybrid material by encapsulating metal-organic framework (MOF) into hollow mesoporous carbon spheres, achieving superior bifunctional electrocatalytic activity towards both oxygen reduction and evolution reactions. The hybrid material shows promise as an efficient electrocatalyst in fuel...
Researchers have developed a new cobalt-based catalyst that enables an eightfold increase in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production, a major electronic cleaning chemical. The catalyst, Co1-NG(O), is highly stable and efficient, producing up to 8 times more H2O2 than existing noble metal-based electrocatalysts.
Associate Professor Nina Lock's project aims to create a metal-organic sponge that can convert CO2 into useful products such as fuel or building blocks. The research team plans to develop scalable catalysts using cheap elements, investigating the atomic level process of electro-catalysis.
Researchers at Tohoku University have developed a graphene electrocatalyst with improved hydrogen evolution reaction performance by adding nitrogen and phosphorus dopants around well-defined edges of graphene holes. This approach enhances the number of active sites for chemical reactions to occur, leading to better electrolysis outcomes.
A new method borrows from Goldilocks thinking for evaluating metal thickness, finding the ideal electrode thickness. This technique can increase catalyst activity by 10-50 times and use 90% less metal than current fuel cells.
Scientists at Stanford University have developed an electrocatalytic mechanism that mimics the mammalian lung's gas exchange process, enabling more efficient conversion of water into hydrogen fuel. The design uses a thin membrane to separate oxygen and hydrogen gases, reducing energy costs and increasing current density rates.
Researchers create catalysts that can efficiently turn carbon dioxide into carbon building blocks, used to make plastics, fabrics, resins, and pharmaceuticals. The breakthrough could lead to the commercial production of valuable products and raw materials in the chemical industry.
Researchers at the University of Liverpool have developed a laser-based spectroscopy technique to study CO2 reduction in-situ. This method provides critical insights into electrochemical pathways, enabling better understanding of electrocatalysts. The breakthrough could lead to more efficient clean fuel technologies.
The nickel-hydrogen battery boasts an energy density of approximately 140 Wh per kg and rechargeability over 1,500 cycles. With a potential cost of around $83 per kilowatt-hour, it could represent a low-cost option for long-term energy storage needs.
A team of researchers from Beihang University has fabricated a new type of nonprecious metal-based electrocatalyst, VNQD-NG, for oxygen reduction reaction. The material exhibits high electrocatalytic activity, long durability, and high selectivity for ORR.
Researchers have developed a new method to study electrocatalysts, enabling the precise mechanism of electrocatalytic reactions to be understood. This breakthrough can lead to more efficient and sustainable chemical processes using renewable energy.
Researchers developed a novel catalyst design by incorporating Pd interlayers into an icosahedral core shell. The Au60Pd40@Pt electrocatalyst showed remarkably enhanced activities and durabilities towards ORR in acid environment compared to commercial Pt/C and Au75Pd25@Pt icosahedra.
Researchers have created an alternative and cheapest anode material for excellent and ultra-stable alkaline water electrolysis. The new core-shell nanostructured electrocatalyst replaces precious metals, achieving highly efficient oxygen evolution activity and ultrastability.
Scientists at the University of Illinois Chicago developed a multiscale model to study carbon dioxide conversion to carbon monoxide. The discovery could lead to efficient production of synthesis gas for large-scale energy applications.
A team of Berkeley Lab scientists has discovered a critical role of nanoparticle transformation in converting carbon dioxide into multicarbon fuels and alcohols. The copper-based electrocatalyst operates at high current density with a record low overpotential, making it more efficient than existing catalysts.
Scientists at Rice University and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have developed new two-dimensional electrocatalysts that extract hydrogen from water with high efficiency and low cost. The catalysts were created by forming bubbles between layers, which breaks them apart and increases the number of active sites.