Science China-Chemistry
·
2026
·
IF 9.7
Lv Enmin,Diao Jiefeng,Wang Yilong,Yu Hongtao,Henkelman Graeme,Zhang Hao,Zhang Xuefeng,Dong Xinglong
Developing efficient non-precious oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts remains a critical challenge. Herein, a direct current (DC) arc plasma strategy was demonstrated to construct nitrogen-doped carbon-coated Ni-ZrC heterostructured nanoparticles ((Ni/ZrC)@NC NPs) with precisely tuned interfacial built-in electric fields (BIEFs). Theoretical studies reveal that the significant work function difference (Δ Φ ) drives an asymmetric charge redistribution at the Ni-ZrC heterointerface, shifting d-band centers to optimize the adsorption energy of oxygen intermediates and to reduce reaction energy barriers. In situ optical emission spectroscopy (OES) captures the dynamic plasma evolution (electron temperature ( T e ) at local thermal equilibrium (LTE): 10,330.9 K), elucidating real-time atomic/ionic flux variations and formation mechanism of the core-shell structure and heterostructure. The synergistic Ni-ZrC core and N-doped carbon shell cooperatively enhance charge transfer kinetics and expose abundant active sites. The resulting catalyst achieves exceptional ORR activity with a half-wave potential ( E 1/2 ) of 0.82 V, surpassing Pt/C (0.80 V), alongside superior methanol tolerance and 4e − selectivity. When deployed in both liquid and all-solid-state flexible zinc-air batteries (FZABs), the catalyst delivers superior metrics: peak power densities of 251.63 mW cm −2 (liquid) and 184.22 mW cm −2 (flexible), and stable operation for a long time. This work establishes a paradigm for manipulating interfacial electronic structures via BIEFs engineering, providing a versatile platform for high-performance energy conversion technologies.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
RESEARCH ON CHEMICAL INTERMEDIATES
·
2026
·
IF 3.5
Xian Liang,Liu Shuxin,Tian Xiaoxia,Li Wei
This study constructed an electrocatalyst of ultrafine platinum nanoparticles (UPt NPs) loaded onto nitrogen-rich porous hollow carbon spheres (NC). Using ZnO as a sacrificial template, NC carriers with a high specific surface area (516.4 m 2 /g) and hierarchical pore structure were prepared via ZIF-8 coating and carbonization. Pyridine/pyrrole nitrogen doping significantly enhanced the strong mutual interaction (SMSI) between Pt and the carrier. Combined with a mild photo-induced approach, the hydrolysis pathway of the Pt precursor was controlled by adjusting the light wavelength (UV/blue-violet/green light), enabling in situ reduction of Pt on the NC surface and within its pore network at room temperature while effectively suppressing agglomeration. Electrochemical testing revealed that the NC/Pt-UV2 catalyst, synthesized using 2 mM Pt precursor combined with UV light, exhibited a mass-specific activity (1179.5 mA·mg Pt −1 ) and electrochemically active area (135.8 m 2 g −1 ) 4.96 and 5.17 times higher than commercial Pt/C, respectively, with superior activity retention compared to Pt/C after 3600 s of constant-potential testing. This work proposes a method for preparing nitrogen-rich hollow carbon spheres with high specific surface area and a novel strategy for the green, efficient synthesis of ultrafine Pt nanoparticles, offering new insights for the design of supported electrocatalysts.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials
·
2026
·
IF 15.5
Li Fan,Tan Pengyu,Li Degui,Zhuge Xiangqun,Luo Kun,Ren Yurong,Chen Yimin,Luo Yujia,Yang Kaiwen,Lu Jianwei,Liu Dan,Lei Weiwei,Ma Aijing
The extraction of chitin/chitosan from biowaste shrimp shells involves the heavy use of strong acids and alkaline solutions, resulting in a series of decomposed amino acids in the extraction waste. Herein, we demonstrate a new strategy to grow FeNi nanoalloys encapsulated in nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (3FeNi-NCNTs) at a high percentage by sintering the extracted amino acids, FeCl 3 , NiCl 2 and melamine at 900 ℃ in N 2 . The FeNi-NCNT exhibits a competitive limiting current density in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) to the commercial 20% Pt/C, with the onset potential and half-wave potential at 0.98 V and 0.84 V versus RHE. The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance also rivals the RuO 2 catalyst, and the overpotential (E j =10 mAcm -2 - E 1/2 ) of as low as 0.76 V, highlighting a green pathway to yield superior bifunctional catalysts at low cost. When used in zinc-air batteries (ZABs), the aqueous ZAB showed excellent cyclic and rate performance, together with the peak power density and specific capacity of 173.6 mW cm -2 and 809.9 mAh g -1 (corresponding to an energy density of XXX Wh kg -1 based on the mass of consumed zinc); and the flexible ZAB with a polyacryl-amide hydrogel electrolyte also exhibited a high peak power density of 133 mWcm -2 and a long cycle life of 140 h, superior to the reference Pt/RuO 2 -based ZABs, highlighting a sustainable biowaste upcycling of shrimp shell valorization on energy storage. Graphical
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Electronic Materials Letters
·
2026
·
IF 3.1
He Fangzhen,Bai Ying,Zhang Aiju,Zhang Xiaolin,Wang Fang,Wang Qingyun,Zhong Ming,Su Bitao,Dong Na
Amidst escalating global energy crises and environmental degradation, biomass resources offer a critical pathway for energy transition through their inherent renewability, carbon neutrality, and abundance. However, efficient conversion of waste biomass remains impeded by compositional complexity and suboptimal process energetics, constraining scalable industrial implementation. Building on this, we innovatively utilize waste grapefruit peel as a multifunctional precursor to construct Ni-Mo₂C heterojunction nanocomposites (Ni-Mo₂C/NGC) on a biomass-derived N-doped graphene-like carbon matrix (NGC) via an in situ one-step pyrolysis strategy. Electrocatalytic evaluation reveals that the nanocomposite exhibits outstanding bifunctional activity for both oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions (OER/HER) in alkaline electrolyte, achieving low overpotentials ( η ) of 260 mV for OER and 120 mV for HER at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻², with corresponding Tafel slopes of 48 and 52 mV dec⁻¹, respectively. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations elucidate that synergistic interfacial electron coupling between Ni and Mo₂C at the heterojunction significantly elevates the density of exposed catalytic active sites, optimizes the adsorption free energy of key reaction intermediates, and accelerates interfacial charge transfer kinetics, thereby cooperatively enhancing the intrinsic bifunctional electrocatalytic activity. This study establishes a novel strategy for the high-value-oriented preparation of high-performance electrocatalysts from waste biomass, providing insights into the construction of non-precious metal bifunctional heterojunction catalysts. Graphical
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Nature Communications
·
2026
·
IF 18.1
Zeng Ziyue,Wang Chenyang,Sun Mingjun,Liu Dong,Zhang Donghong,He Shiyi,Liang Zijia,Ma Yushen,Zhang Yile,Li Ling,Tian Xin,Zeng Mengqi,Ding Mingyue,Ding Feng,Fu Lei
Single-atom catalysts (SACs) enable greener and more economically sustainable chemical production by significantly improving thermocatalysis efficiency and selectivity through maximized atom utilization and highly homogeneous metal coordination environments. Unfortunately, SACs are fundamentally constrained by the stability owing to the severe aggregation of single atoms, especially under the high-temperature thermocatalysis operations, which compromises the overall catalytic performance. Here, we report a synthetic strategy to realize the highly thermal-stable SACs resistance to sintering at harsh conditions through harnessing the inherent metal affinity and fluidity of liquid metal. A stable liquid metal-active metal interaction is formed, profiting from the superior metal affinity of liquid metal. Combined with the fluidity of liquid metal, active metal atoms can move but remain confined to the liquid metal as the metallic single-atom state at high temperatures. This catalyst exhibits outstanding thermal durability for ethane dehydrogenation, sustaining stable operation for over 100 h at 650 °C with an impressive ethylene selectivity of 98%. The strategy of constructing stable metal-metal interactions by utilizing the inherent metal affinity and dynamic fluidity of liquid metal will pave a practical way for the design of highly thermal-stable SACs.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Small Methods
·
2026
·
IF 8.7
Enmin Lv,Yilong Wang,Hongtao Yu,Hao Zhang,Xuefeng Zhang,Xinglong Dong
Developing efficient non-precious oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts is essential for advancing zinc-air batteries (ZABs). This work presents a one-step synthesis of core-shell Cr 3 C 2 @C nanoparticles (NPs) via DC arc-discharge plasma. Precise regulation of cooling dynamics achieves a switch from growth-dominated to nucleation-dominated regimes, enabling controlled preparation of nanoparticles with distinct sizes. The liquid-nitrogen-cooled Cr 3 C 2 @C ln NPs exhibit smaller size and higher surface area, leading to enhanced ORR performance. Subsequent nitrogen doping at 700 °C produces Cr 3 C 2 @C ln (N x ) catalysts with precisely tuned nitrogen content (0.65–1.24 at.%). The optimized Cr 3 C 2 @C ln (N 1.13 ) demonstrates outstanding ORR activity with a half-wave potential ( E 1/2 ) of 0.81 V and superior kinetics, surpassing commercial Pt/C. In situ optical emission spectroscopy (OES) monitors the plasma state and electron temperature, providing fundamental insights into nucleation mechanisms. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that nitrogen doping optimizes the p -band center of carbon and significantly reduces the energy barrier of the rate-determining step (RDS) (*OH desorption). When applied in both liquid and solid-state flexible zinc-air batteries (FZABs), the Cr 3 C 2 @C ln (N 1.13 )-based cathode delivers exceptional performance, achieving high power densities (230.64 and 164.83 mW·cm −2 , respectively) and remarkable cycling stability. This study offers an efficient strategy for designing high-performance transition metal carbide electrocatalysts through synergistic control of size and electronic structure.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Science China-Materials
·
2026
·
IF 7.7
Zhang Chenxu,Li Ziyan,Zhao Linfei,Li Yajun,Yin Qing,Zhao Danyang,Li Yongzhi,Xiao Bin,Meng Qingkun,Ren Yaojian,Xue Xiaolan,Wei Fuxiang,Sui Yanwei,Wu Xiangfeng,Qi Jiqiu,Ho Johnny C.
Electrochemical water splitting is crucial for the scalable production of green hydrogen; however, the practical implementation requires cost-effective electrocatalysts with high activity and durability. This study introduces a low-cost, three-dimensional (3D) nanoporous ZrVFeCoNi material, fabricated via chemical dealloying, at just 0.16% of the cost of Pt. The structure-activity relationship between its microstructure and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance was systematically explored. The lattice defect effects from multiphase intermetallic compounds, combined with multi-metal synergy, optimize H + adsorption energy and electron transfer kinetics. The 3D nanoporous design provides a high electrochemical surface area with abundant active sites, thereby enhancing electrolyte penetration and reducing interfacial mass transfer resistance. Consequently, the ZrVFe-CoNi electrode exhibits outstanding HER performance, requiring only a 38 mV overpotential to reach 10 mA cm −2 and maintaining stable operation for 1000 h at 500 mA cm −2 . Integrated into a full water electrolyzer (ZrVFeCoNi ∥ IrO 2 /Ni), the system achieves a cell voltage of 1.60 V at a current density of 400 mA cm −2 . Advanced characterization and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that interfacial interactions and charge transfer at heterointerfaces drive the catalytic activity, showcasing the potential of 3D nano-structured multiphase intermetallic compounds as high-performance electrocatalysts for green hydrogen systems.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
·
2026
·Vol. 18
·期 34
·46387-46395
·
IF 7.8
Zheng Rong,Liu Zhi,Cheng Zhen,Zhang Jingze,Hou Chengyi,Zhang Qinghong,Li Yaogang,Li Kerui,Wang Hongzhi
Rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs) are promising for next-generation energy storage, yet their output voltage is strongly constrained by conventional electrolyte configurations. Although pH-decoupled asymmetric systems can expand the electrochemical window, uncontrolled OH – crossover progressively dissipates the interfacial pH gradient and accelerates neutralization, leading to rapid performance decay. Here, an oxygen vacancy-driven anion gating (OVDAG) strategy is reported for asymmetric ZABs using a separator modified with oxygen-vacancy-rich WO 3 nanofillers. The oxygen-vacancy-rich WO 3 introduces defect-associated W sites that modulate the interaction with OH – and effectively retard OH – crossover across the asymmetric interface. This vacancy-mediated anion regulation suppresses interfacial neutralization, stabilizes the local pH gradient, and enhances ionic conductivity by 72%, thereby alleviating the trade-off between ion selectivity and transport efficiency. As a result, the assembled asymmetric ZABs deliver open-circuit voltages of 2.16 V (liquid) and 2.22 V (gel), stable discharge plateaus of ∼1.7–1.8 V and cycling durability of up to 150 h (liquid) and 120 h (gel). This work establishes oxygen-vacancy-driven anion gating as an effective strategy for high-voltage and durable ZABs.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ACS Applied Nano Materials
·
2025
·
IF 5.5
Hao Ren,Yi Cao,Tianjiao Ling,Junli Zhu,Jifang Xu,Minqi Sheng
Even though cobalt monophosphide (CoP) has been recognized as a prospective alternative to noble metal-based electrocatalysts in alkaline water splitting, further enhancement of the catalytic activity and durability of CoP in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) requires precise manipulation of its nanoscale spatial architecture and surface electronic structure. Herein, tremella-like Pt, B-codoped CoP nanostructures were successfully anchored on carbon cloth (Pt–B–CoP/CC) through a successive process involving wet chemical deposition, surface Pt impregnation, and phosphorization. The resultant Pt–B–CoP/CC exhibits excellent catalytic activity for both HER and OER, primarily attributed to (i) high-density active sites, (ii) enhanced surface conductivity, and (iii) appropriately modulated electronic structure via Pt, B codoping. In addition, Pt–B–CoP/CC exhibits superaerophobicity, enabling the maintenance of efficient exposure of active sites during electrolysis. In an alkaline medium (1.0 M KOH), the required overpotentials are 52.53 (at −10 mA cm–2) for HER and 224.37 mV (at 10 mA cm–2) for OER, which outperform most of the reported transition metal-based bifunctional catalytic electrode materials. The constructed Pt–B–CoP/CC||Pt–B–CoP/CC cell requires an ultralow cell voltage of 1.51 V (1.74 V) to drive a current density of 10 mA cm–2 (100 mA cm–2). After 100 h of continuous electrolysis, the cell voltage increment is almost negligible at 10 mA cm–2, while at 100 mA cm–2 it increases by only 1.97%, demonstrating the tremendous durability of Pt–B–CoP/CC and its potential applicability in industrial-grade electrolyzers. This study provides inspiration for designing and synthesizing advanced multifunctional catalytic electrodes with high efficiency and long-term stability.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
·
2025
·
IF 4.7
Yuchun Ren,Xixi Zhang,Chaoxin Yang,Zixiao Li,Yanghua Luo,Shengjun Sun,Fatma A. Ibrahim,Mohamed S. Hamdy,Imran Shakir,Guanwei Cui,Xuefei Liu,Xuping Sun,Bo Tang
Direct seawater electrolysis is promising for green hydrogen production from earth’s most abundant water resource, but its anode suffers from chloride-induced corrosion. Herein, Ba-doped NiFe layered double hydroxide supported on Ni foam (Ba-NiFe LDH/NF) is demonstrated as a high-performance anode for durable alkaline seawater oxidation. Such Ba-NiFe LDH/NF needs only an overpotential of 342 mV to achieve 1000 mA cm–2 and operates stably for 1500 h with negligible degradation and minimal active chlorine generation. Ba doping not only accelerates catalyst surface reconstruction but also favors the selective adsorption of OH– vs Cl– over the anode. The membrane electrode assembly electrolyzer composed of Ba-NiFe LDH/NF and Pt/C/NF demonstrates stable operation at 1000 mA cm–2 for 500 h.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
·
2025
·
IF 4.7
Cheng Ye,Xinyu Zheng,Lingmiao Fang,Zhanpeng Fu,Di Li,Jianjun Zhu,Deli Jiang
Designing cost-effective and efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting is crucial for the production of renewable energy, yet still remains challenging. Herein, we report a bifunctional electrocatalyst assembled from CoMoP nanosheets and Cr(OH)3 nanoblocks via hydrothermal and electrodeposition methods. The strong coupling interface formed between CoMoP and Cr(OH)3 not only induces the formation of d–d orbital hybridization, exposing abundant active sites and improving charge transfer efficiency, but also accelerates the reaction kinetics, forming a stable heterostructure, thereby improving the catalytic activity and stability. Meanwhile, the prepared CoMoP/Cr(OH)3/NF electrode demonstrates overpotentials of 88 mV for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and 207 mV for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at 10 mA cm–2. Remarkably, assembled CoMoP/Cr(OH)3||CoMoP/Cr(OH)3 requires only 1.52 V at 10 mA cm–2, outperforming most reported advanced bifunctional catalysts. This study proposes a rapid and rational strategy for constructing novel bimetallic phosphide/hydroxide heterostructured electrocatalysts.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
·
2025
·
IF 13.2
Ya Gao,Zhenqiang Jiang,Xuewen Xia,Xueqiang Zhang,Xingli Zou,Xionggang Lu,Wenhe Wu
Developing robust electrocatalysts capable of operating at ampere-grade current densities is imperative for practical water electrolysis. Herein, we report a bifunctional electrocatalyst with minimal Ru metal (0.78 wt%) anchored on the phosphidated Fe-based metal-organic framework (Ru@P-FeMOF). Experimental and theoretical analyses reveal that Ru nanoclusters, with a narrow size distribution of 1.6–2.8 nm, are uniformly deposited on the interwoven P-FeMOF nanosheets, which are vertically arranged on the substrate. Such a structure provides abundant active sites and facilitates interfacial charge transport due to the optimized d-band center and the lowest energy barrier of the rate-determining step, significantly boosting hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). It is proved that Ru nanoclusters are more conducive to HER, while the presence of Fe 2 P coupling with FeMOF contributes more to reducing O 2 desorption free energy. The fabricated catalyst exhibits superior electrochemical activity and high stability in alkaline water electrolysis. Only 20 and 184 mV of overpotentials are required for HER at 10 and 1000 mA cm −2 , respectively, while 171 mV @ 50 mA cm −2 and 258 mV @ 1000 mA cm −2 for OER in 1 M KOH. Moreover, Ru@P-FeMOF exhibits outstanding durability with negligible degradation after running 10,000 cycles or over 200 h. The cell voltage with Ru@P-FeMOF as both anode and cathode in overall water splitting is as low as 1.43/1.74 V at 10/1000 mA cm −2 , showing excellent performance at industrial-level current densities.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）