Search

Layered double hydroxides (LDH) have been extensively investigated for charge storage, however, their development is hampered by the sluggish reaction dynamics. Herein, triggered by mismatching integration of Mn sites, we configured wrinkled Mn/NiCo-LDH with strains and defects, where promoted mass & charge transport behaviors were realized. The well-tailored Mn/NiCo-LDH displays a capacity up to 518 C g-1 (1 A g-1), a remarkable rate performance (78%@100 A g-1) and a long cycle life (without capacity decay after 10,000 cycles). We clarified that the moderate electron transfer between the released Mn species and Co2+ serves as the pre-step, while the compressive strain induces structural deformation with promoted reaction dynamics. Theoretical and operando investigations further demonstrate that the Mn sites boost ion adsorption/transport and electron transfer, and the Mn-induced effect remains active after multiple charge/discharge processes. This contribution provides some insights for controllable structure design and modulation toward high-efficient energy storage.

Integration of more thermodynamically favorable valorization of biomass (e.g., glycerol), compared to sluggish oxygen evolution, with H2 production is of great significance for energy‐saving electrosynthesis of value‐added chemicals. However, its widespread deployment has been challenged by costly electrocatalysts and large overpotential reaching an industrial‐relevant current density (≥400 mA cm−2). Herein, carbon shell‐encapsulated manganese‐doped cobalt nitride nanoarrays immobilizing on nickel foam, denoted Mn‐CoN@C/NF, are crafted via hydrothermal method and ammoniation. As a bifunctional electrocatalyst, the Mn‐CoN@C/NF manifests extraordinary activity for glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR) with an ultralow potential of 1.37 V (versus RHE) at 400 mA cm−2, in conjunction with H2 evolution reaction (HER) with a low overpotential of 31 mV at 10 mA cm−2. A record high Faradaic efficiency (97.7%) for formate production of GOR is delivered at 1.35 V (vs RHE). Impressively, a two‐electrode electrolyzer capitalizing on the Mn‐CoN@C/NF as catalysts reaches 800 mA cm−2 at 1.83 V, delivering an electricity‐saving efficiency of 15.0% compared to pure water splitting. DFT calculations substantiate that Mn species within Mn‐CoN not only optimize hydrogen adsorption kinetics for HER, but also elevate Co3+ active sites' density for GOR. This work offers an energy‐saving and efficient electrosynthesis avenue for coproduction of valuable chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low‐voltage charging capacity and rate performance are two crucial but mutually restricted properties of K‐ion batteries. Herein, a sulfonamide and amide linkages‐triggered N doping high‐temperature removal strategy is proposed to obtain porous carbon with rich carbon vacancies, high sp2 hybridized C content (65.3%), and large interlayer spacing using coal tar pitch as carbon precursor. Carbon vacancies and sp2 hybridized C are proved to be not only active sites for low‐voltage potassium storage but also conducive to the fast transfer of ions and electrons, endowing reversible and fast potassium storage at low voltage. Moreover, abundant carbon vacancies and large carbon interlayer spacing alleviate volume variation, improving the cycling stability for 8500 cycles (about 3700 h). This work sheds new light on the design of low‐voltage, durable, and fast potassium storage carbon anodes, and promotes the development of practical carbon anodes for high energy density K‐ion batteries in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigated the role of excited-state hydrogen bonding in the photocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) utilizing Rose Bengal as a catalyst, through a combined experimental and theoretical approach. Experiments validated the successful conversion of CO2 to CO in a homogeneous aqueous solution system under light irradiation, without additional photosensitizers or sacrificial agents. Theoretically, the DFT/TDDFT calculations modeled the catalyst-reactants as a hydrogen-bonded complex (HBC), understanding the energy, hydrogen, and electron transfer mechanisms induced by excited-state hydrogen bonding. Combining the photophysical and photochemical insights revealed the complete catalytic cycle, identifying the water oxidation process as the rate-limiting step in the entire photocatalytic CO2RR process. Experimental and computational results provide molecular-level insights into the structure–activity relationships. This work enhances comprehension of the pivotal role of excited-state hydrogen bonding and holds significant reference value for enhancing the conversion efficiency in the photocatalytic CO2RR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report a joint experimental and computational study to elaborate the mechanism for the photocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). Experimental results indicate that the catalyst (sodium magnesium chlorophyll, MgChlNa2), which has a well-defined structure for calculation and understanding, can achieve the photoreduction of CO2 to CO only using water as a dispersant, without adding any photosensitizer or sacrificial agent. Subsequently, a series of structural models of the hydrogen-bonded complexes of the catalyst were constructed and outlined via utilizing density functional theory (DFT) calculations, including photophysical and photochemical processes. The results confirm that the rate-limiting step of the whole CO2RR was the intersystem crossing process. The electron and proton transfers involved in photophysical and photochemical processes are induced by hydrogen bonds in the excited states. The combination of experiments and calculations will provide an important reference for the design of high-efficiency photocatalysts in the photocatalytic CO2RR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]