Publications by authors named "Huiting Niu"

Designing efficient catalysts for operating CO electroreduction in membrane electrode assembly (MEA) faces significant obstacles. Herein, we propose an asymmetrically coordinated Ni single-atom catalyst featuring axial Br coordination at NiNBr sites anchoring onto hollow Br/N co-doped carbon nanocages, achieved through a NaBr-assisted confined-pyrolysis strategy. The Ni-NBr-C catalyst exhibits a high CO Faradaic efficiency (FE>97 %) over the current density range of 50 to 350 mA cm in the MEA device.

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Iron-nitrogen-carbon (Fe-N-C) catalysts, although the most active platinum-free option for the cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), suffer from poor durability due to the Fe leaching and consequent Fenton effect, limiting their practical application in low-temperature fuel cells. This work demonstrates an integrated catalyst of a platinum-iron (PtFe) alloy planted in an Fe-N-C matrix (PtFe/Fe-N-C) to address this challenge. This novel catalyst exhibits both high-efficiency activity and stability, as evidenced by its impressive half-wave potential () of 0.

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There is notable progress in the development of efficient oxygen reduction electrocatalysts, which are crucial components of fuel cells. However, these superior activities are limited by imbalanced mass transport and cannot be fully reflected in actual fuel cell applications. Herein, the design concepts and development tracks of platinum (Pt)-nanocarbon hybrid catalysts, aiming to enhance the performance of both cathodic electrocatalysts and fuel cells, are presented.

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Electrosynthesis has emerged as an enticing solution for hydrogen peroxide (HO) production. However, efficient HO generation encounters challenges related to the robust gas-liquid-solid interface within electrochemical reactors. In this work, we introduce an effective hydrophobic coating modified by iron (Fe) sites to optimize the reaction microenvironment.

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Developing a high-performance membrane electrode assembly (MEA) poses a formidable challenge for fuel cells, which lies in achieving both high metal loading and efficient catalytic activity concurrently for MEA catalysts. Here, we introduce a porous Co@NC carrier to synthesize sub-4 nm PtCo intermetallic nanocrystals, achieving an impressive Pt loading of 27 wt %. The PtCo-CoNC catalyst demonstrates exceptional catalytic activity and remarkable stability for the oxygen reduction reaction.

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Article Synopsis
  • Electrolysis of carbon dioxide (CO) into useful chemicals offers a path to a more sustainable future but faces challenges, particularly in maintaining efficient conversion without carbonate precipitation.
  • Researchers have explored using acid electrolytes to avoid these issues, leading to the development of a proton-exchange membrane system that converts CO to formic acid with high efficiency.
  • This innovative system features a catalyst made from waste materials, operates efficiently for extended periods, and could significantly contribute to advancing carbon-neutral technologies.
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Carbon-supported nanoparticles are indispensable to enabling new energy technologies such as metal-air batteries and catalytic water splitting. However, achieving ultrasmall and high-density nanoparticles (optimal catalysts) faces fundamental challenges of their strong tendency toward coarsening and agglomeration. Herein, we report a general and efficient synthesis of high-density and ultrasmall nanoparticles uniformly dispersed on two-dimensional porous carbon.

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