Continuous ammonia electrosynthesis using physically interlocked bipolar membrane at 1000 mA cm.

Electrosynthesis of ammonia from nitrate reduction receives extensive attention recently for its relatively mild conditions and clean energy requirements, while most existed electrochemical strategies can only deliver a low yield rate and short duration for the lack of stable ion exchange membranes at high current density. Here, a bipolar membrane nitrate reduction process is proposed to achieve ionic balance, and increasing water dissociation sites is delivered by constructing a three-dimensional physically interlocked interface for the bipolar membrane. This design simultaneously boosts ionic transfer and interfacial stability compared to traditional ones, successfully reducing transmembrane voltage to 1.

Rationally Designed Fluorinated Amide Additive Enables the Stable Operation of Lithium Metal Batteries by Regulating the Interfacial Chemistry.

A fluorinated amide molecule with two functional segments, namely, an amide group with a high donor number to bind lithium ions and a fluorine chain to expel carbonate solvents and mediate the formation of LiF, was designed to regulate the interfacial chemistry. As expected, the additive preferably appears in the first solvation sheath of lithium ions and is electrochemically reduced on the anode, and thus an inorganic-rich solid electrolyte interphase is generated. The morphology of deposited lithium metal evolves from brittle dendrites into a granular shape.

Lithium Bromide-Induced Organic-Rich Cathode/Electrolyte Interphase for High-Voltage and Flame-Retardant All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries.

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based solid electrolyte suffers from limited anodic stability and an intrinsic flammable issue, hindering the achievement of high energy density and safe all-solid-state lithium batteries. Herein, we surprisingly found out that a bromine-rich additive, decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), could be preferably oxidized at an elevated voltage and decompose to lithium bromide at an elevated potential followed by inducing an organic-rich cathode/electrolyte interphase (CEI) on NCM811 surface, enabling both high-voltage resistance (up to 4.5 V) and flame-retardancy for the PEO-based electrolyte.

Construction of Integrated Electrodes with Transport Highways for Pure-Water-Fed Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis.

The design of high-performance and durable electrodes for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is crucial for pure-water-fed anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE). In this study, an integrated electrode with vertically aligned ionomer-incorporated nickel-iron layered double hydroxide nanosheet arrays, used on one side of the liquid/gas diffusion layer, is fabricated for the OER. Transport highways in the fabricated integrated electrode, significantly improve the transport of liquid/gas, hydroxide ions, and electron in the anode, resulting in a high current density of 1900 mA cm at 1.

Superhydrophilic/Superaerophobic Hierarchical NiP@MoO/Co()MoO Core-Shell Array Electrocatalysts for Efficient Hydrogen Production at Large Current Densities.

Rationally constructing low-cost, high-efficiency, and durable electrocatalysts toward the hydrogen evolution reaction at large current densities is imperative for water splitting, especially for large-scale industrial applications. Herein, a hierarchical core-shell NiP@MoO/Co()MoO cuboid array electrode with superhydrophilic/superaerophobic properties is successfully fabricated and the formation mechanism of the core-shell structure is systematically investigated. Through an partially converted gas-solid reaction during the phosphating process, Ni and Co elements are leached and rearranged to form NiP particles and amorphous CoO as the shell layer and the inner undecomposed Co()MoO crystals serve as the core layer.

Designing Self-Supported Electrocatalysts for Electrochemical Water Splitting: Surface/Interface Engineering toward Enhanced Electrocatalytic Performance.

Electrochemical water splitting is regarded as the most attractive technique to store renewable electricity in the form of hydrogen fuel. However, the corresponding anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) remain challenging, which exhibit complex reactions and sluggish kinetic behaviors at the triple-phase interface. Material surface and interface engineering provide a feasible approach to improve catalytic activity.

Rational Design of Tungsten Selenide @ N-Doped Carbon Nanotube for High-Stable Potassium-Ion Batteries.

Potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) are deemed as one of the most promising energy storage systems due to their high energy density and low cost. However, their commercial application is far away from satisfactory because of limited suitable electrode materials. Herein, core-shell structured WSe @N-doped C nanotubes are rationally designed and synthesized via selenizing WO @ polypyrrole for the first time.

Interface Engineering of Binder-Free Earth-Abundant Electrocatalysts for Efficient Advanced Energy Conversion.

Gas-involved electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction, oxygen evolution reaction, and oxygen reduction reaction are crucial for many clean and effective energy technologies. The interface chemistry of electrocatalysts plays an important role in the optimization of their catalytic activity and stability. However, these gas-involved reactions exhibit sluggish kinetics and complex reactions at triple-phase interfaces.

Construction of a Janus MnO-NiFe Electrode via Selective Electrodeposition Strategy as a High-Performance Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Rechargeable Zinc-Air Batteries.

MnO has been considered as the most promising bifunctional electrocatalyst toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Despite their highly active ORR performance, the OER catalytic activity of MnO species is still far from satisfying. Herein, for the first time, highly active OER catalytic NiFe layered double hydroxides (NiFe LDHs) are combined with MnO via a selective electrodeposition method to form a Janus electrode in which the MnO and NiFe LDHs are in situ grown on two sides of a porous nickel foam (MnO-NiFe/Ni).

NiFe Hydroxide Supported on Hierarchically Porous Nickel Mesh as a High-Performance Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Water Splitting at Large Current Density.

The preparation of efficient and low-cost bifunctional catalysts with superior stability for water splitting is a topic of significant current interest for hydrogen generation. A facile strategy has been developed to fabricate highly active electrodes with hierarchical porous structures by using a two-step electrodeposition method, in which NiFe layered double hydroxide is grown in situ on a three-dimensional hierarchical Ni mesh (NiFe/Ni/Ni). The as-prepared NiFe/Ni/Ni electrodes demonstrate remarkable structural stability with high surface areas, effective gas transportation, and fast electron transfer.