Partially Interstitial Silicon-Implanted Ruthenium as an Efficient Electrocatalyst for Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution.

To enhance the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), it is crucial, yet challenging, to fundamentally understand and rationally modulate potential catalytic sites. In this study, we confirm that despite calculating a low water dissociation energy barrier and an appropriate H adsorption free energy (ΔG*H) at Ru-top sites, metallic Ru exhibits a relatively inferior activity for the alkaline HER. This is primarily because the Ru-top sites, which are potential H adsorption sites, are recessive catalytic sites, compared with the adjacent Ru-hollow sites that have a strong ΔG*H.

Modulating the D-Band Center of Electrocatalysts for Enhanced Water Splitting.

To tackle the global energy scarcity and environmental degradation, developing efficient electrocatalysts is essential for achieving sustainable hydrogen production via water splitting. Modulating the d-band center of transition metal electrocatalysts is an effective approach to regulate the adsorption energy of intermediates, alter reaction pathways, lower the energy barrier of the rate-determining step, and ultimately improve electrocatalytic water splitting performance. In this review, a comprehensive overview of the recent advancements in modulating the d-band center for enhanced electrocatalytic water splitting is offered.

Van der Waals phase transition investigation toward high-voltage layered cathodes.

High-voltage phase transition constitutes the major barrier to accessing high energy density in layered cathodes. However, questions remain regarding the origin of phase transition, because the interlayer weak bonding features cannot get an accurate description by experiments. Here, we determined van der Waals (vdW) interaction (vdWi) in LiCoO via visualizing its electron density, elucidating the origin of O3─O1 phase transition.

Electron transfer at the heterojunction interface of CoP/MoS for efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction.

Modulating the electronic states of electrocatalysts is critical for achieving efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, how to develop electrocatalysts with superior electronic states is an urgent challenge that must be addressed. Herein, we prepared the CoP/MoS heterojunction with a microsphere morphology consisting of thin nanosheets using a facile two-step method.

CoPS/CoS Heterojunction with Highly Exposed Active Sites and Dual-site Synergy for Effective Hydrogen Evolution Reactions.

Cobalt phosphosulphide (CoPS) has recently been recognized as a potentially effective electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, there have been no research on the design of CoPS-based heterojunctions to boost their HER performance. Herein, CoPS/CoS heterojunction was prepared by phosphating treatment based on defect-rich flower-like CoS precursors.

An phase transformation induced mesoporous heterointerface for the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction.

The phase structure of a catalyst plays a crucial role in determining the catalytic activity. In this study, a facile phosphorization process is employed to achieve the phase transformation from single-phase CoO to CoO/CoP hybrid phases. Characterization techniques, including XRD, BET, SEM, and TEM, confirm the retention of the mesoporous nature during the phase transformation, forming porous CoO/CoP heterointerfaces.

Construction of cyclobutane-fused tetracyclic skeletons substrate-dependent EnT-enabled dearomative [2+2] cycloaddition of benzofurans (benzothiophenes)/maleimides.

Herein, a novel and facile organic photosensitizer (thioxanthone)-mediated energy-transfer-enabled (EnT-enabled) dearomative [2+2] cycloaddition of aromatic heterocycles/maleimides for green synthesis of cyclobutane-fused polycyclic skeletons is reported. Mechanistic investigations revealed that different EnT pathways by triplet thioxanthone were initiated when different aromatic heterocycles participated in the reaction, giving the corresponding excited intermediates, which underwent the subsequent intermolecular [2+2] cycloaddition to access the desired highly functionalized cyclobutane-fused polycyclic skeletons.

A defect-enriched PdMo bimetallene for ethanol oxidation reaction and 4-nitrophenol reduction.

A defect-enriched PdMo bimetallene (d-PdMo) was prepared by a one-pot wet chemical reaction followed by post-treatment of oxidative etching. The introduction of defects can tailor the electronic structure of PdMo bimetallene and the prepared d-PdMo bimetallene exhibited excellent performance in the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) reduction reaction.

Photomediated Hydro(deutero)acylation of Olefins by Decarboxylative Addition of α-Oxocarboxylic Acids.

Acyl radicals have been generated from the decarboxylation of α-oxocarboxylic acids by using a readily accessible organic pyrimidopteridine photoredox catalyst under ultraviolet-A (UV-A) light irradiation. These reactive acyl radicals were smoothly added to olefins such as styrenes and diverse Michael acceptors, with the assistance of HO/DO as hydrogen donors, enabling easy access to a diverse range of ketones/β-deuterio ketones. A wide range of α-oxocarboxylic acids are compatible with this reaction, which shows a reliable, atom-economical, and eco-friendly protocol.

A Durable and High-Voltage Mn-Graphite Dual-Ion Battery Using Mn-Based Hybrid Electrolytes.

Rechargeable Mn-metal batteries (MMBs) can attract considerable attention because Mn has the intrinsic merits including high energy density (976 mAh g), high air stability, and low toxicity. However, the application of Mn in rechargeable batteries is limited by the lack of proper cathodes for reversible Mn intercalation/de-intercalation, thus leading to low working voltage (<1.8 V) and poor cycling stability (≤200 cycles).

Lattice Defects and Electronic Modulation of Flower-Like ZnInS Promote Photocatalytic Degradation of Multiple Antibiotics.

Photocatalysis is an effective technique to remove antibiotic residues from aquatic environments. Typical metal sulfides like ZnInS have been applied to a wide range of photocatalytic applications. However, there are currently no readily accessible methods to increase its antibiotic-degrading activity.

Local electronic structure engineering of vanadium-doped nickel phosphide nanosheet arrays for efficient hydrogen evolution.

Local electronic structure engineering is an effective approach for optimizing the catalytic performance of electrocatalysts. Herein, a dual-phase vanadium-doped nickel phosphide (NiVP) catalyst supported on nickel foam (NF) was synthesized via a successive hydrothermal and phosphorization process with interconnected nanosheet structures and homogeneous distributions. The catalyst's stable phase and strong adhesion to the substrate ensure good electrochemical stability.

Multi-d Electron Synergy in LaNi Co Ru Intermetallics Boosts Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

Despite the fact that d-band center theory links the d electron structure of transition metals to their catalytic activity, it is yet unknown how the synergistic effect of multi-d electrons impacts catalytic performance. Herein, novel LaNi Co Ru intermetallics containing 5d, 4d, and 3d electrons were prepared. In these compounds, the 5d orbital of La transfers electrons to the 4d orbital of Ru, which provides adsorption sites for H*.

Nontrivial Topological Surface States in Ru Sn toward Wide pH-Range Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Nontrivial topological surface states (TSSs), which possess extraordinary carrier mobility and are protected by the bulk symmetry, have emerged as an innovative platform to search for efficient electrocatalysts toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Here, a Sn-based nontrivial metal Ru Sn is prepared using electrical arc melting method. The results indicate that the (001) crystal family of Ru Sn possesses nontrivial TSSs with linear dispersion relation and large nontrivial energy window.

Charge Redistribution of CoS/MoS Heterojunction Microsphere Enhances Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

The electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity of transition metal sulfide heterojunctions are significantly increased when compared with that of a single component, but the mechanism behind the performance enhancement and the preparation of catalysts with specific morphologies still need to be explored. Here, we prepared a CoS/MoS heterojunction with microsphere morphology consisting of thin nanosheets using a facile two-step method. There is electron transfer between the CoS and MoS of the heterojunction, thus realizing the redistribution of charge.

Suppressing Local Dendrite Hotspots via Current Density Redistribution Using a Superlithiophilic Membrane for Stable Lithium Metal Anode.

Li metal anode is considered as one of the most desirable candidates for next-generation battery due to its lowest electrochemical potential and high theoretical capacity. However, undesirable dendrite growth severely exacerbates the interfacial stability, thus damaging battery performance and bringing safety concerns. Here, an efficient strategy is proposed to stabilize Li metal anode by digesting dendrites sprout using a 3D flexible superlithiophilic membrane consisting of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and ZnCl composite nanofibers (PZEM) as a protective layer.

Phosphorus-modified cobalt single-atom catalysts loaded on crosslinked carbon nanosheets for efficient alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction.

Efficient and low-cost transition metal single-atom catalysts (TMSACs) for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) have been recognized as research hotspots recently with advances in delivering good catalytic activity without noble metals. However, the high-cost complex preparation of TMSACs and insufficient stability limited their practical applications. Herein, a simple top-down pyrolysis approach to obtain P-modified Co SACs loaded on the crosslinked defect-rich carbon nanosheets was introduced for alkaline hydrogen evolution, where Co atoms are locally confined before pyrolysis to prevent aggregation.

Construction of Cobalt Molybdenum Diselenide Three-phase Heterojunctions for Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution in Acid Medium.

Molybdenum diselenide and cobalt diselenide have been commonly implemented in electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, there have been few research on the creation of their three-phase heterojunctions and the associated HER process. Herein, we constructed a three-phase heterostructure sample consisting of orthorhombic CoSe , cubic CoSe and MoSe and we investigated its HER performance.

Interlayer Spacing Regulation of Molybdenum Selenide Promotes Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution in Alkaline Media.

The construction of heterostructures is a versatile tactic to enhance catalytic activity. However, it is still elusive to realize the modulation of the interlayer spacing in this way to further improve the performance. Here, strong interfacial coupling between CoSe and MoSe by constructing CoSe /MoSe heterostructures is achieved.

Crystalline-Amorphous Interfaces Coupling of CoSe /CoP with Optimized d-Band Center and Boosted Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

Amorphous and heterojunction materials have been widely used in the field of electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution due to their unique physicochemical properties. However, the current used individual strategy still has limited effects. Hence efficient tailoring tactics with synergistic effect are highly desired.

PtSe /Pt Heterointerface with Reduced Coordination for Boosted Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

PtSe is a typical noble metal dichalcogenide (NMD) that holds promising possibility for next-generation electronics and photonics. However, when applied in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), it exhibits sluggish kinetics due to the insufficient capability of absorbing active species. Here, we construct PtSe /Pt heterointerface to boost the reaction dynamics of PtSe , enabled by an in situ electrochemical method.

Laser ablation in air and its application in catalytic water splitting and Li-ion battery.

Pulse laser has been widely used in both fundamental science and practical technologies. In this perspective, we highlight the employment of pulse laser ablation in air (LAA) in energy-related catalytic reactions. With LAA, samples are directly ablated in ambient air, which makes this technology facile to conduct.

Reversed Active Sites Boost the Intrinsic Activity of Graphene-like Cobalt Selenide for Hydrogen Evolution.

Optimizing the hydrogen adsorption Gibbs free energy (ΔG ) of active sites is essential to improve the overpotential of the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). We doped graphene-like Co Se with sulfur and found that the active sites are reversed (from cationic Co sites to anionic S sites), which contributed to an enhancement in electrocatalytic HER performance. The optimal S-doped Co Se composite has an overpotential of 108 mV (at 10 mA cm ) and a Tafel slope of 59 mV dec , which exceeds other reported Co Se-based electrocatalysts.

RhSe : A Superior 3D Electrocatalyst with Multiple Active Facets for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in Both Acid and Alkaline Solutions.

Layered 2D materials are a vital class of electrocatalys for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), due to their large area, excellent activity, and facile fabrication. Theoretical caculations domenstrate, however, that only the edges of the 2D nanosheets act as active sites, while the much larger basal plane exhibits passive activity. Here, from a distinguishing perspective, RhSe is reported as a "3D" electrocatalyst for HER with top-class activity, synthesized by a facile solid-state method.