Atomically Strained Metal Sites for Highly Efficient and Selective Photooxidation.

Strain engineering is an attractive strategy for improving the intrinsic catalytic performance of heterogeneous catalysts. Manipulating strain on the short-range atomic scale to the local structure of the catalytic sites is still challenging. Herein, we successfully achieved atomic strain modulation on ultrathin layered vanadium oxide nanoribbons by an ingenious intercalation chemistry method.

Dual-Atom Support Boosts Nickel-Catalyzed Urea Electrooxidation.

Nickel-based catalysts have been regarded as one of the most promising electrocatalysts for urea oxidation reaction (UOR), however, their activity is largely limited by the inevitable self-oxidation reaction of Ni species (NSOR) during the UOR. Here, we proposed an interface chemistry modulation strategy to trigger the occurrence of UOR before the NSOR via constructing a 2D/2D heterostructure that consists of ultrathin NiO anchored Ru-Co dual-atom support (Ru-Co DAS/NiO). Operando spectroscopic characterizations confirm this unique triggering mechanism on the surface of Ru-Co DAS/NiO.

Lattice Strain and Schottky Junction Dual Regulation Boosts Ultrafine Ruthenium Nanoparticles Anchored on a N-Modified Carbon Catalyst for H Production.

Ruthenium-based materials are considered great promising candidates to replace Pt-based catalysts for hydrogen production in alkaline conditions. Herein, we adopt a facile method to rationally design a neoteric Schottky catalyst in which uniform ultrafine ruthenium nanoparticles featuring lattice compressive stress are supported on nitrogen-modified carbon nanosheets (Ru NPs/NC) for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Lattice strain and Schottky junction dual regulation ensures that the Ru NPs/NC catalyst with an appropriate nitrogen content displays superb H evolution in alkaline media.

Complementary Operando Spectroscopy identification of in-situ generated metastable charge-asymmetry Cu-CuN clusters for CO reduction to ethanol.

Copper-based materials can reliably convert carbon dioxide into multi-carbon products but they suffer from poor activity and product selectivity. The atomic structure-activity relationship of electrocatalysts for the selectivity is controversial due to the lacking of systemic multiple dimensions for operando condition study. Herein, we synthesized high-performance CORR catalyst comprising of CuO clusters supported on N-doped carbon nanosheets, which exhibited high C products Faradaic efficiency of 73% including decent ethanol selectivity of 51% with a partial current density of 14.

Engineering a metal-organic framework derived Mn-N-C S atomic interface for highly efficient oxygen reduction reaction.

Atomic interface engineering is an effective pathway to regulate the performance of single metal atom catalysts for electrochemical reactions in energy applications. Herein, we construct a sulfur modified Mn-N-C single atom catalyst through a metal-organic framework derived atomic interface strategy, which exhibits outstanding ORR activity with a half-wave potential of 0.916 V RHE in alkaline media.

Design of a Single-Atom Indium -N Interface for Efficient Electroreduction of CO to Formate.

Main-group element indium (In) is a promising electrocatalyst which triggers CO reduction to formate, while the high overpotential and low Faradaic efficiency (FE) hinder its practical application. Herein, we rationally design a new In single-atom catalyst containing exclusive isolated In -N atomic interface sites for CO electroreduction to formate with high efficiency. This catalyst exhibits an extremely large turnover frequency (TOF) up to 12500 h at -0.

Engineering unsymmetrically coordinated Cu-SN single atom sites with enhanced oxygen reduction activity.

Atomic interface regulation is thought to be an efficient method to adjust the performance of single atom catalysts. Herein, a practical strategy was reported to rationally design single copper atoms coordinated with both sulfur and nitrogen atoms in metal-organic framework derived hierarchically porous carbon (S-Cu-ISA/SNC). The atomic interface configuration of the copper site in S-Cu-ISA/SNC is detected to be an unsymmetrically arranged Cu-SN moiety.

Engineering Isolated Mn-NC Atomic Interface Sites for Efficient Bifunctional Oxygen Reduction and Evolution Reaction.

Oxygen-involved electrochemical reactions are crucial for plenty of energy conversion techniques. Herein, we rationally designed a carbon-based Mn-NC bifunctional electrocatalyst. It exhibits a half-wave potential of 0.

In Situ Phosphatizing of Triphenylphosphine Encapsulated within Metal-Organic Frameworks to Design Atomic Co-PN Interfacial Structure for Promoting Catalytic Performance.

The engineering coordination environment offers great opportunity in performance tunability of isolated metal single-atom catalysts. For the most popular metal-N (MN) structure, the replacement of N atoms by some other atoms with relatively weak electronegativity has been regarded as a promising strategy for optimizing the coordination environment of an active metal center and promoting its catalytic performance, which is still a challenge. Herein, we proposed a new synthetic strategy of an in situ phosphatizing of triphenylphosphine encapsulated within metal-organic frameworks for designing atomic Co-PN interfacial structure, where a cobalt single atom is costabilized by one P atom and three N atoms (denoted as Co-SA/P-in situ).

Atomic-dispersed platinum anchored on porous alumina sheets as an efficient catalyst for diboration of alkynes.

Atomic-dispersed Pt anchored on defect-rich porous alumina sheets (Pt/dp-Al2O3) was accessed via a wet impregnation combined with pyrolysis method. These nanosheets functionalized by atomic-dispersed Pt possess a high density of active sites, exhibiting an exceptional catalytic activity combined with cyclic performance in the diboration of alkynes. The selectivity and conversion yield could reach as high as 97% and 98%, respectively.