Using enantioselective dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for the microseparation of trans-cyclohexane-1,2-diamine enantiomers

A new chiral separation system effective for the enantioselective extraction of racemic trans-cyclohexane-1,2-diamine is presented. Enantioselective dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction has been used for the chiral microseparation of trans-cyclohexane-1,2-diamine, with a chiral azophenolic crown ether being identified as a versatile chiral selector. The influence of various process conditions on the extraction performance was studied experimentally. It was found that the operational selectivity in one extraction step is mainly related to the type and volume of the solvents, chiral selector concentration, extraction time, temperature of sample solution, and pH. At optimum conditions (300 μL of diethyl ether as the extraction solvent 1 mL of methanol as the disperser solvent, with 5 mmol L^?1 chiral selector concentration, pH of the sample equal to 4.5, 30 min extraction time and a temperature of 10 °C), the distribution ratio of (R,R)- and (S,S)-trans-cyclohexane-1,2-diamine was 18.3 and 1.8, respectively, while the enantioselectivity value of 10.2 was found at the optimum condition.     

Fabrication of bimetallic nanoparticles modified hollow nanoporous carbons derived from covalent organic framework for efficient degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol

Bimetallic nanoparticles modified hollow-structured nanoporous carbons (NPCs) have been fabricated via a convenient one-step carbonizing strategy derived from covalent organic framework. The Pd/Fe/NPCs, Pt/Fe/NPCs and Rh/Fe/NPCs were obtained and can be used as Fenton-like catalysts with good stability and reusability. The catalytic activity was evaluated by the degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenl (2,4-DCP). These fabricated bimetallic catalysts exhibited much higher catalytic activity than Fe/NPCs at room temperature. The enhancement of catalytic ability was benefited from synergetic catalytic effect of bimetallic nanoparticles and accelerated mass transfer of hollow structure. Additionally, the enhanced catalytic mechanism of bimetallic catalysts was studied in detail and the reasonable reaction pathway was proposed. Besides, the bimetallic catalysts were successfully used for degradation of 2,4-DCP in actual industrial wastewater and the removal efficiency could reach 74.3% within 120 min, which demonstrated the promising potential application of bimetallic catalysts in the removal of pollutants in environment.     

Chemically modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes as efficient and selective sorbent for separation and preconcentration of trace amount of Co(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), and Pd(II)

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were chemically functionalized by glutaric dihydrazide (GDH) and characterized with FT-IR technique. This new sorbent was used for enrichment and preconcentration of Co(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), and Pd(II) ions. The adsorption was achieved quantitatively on MWCNTs at pH 4.0, and then the retained metal ions on the adsorbent were eluted with 1.5 mol L^?1 HNO₃. The effects of analytical parameters including pH of the solution, eluent type, sample volume, and matrix ions were investigated for optimization of the presented procedure. The adsorption capacity of the adsorbent at optimum conditions was found to be 33.6, 29.2, 22.1, and 36.0 mg g^?1 for Co(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), and Pd(II), respectively. The LOD values of the method were 0.16, 0.19, 0.17, and 0.12 ng mL^?1 (3Sb, n = 10) for Co(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), and Pd(II), respectively. The RSDs values of the method were 0.75, 0.85, 1.16, and 1.30 ng mL^?1 for Co(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), and Pd(II), respectively. The method was applied for the determination of analytes in soil, well water, and wastewater samples with satisfactory results.     

Synthesis of the four enantiomers of diethyl 1,2-di(N-Boc-amino)propylphosphonates

A simple and efficient synthetic strategy to all four enantiomerically pure diethyl 1,2-di(N-Boc-amino)propylphosphonates has been elaborated starting from the corresponding N-[(R)-(1-phenylethyl)]aziridine-(2S)- and N-[(S)-(1-phenylethyl)]aziridine-(2R)-carboxaldehydes, employing a one-pot three-components Kabachnik-Fields reaction followed by the hydrogenolytic removal of the chiral auxiliary and aziridine ring opening with simultaneous protection of the amino groups as the N-Boc derivatives.     

Iron carbonyl complexes of 2,3,5,6-tetrakis(methylene)-7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane. Crystal and molecular structure of (C10H10O)Fe(CO)3 and (C9H10CO)Fe2(CO)6

The reaction of 2,3,5,6-tetrakis(methylene)-7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane (I) with iron carbonyls in various solvents yields the (η⁴-1,3-diene)Fe(CO)₃ isomers (II: exo; III: endo) and the bimetallic isomers bis[(η⁴-1,3-diene)Fe(CO)₃] (IV: bis(exo); V: endo,exo). In weakly coordinating solvents, a parallel rearrangement of I occurs through CO bond cleavage of the allylic ether by Fe₂(CO)₉ yielding an unsaturated ketone (VI) bonded to two Fe(CO)₃ groups through a trimethylenemethane and a 1,3-diene system, respectively. The geometries of III and VI have been ascertained by X-ray crystal structure determinations.     

乙酰丙酸选择性加氢合成γ-戊内酯中高效和可循环使用的Ni3Fe NPs@C 双金属催化剂

生物质经催化转化合成燃料及化学品是当前研究的热点.目前,生物质的催化转化主要聚焦于纤维素、半纤维素和木质素的解聚及其下游产物合成.其中,乙酰丙酸(LA)作为纤维素解聚的主要产物之一,是一种极具竞争力的平台化合物和重要的生物质转化中间体.LA通过催化转化可以合成各类高附加值的化学品,例如,通过催化加氢LA可选择性合成γ-戊内酯(GVL).所合成的GVL用途广泛,可作为绿色溶剂、食品、燃料添加剂、(塑料、高分子、烃类或者其它高附加值化学品)前驱体等.目前,LA-to-GVL的研究主要着眼于非均相催化体系,包括负载型贵金属和非贵金属催化剂体.其中,贵金属催化剂主要有Ru,Au,Pd,Rh,Ir和Pt,虽然催化效率高,条件温和,但是成本高,难以实现工业化.此外对于广泛使用的Ru/C催化剂,存在金属-载体间相互作用不强.活性组分易流失、导致催化剂稳定性差等问题;而非贵金属则普遍存在催化活性不佳及反应条件苛刻等缺点.因此,开发高效、稳定、反应条件温和且具有工业化应用前景的非贵金属催化剂具有显著的研究意义,这也是当前的研究趋势.在特定温度下,金属离子与碳基底存在较强的相互作用.鉴于此,本文通过一步碳热还原法合成了活性炭负载的Ni3Fe双金属催化剂(Ni3Fe NPs@C).该催化剂在LA-to-GVL转化体系中展现了直接加氢(DH)和转移加氢(TH)双功能催化特性.首先,考察了其在DH体系中的反应特性:在130oC和2 MPa氢压反应条件下经2 h反应,LA转化率达到93.8％,GVL选择性为95.5％,GVL产率是相应的单金属Ni/C和Fe/C催化剂的6倍和40倍.此外,在TH催化反应体系中,在180oC,0.5 h和无外加氢源的反应条件下,以异丙醇为反应溶剂和供氢体,LA几乎完全转化为GVL,其反应效率同样相较于单金属Ni/C和Fe/C催化剂大幅度提高.所合成的Ni3Fe NPs@C双金属催化剂DH和TH催化性能优于绝大多数报道的LA加氢贵金属和非贵金属催化剂.而且,该催化剂具有良好的循环利用性能,经过四次循环,其结构和化学状态没有发生明显的改变,稳定性明显优于商业化的Ru/C催化剂.此外,通过系统分析其催化性能以及材料结构,明确了该催化剂在LA的DH和TH反应体系中的活性位点,并提出了可能的反应路径.该研究为其它类型的DH和TH反应体系以及生物质高效转化过程提供了新的催化剂设计思路.并且这种催化剂及其制备方法简单、绿色,易于工业化推广和应用.     

Promotion effect of additive Fe on Al2O3 supported Ni catalyst for CO2 methanation

In this paper, the effect of additive Fe on Ni/Al₂O₃ catalyst for CO₂ methanation was studied. A series of bimetallic Ni–Fe catalysts with different Ni/Fe ratios were prepared by impregnation method. For comparison, monometallic Fe‐based and Ni‐based catalysts were also prepared by the same method. The characterization results showed that adding Fe to Ni catalyst on the premise of a low Ni loading(≦12 wt.%) enhanced CO₂ methanation performance. However, when the Ni loading reached 12 wt.%, the catalytic activity decreased with the increase of Fe content, but still higher than the corresponding Ni‐based catalyst without Fe. Among them, the 12Ni3Fe catalyst exhibited the highest CO₂ conversion of 84.3 % and nearly 100% CH₄ selectivity at 50000 ml g^‐1 h^‐1 and 420 °C. The enhancement effect of adding Fe on CO₂ methanation was attributed to the dual effect of suitable electronic environment and increased reducibility generated by Fe species.     

Synthesis, characterisation and evaluation of polydithiocarbamate resin supported on macroreticular styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer for the removal of trace and heavy metal ions

A new chelating resin was synthesised by the modification of styrene-divinylbenzene (2%) copolymer and incorporation of dithiocarbamate groups. The polydithiocarbamate resin was characterised by elemental analysis, thermal studies and IR studies. The analytical characteristics of the sorbent were established and optimum sorption conditions for Cu, Ni, Pb, Fe, As and Mn determined. The total sorption capacity of the resin was 37 mg g⁻¹ for Ni(II), 35 mg g⁻¹ for Cu(II), 29 mg g⁻¹ for Fe(III) and 23 mg g⁻¹ for Pb(II). The optimum pH for the removal of metal ions was 3-5 for Ni(II), 5 for Cu(II), 4 for Fe(III) and 4-5 for Pb(II). High sorption capacity was observed when compared with other conventional chelating polymers. The sorption kinetics was fairly rapid, as apparent from the loading half time t_1/2 values, indicating a better accessibility of the chelating sites.     

Determination of the absolute configuration of two αvβ6 integrin inhibitors for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and investigations on the asymmetric 1,4-addition of arylboronic acids to crotonate esters bearing a C4-oxygen substituent

The absolute configuration of two novel α_vβ₆ integrin inhibitors was established via degradation to the corresponding C3-aryl substituted butyrolactone. The configuration of the resulting lactones was established by asymmetric synthesis using 1,4-addition of arylboronic acids to butenolide, catalysed by bis(norbornadiene)rhodium (I) tetrafluoroborate in the presence of (R)-BINAP, and confirmed by X-ray crystallography. Studies on arylboronic acid conjugate additions to acyclic crotonate esters bearing a γ-oxygen substituent are also reported. Three Rh catalysts were investigated and the one giving the highest enantioselectivity was bis(norbornadiene)rhodium (I) tetrafluoroborate.     

Degradation of trichloroethylene in aqueous solution by persulfate activated with Fe(III)–EDDS complex

In this study, an environmentally friendly complexing agent, S,S′-ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinic acid (EDDS), was applied in Fe(III)-mediated activation of persulfate (PS), and the degradation performance of trichloroethylene (TCE) was investigated. The effects of PS concentration, Fe(III)/EDDS molar ratio, and inorganic anions on TCE degradation were evaluated, and the generated reactive oxygen species responsible for TCE removal were identified. The results showed that nearly complete TCE degradation was achieved with PS of 15.0 mM and a molar ratio of Fe(III)/EDDS of 4:1. An increase in PS concentration or Fe(III)/EDDS molar ratio to a certain value resulted in enhanced TCE degradation. All of the anions (Cl^?, HCO₃ ^?, SO₄ ^2?, and NO ₃ ^? ) at tested concentrations had negative effects on TCE removal. In addition, investigations using radical probe compounds and radical scavengers revealed that sulfate radicals (SO ₄ ^·? ), hydroxyl radicals (^·OH), and superoxide radical anions (O ₂ ^·? ) were all generated in the Fe(III)–EDDS/PS system, and ^·OH was the primary radical responsible for TCE degradation. In conclusion, the Fe(III)–EDDS-activated PS process is a promising technique for TCE-contaminated groundwater remediation.     

Potentiometric and antimicrobial studies on the asymmetric Schiff bases and their binuclear Ni(II) and Fe(III) complexes; synthesis and characterization of the complexes

The protonation constants of two nitro-Schiff bases SB¹, SB² and three asymmetric tetradentate diimines H₂L¹, H₂L² and H₂L³ and the stability constants of their ML type binuclear Ni(II) and Fe(III) complexes have been determined potentiometrically. The asymmetric diimines are (2OH) RCHNC₆H₄CHNR′ (2OH) type compounds [where R = R′ = phenyl for H₂L¹; R = naphthyl, R′ = phenyl for H₂L² and R = R′ = naphthyl for H₂L³]. The effect of tautomeric forms on the acid-base properties of the diimines has been investigated and discussed. In addition, dimeric and binuclear Ni(II) and Fe(III) complexes of the diimines have been synthesized and characterized by physical and spectroscopic techniques. Also, in vitro antimicrobial activities of the diimines and the complexes have been evaluated against three bacteria: Micrococcus luteus (NRLL B-4375), Bacillus cereus (RSKK 863), Escherichia coli (ATCC 11230) and the fungus: Candida albicans (ATCC 10239).     

Catalytic wet air oxidation of phenol over ultrasound-assisted synthesized Ni/CeO2–ZrO2 nanocatalyst used in wastewater treatment

Non-noble metal Ni with different loadings was coated on precipitated CeO₂–ZrO₂ support by the sonochemistry method and examined for catalytic wet air oxidation of phenol. The structure of the nanocatalysts was determined by BET, FESEM, XRD, and FTIR analyses. The results showed non-uniform morphology of the nanocatalyst at lower Ni contents changed to homogenous morphology with spherical nano particles at higher Ni contents. While the size of NiO crystals remained constant with rising Ni content, the crystallinity of NiO significantly increased. If the crystallinity of NiO was 100% in 20% wt Ni/CeO₂–ZrO₂, the crystallinity of NiO in 5% wt Ni was found to be 41.13%. The average particle size in Ni(15%)/CeO₂–ZrO₂ was 77 nm in which 85.71% of particle diameters were less than 100 nm. Catalytic wet air oxidation of phenol with different Ni loadings indicated improvement of phenol destruction at higher amounts of active phase. Removal of phenol increased with increasing catalyst loading from 4 to 9.0 g/l but further increase to 10 g/l declined the catalyst reactivity.     

Redox Behavior and Transport Properties of Composites Based on (Fe,Ni)<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4 ± δ</Subscript> for Anodes of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

The Fe–Ni–O system designed for producing bimetal-containing composite anodes of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) was studied. The solubility of nickel in the structure of spinel (Fe,Ni)₃O_{4 ± δ} at atmospheric oxygen pressure is ~1/3. Moderate reduction at 1023 K and p(O₂) ≈ 10^–20 atm leads to partial decomposition of spinels, forming an electron-conducting phase (Fe,Ni)_1–yO and submicron bimetallic Fe–Ni particles on the oxide surface, which have potentially high catalytic activity. The electron conductivity has a thermally activated character and increases substantially during the reduction. In the anode conditions of SOFCs, the electric conductivity reaches 30–100 S/cm, while the thermal expansion coefficients are ~12 × 10^–6 K^–1, which ensures compatibility with solid electrolytes. At the same time, significant volume changes during the redox cycling (up to ~1% on the linear scale) necessitate the introduction of additional components such as yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). The polarization resistance of the model composite anode of reduced Fe₂NiO_{4 ± δ} and YSZ deposited on the YSZ solid electrolyte membrane was ~1.8 Ohm cm² at 923 K in a 4% H_2–Ar–H₂O atmosphere.     

Aqueous-phase synthesis of PAA in PVDF membrane pores for nanoparticle synthesis and dichlorobiphenyl degradation

This paper deals with bimetallic (Fe/Pd) nanoparticle synthesis inside the membrane pores and application for catalytic dechlorination of toxic organic compounds form aqueous streams. Membranes have been used as platforms for nanoparticle synthesis in order to reduce the agglomeration, encountered in solution phase synthesis which leads to a dramatic loss of reactivity. The membrane support, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) was modified by in situ polymerization of acrylic acid in aqueous phase. Subsequent steps included ion exchange with Fe²⁺, reduction to Fe⁰ with sodium borohydride and Pd deposition. Various techniques, such as STEM, EDX, FTIR and permeability measurements, were used for membrane characterization and showed that bimetallic (Fe/Pd) nanoparticles with an average size of 20–30 nm have been incorporated inside of the PAA-coated membrane pores. The Fe/Pd-modified membranes showed a high reactivity toward a model compound, 2,2′-dichlorobiphenyl and a strong dependence of degradation on Pd (hydrogenation catalyst) content. The use of convective flow substantially reduces the degradation time: 43% conversion of dichlorobiphenyl to biphenyl can be achieved in less than 40 s residence time. Another important aspect is the ability to regenerate and reuse the Fe/Pd bimetallic systems by washing with a solution of sodium borohydride, because the iron becomes inactivated (corroded) as the dechlorination reaction proceeds.     

改性PTFE纤维金属配合物的制备及其光催化降解性能

使用聚丙烯酸接枝改性聚四氟乙烯(PAA-g-PTFE)纤维分别与Fe³⁺及其与Cu²⁺的混合物反应制备改性PTFE纤维铁和铁铜双金属配合物, 并分别使用傅里变换叶红外(FTIR)光谱和紫外-可见(UV-Vis)漫反射光谱(DRS)对两种配合物的化学结构和光吸收性能进行表征. 然后将两种配合物分别作为非均相光Fenton 反应催化剂应用于典型偶氮染料活性蓝222氧化降解反应中, 考察和比较了二者在不同pH介质中对降解反应的催化作用. 结果表明, 在有或无Cu²⁺的存在条件下, 一个Fe³⁺能够与三个PAA-g-PTFE表面的6个羧基发生反应形成配合物, 并且它们在紫外和可见光区表现出好的光吸收特性. 当两种金属离子共存时Cu²⁺比Fe³⁺更容易与PAA-g-PTFE发生配位反应形成铁铜双金属配合物. 在可见光辐射下PAA-g-PTFE铁配合物对不同pH水溶液中染料降解反应均表现出显著的催化作用, 但是溶液pH的升高不利于配合物催化活性的发挥. 而配合物中铁离子含量提高特别是引入Cu²⁺作为助金属离子能够较大幅度地改善其在高pH范围内的催化活性和重复利用性.     

Synthesis and crystal structure of (S)-pindolol

Racemic 3-(4-indolyloxy)-1,2-propanediol 2 has been effectively resolved into (S)- and (R)-enantiomers by a preferential crystallization procedure. Non-racemic (S)-2 was converted into (S)-4-(2,3-epoxypropoxy)-1H-indole (S)-4 via a Mitsunobu reaction and then into (S)-pindolol (S)-1. The crystalline (S)-1 was studied by single crystal X-ray diffraction. A large number of symmetry independent molecules (Z′ = 6) led to a weakening of the system of strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds, which combined with a loose packing (PI = 64.6%), may be the cause of the abnormally low melting point of (S)-1 as compared with rac-1.     

Synthesis,spectral, crystal structural,antimicrobial, DNA interaction and thermal behavior of some new zinc halide complexes: 3D supramolecular structure of zinc bromide complex

Three new four coordinated zinc(II) complexes have been synthesized and characterized by IR, UV, elemental analysis, ¹H and ¹³C NMR and X-ray single crystal analysis. The elemental analyses of the complexes are in agreement with the general formula of ZnLX₂ wherein L = Schiff base ligand and X = Cl^?, Br^? and I^?. Low molar conductivities in DMF indicated non-electrolyte character of all complexes. Spectroscopic studies well confirmed the coordination via azomethine nitrogens of the ligand to zinc ion. The single crystal X-ray analysis shows that ZnLBr₂ crystallizes in the triclinic crystal system with space group $\mathit{P}\overline{1}$. It contains two crystallographically independent molecules noted as A and B, with both Zn1A and Zn1B being almost in perfect tetrahedral environments (τ₄ = 0.94 for Zn1A and τ₄ = 0.93 for Zn1B). A detailed structural analysis shows that there are three non-classical hydrogen bondings of C–H…Br in the structure. Various C–H…π and C–H…Br interactions play an important role in stabilizing the molecular structure and then give rise to a 3D supramolecular structure of the ZnLBr₂ complex. After characterization, the Schiff base and its complexes were screened in vitro for their antibacterial and antifungal activities by disk diffusion technique. Also the ability of the complexes for DNA cleavage was studied by agarose gel electrophoresis method. Finally, thermal behavior of the complexes has been studied by thermo-gravimetry and then some activation kinetics parameters of decomposition steps were evaluated based on TG/DTG plots.     

Amino-phenol complexes of Fe(III) as promising T1 accelerators

Iron(III) complexes with N,O-ligands are compounds of high interest because they can be applied in catalysis and play an important role in living organisms, e.g., as models of catechol dioxygenase. Several N,O-ligands were studied: their synthesis, iron(III) complexation and the potential of the latter as T₁-MRI contrast agents. A route to the tetrapodal N₃O₂-naphthyl ligand was investigated. The resulting iron complex was obtained in 26% total yield and its relaxivity value was moderate (r₁ = 1.03 in water and 2.54 s^?1 mM^?1 in serum). Thus, phenyl isomeric salan complexes were obtained. These complexes differed in charge (positive and neutral) and in the presence of polar hydrogen-bonding substituents. The highest relaxivities (r₁ = 2.39 in water and 5.37 s^?1 mM^?1 in serum) were obtained for the Fe(III) cationic complex with MeO groups in the ligand. EPR studies confirmed a high spin configuration of rhombically distorted Fe(III) complexes.     

Solid-phase extraction of vanadium(V) from tea infusions and wines on immobilized nanometer titanium dioxide followed by ICP-OES analysis

Nanosized titanium dioxide immobilized on silica gel was synthesized and used as fixed-bed phase for V(V) pre-concentration, followed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) analysis. Three different sorbents were prepared by sol–gel method starting from a mixture of titanium isopropoxide, 2-propanol and water, and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and BET analysis. V(V), the most stable and toxic oxidation state of the element, present in water and beverages samples, was selectively sorbed, pre-concentrated, quantitatively eluted by 0.1 M HCl and analyzed by ICP-OES. The effectiveness of the procedure was first assessed on tap water enriched with 1 μg L^?1 of V(V) obtaining recoveries up to 92% (n = 4). The pre-concentration step was then optimized for complex matrices such as tea infusions and red and white wines. The reliability of the procedure was assessed on the same beverages samples spiked with 20–250 μg L^?1. Quantitative recoveries (82–95%, n = 4) were assured avoiding any sample pre-treatment, generally essential in such complex matrices, obtaining good precision (RSD < 12%, n = 3). The method was then applied to the determination of V(V) in commercial tea infusions and wines.     

Surface site density and utilization of platinum group metal (PGM)-free Fe–NC and FeNi–NC electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction

Pyrolyzed iron-based platinum group metal (PGM)-free nitrogen-doped single site carbon catalysts (Fe–NC) are possible alternatives to platinum-based carbon catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Bimetallic PGM-free M₁M₂–NC catalysts and their active sites, however, have been poorly studied to date. The present study explores the active accessible sites of mono- and bimetallic Fe–NC and FeNi–NC catalysts. Combining CO cryo chemisorption, X-ray absorption and ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy, we evaluate the number and chemical state of metal sites at the surface of the catalysts along with an estimate of their dispersion and utilization. Fe L_3,2-edge X-ray adsorption spectra, Mössbauer spectra and CO desorption all suggested an essentially identical nature of Fe sites in both monometallic Fe–NC and bimetallic FeNi–NC; however, Ni blocks the formation of active sites during the pyrolysis and thus causes a sharp reduction in the accessible metal site density, while with only a minor direct participation as a catalytic site in the final catalyst. We also use the site density utilization factor, ϕ_{SDsurface/bulk}, as a measure of the metal site dispersion in PGM-free ORR catalysts. ϕ_{SDsurface/bulk} enables a quantitative evaluation and comparison of distinct catalyst synthesis routes in terms of their ratio of accessible metal sites. It gives guidance for further optimization of the accessible site density of M–NC catalysts.

The gravimetric surface density and ORR catalytic turnover frequency of Fe–NC and Fe/Ni–NC catalysts were investigated. Both catalysts feature chemically identical Fe sites, but the presence of Ni lowered the gravimetric surface density of Fe sites.