Tracking the Electrocatalytic Activity of a Single Palladium Nanoparticle for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

The nanoparticle-based electrocatalysts’ performance is directly related to their working conditions. In general, a number of nanoparticles are uncontrollably fixed on a millimetre-sized electrode for electrochemical measurements. However, it is hard to reveal the maximum electrocatalytic activity owing to the aggregation and detachment of nanoparticles on the electrode surface. To solve this problem, here, we take the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalyzed by palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) as a model system to track the electrocatalytic activity of single Pd NPs by stochastic collision electrochemistry and ensemble electrochemistry, respectively. Compared with the nanoparticle fixed working condition, Pd NPs in the nanoparticle diffused working condition results in a 2–5 orders magnitude enhancement of electrocatalytic activity for HER at various bias potential. Stochastic collision electrochemistry with high temporal resolution gives further insights into the accurate study of NPs’ electrocatalytic performance, enabling to dramatically enhance electrocatalytic efficiency.     

A Phase-Controlled Optical Parametric Amplifier Pumped by Two Phase-Distorted Laser Beams

We theoretically study the phase characteristic of optical parametric amplification （OPA） or chirped pulse OPA （OPCPA） pumped by two phase-distorted laser beams. In the two-beam-pumped optical parametric amplification （TBOPA）, due to spatial walk-off, both of the pump phase distortions will be partly transferred to signal in a single crystal so as to degrade the signal beam-quality, which will be more serious in high-energy OPCPA. An OPA configuration with a walkoff-compensated crystal pair is demonstrated for reducing the signal phase distortion experienced in the first stage and ensuring the signal phase independent of two pump phase distortions through the second crystal, hence maintaining the signal beam-quality. Such a TBOPA is similar to the conventional quantum laser amplifier by means of eliminating its sensitivity to the phase and number of the pump beams.     

Aqueous C-S cross-coupling: synthesis of 2-iminobenzo-1,3-oxathioles via CuCl2·H2O-catalyzed tandem reaction of 2-iodophenols with isothiocyanates

A CuCl₂·H₂O-catalyzed tandem reaction of 2-iodophenol with isothiocyanate in water is described, which provides an environmentally benign, efficient, and practical route for the generation of 2-iminobenzo-1,3-oxathiole. It was noteworthy that most of the products were easily separated from the reaction system by simple filtration.