过渡金属氧化物修饰石墨毡阴极及电催化氧化性能测试

采用H2O2化学预处理石墨毡,并将过渡金属氧化物Ce O2负载到石墨毡上,制备出复合石墨毡阴极材料。研究结果表明H2O2处理可增加石墨毡的含氧官能团,改善表面亲水性,进而提高Ce O2的负载量,XRD分析表明石墨毡表面负载的Ce O2为萤石结构。电化学阻抗谱(EIS)和循环伏安曲线(CV)分析表明修饰后的石墨毡电荷传输阻力变小,氧化还原电流强度显著增强,活性表面积增大8倍,线性扫描(LSV)实验表明改性石墨毡在氧还原过程中具有较大的电流密度,是未改性前的8.5倍。采用改性石墨毡作为阴极,进行电芬顿催化降解甲基橙测试,20 min脱色率达到96.8%,与未改性石墨毡相比,去除率提高133.2%,显著提高了其电催化氧化性能。     

Construction and Operation of Microbial Fuel Cell with Chlorella vulgaris Biocathode for Electricity Generation

In this study, a modified microbial fuel cell (MFC) with a tubular photobioreactor (PHB) configuration as a cathode compartment was constructed by introducing Chlorella vulgaris to the cathode chamber used to generate oxygen in situ. Two types of cathode materials and light/dark cycles were used to test the effect on MFC with algae biocathode. Results showed that the use of algae is an effective approach because these organisms can act as efficient in situ oxygenators, thereby facilitating the cathodic reaction. Dissolved oxygen and voltage output displayed a clear light positive response and were drastically enhanced compared with the abiotic cathode. In particular, carbon paper-coated Pt used as a cathode electrode increased voltage output at a higher extent than carbon felt used as an electrode. The maximum power density of 24.4 mW/m² was obtained from the MFC with algae biocathode which utilized the carbon paper-coated Pt as the cathode electrode under intermittent illumination. This density was 2.8 times higher than that of the abiotic cathode. Continuous illumination shortened the algal lifetime. These results demonstrated that intermittent illumination and cathode material-coated catalyst are beneficial to a more efficient and prolonged operation of MFC with C. vulgaris biocathode.     

过渡金属氧化物修饰石墨毡阴极及电催化氧化性能测试

采用H₂O₂化学预处理石墨毡,并将过渡金属氧化物CeO₂负载到石墨毡上,制备出复合石墨毡阴极材料。研究结果表明H₂O₂处理可增加石墨毡的含氧官能团,改善表面亲水性,进而提高CeO₂的负载量,XRD分析表明石墨毡表面负载的CeO₂为萤石结构。电化学阻抗谱(EIS)和循环伏安曲线(CV)分析表明修饰后的石墨毡电荷传输阻力变小,氧化还原电流强度显著增强,活性表面积增大8倍,线性扫描(LSV)实验表明改性石墨毡在氧还原过程中具有较大的电流密度,是未改性前的8.5倍。采用改性石墨毡作为阴极,进行电芬顿催化降解甲基橙测试,20 min脱色率达到96.8%,与未改性石墨毡相比,去除率提高133.2%,显著提高了其电催化氧化性能。     

电聚合制备聚苯胺@石墨毡复合电极及其在电芬顿过程中的高效电催化性能

作为一种高级氧化技术(AOPs),芬顿氧化法(Fenton)因其操作简单、绿色高效而备受关注.其基本原理是Fe2+催化H2O2产生的羟基自由基(?OH)进攻有机物使之降解为无机小分子或盐.电芬顿法(Electro-Fenton,E-Fenton)是利用电化学方法原位生成H2O2的Fenton衍生法,其优点在于不需要从外界加入H2O2、高效节能、无选择性、并且易于和其他处理技术耦合,是一种非常有价值和应用前景的新型水处理技术.电芬顿技术的理论探究和工艺优化,是当今高级氧化技术的理论和实践研究的重要内容.E-Fenton过程的关键步骤是阴极材料上氧还原反应(Oxygen reduction reaction,ORR)持续生成H2O2.由于析氢过电位高、稳定性好、性能优异,碳材料成为ORR反应最常用的电催化阴极材料.石墨毡作为一种三维多孔立体材料,具有电化学活性面积大、传质好、导电性强、价格低等优点,是ORR的理想阴极材料.聚苯胺材料作为一种导电高分子材料,价格便宜、加工性好、且含有丰富的N原子,在基础研究和实际应用领域都十分活跃.我们创新性地采用电聚合的方法合成了聚苯胺@石墨毡(PANI@GF)复合电极,并通过降解邻苯二甲酸二甲酯(dimethyl phthalate,DMP)研究了其在电芬顿过程中的电催化性能.通过扫描电镜、X射线光电子能谱分析对电极表面结构和杂原子掺杂性进行了物化表征.结果显示PANI@GF复合电极同时具有宏观和微观的三维多孔结构,这种结构蓬松的多孔结构为氧气提供了合适的传递通道和足够的反应面积.所制备复合电极中N原子含量约为1.9%,且吡啶N和吡咯N的含量相对较高.这些N原子来自聚苯胺分子中含有的大量N原子,并能够促进ORR反应.石墨毡和聚苯胺两种材料的在结构和组分上的特点,使得PANI@GF复合电极具有优异的电芬顿降解DMP的性能.在DMP浓度为50 mg/L、电位0.5 V(vs.SCE)、氧气流速为0.4 L/min的条件下,其DMP降解反应表观动力学常数达0.0753 min-1,是石墨毡电极表观动力学常数(0.0151 min-1)的5倍.PANI@GF复合电极制备的最优聚合时间和碳化温度分别为1 h和900℃.这是因为聚合时间太长,可能导致聚苯胺层厚度大,微孔结构被堵塞,进而降低了反应活性面积和影响氧气传质效果,使得电极性能下降;而聚合时间太短,可能导致电极复合不充分.高温碳化可以使石墨毡表面聚苯胺层形成更多的孔结构,从而有利于ORR过程.DMP降解过程中氧气流速、Fe2+用量以及pH值等工艺条件对电极性能有一定的影响,结果表明其相应的优化值分别为0.4 L/min、1.0 mmol/L和3.0.当氧气流速过低时,溶液中低浓度的溶解氧使ORR过程受传质过程限制,导致电极不能充分反应;当氧气流速过大时,并不会增加已经达到饱和的溶液中的氧气浓度,而过大的氧气速率会冲击电极表面,降低电极稳定性而影响其催化性能.对Fe2+.用量而言,E-Fenton过程有多种Fe循环途径,不同的铁含量对于电极性能影响不明显.因此,1.0 mmol/L的Fe含量足够满足实验需要.pH值对E-Fenton过程至关重要,pH较高时,铁离子会形成配合物,阻碍铁循环,并且会导致H2O2的分解,从而降低电极DMP降解性能;而当pH太低时,较多的酸增加成本,且需要后续处理过程以消除酸的影响.实验结果表明3.0是最优pH值,与传统Fenton方法的最适pH相符.PANI@GF复合电极具有高效催化降解DMP的能力,在电芬顿技术处理有机废水中有潜在应用.     

The application of scanning electrochemical microscopy to the discovery of Pd–W electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction that demonstrate high activity, stability, and methanol tolerance

An array of Pd–W alloys was fabricated, and the electrocatalytic activity of the alloys for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in acidic media was screened by scanning electrochemical microscopy. The Pd_0.7W_0.3 showed the highest activity for the ORR, close to that for Pd_0.8Co_0.2 and Pt. A Pd–W electrocatalyst loaded on carbon black was formed by the NaBH₄-reduction method, exhibiting high activity and stability, suggesting that it is a good candidate for the proton exchange membrane fuel cell cathode.     

NiO/ZnO Composite Derived Metal-Organic Framework as Advanced Electrode Materials for Zinc Hybrid Redox Flow Battery

NiO/ZnO composite derived metal-organic framework (MOF) is used as to modify carbon felt (CF) via a conventional solid-state reaction followed by ultrasonication. The prepared electrode material is used in zinc-hybrid redox flow batteries (RFBs) due to their high redox activity of Zn²⁺/Zn. The electrochemical performance of composite modified CF and pre-treated CF was studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in 0.5 M aqueous zinc chloride with 5 M potassium hydroxide solutions showed clear confirmation for enhanced electrocatalytic activity. The unique porous structure of NiO/ZnO-derived MOF with increased surface area improves the battery behavior significantlyThe peak current ratio for the as-prepared material is about 3 times higher than that of the pre-treated CF due to more active sites. Zinc-based RFB with modified CF electrode exhibited better electrochemical performance with voltage efficiency (VE, 88 %), which is higher than true redox flow batteries.     

CoOOH用作阴极催化剂对非水性锂-氧气电池性能的影响

利用工艺简单,成本低廉的共沉淀法制得CoOOH,并用作非水性锂-氧气电池阴极催化剂。通过恒流充放电、线性伏安扫描（LSV）和电化学阻抗（EIS）测试研究了电极的电化学性能。结果表明：由于CoOOH能够明显提高氧气还原反应（ORR）的催化活性,与未使用CoOOH的电极相比较,使用CoOOH为催化剂的电极首次放电容量高达5 093 mAh·g^-1,提高了1.7倍。电池的充电过电压降低了约460 mV,充电可逆性得到增强,充放电可逆性提高,使得循环性能得到显著改善。     

Simultaneous processes of electricity generation and p-nitrophenol degradation in a microbial fuel cell

This study initially demonstrates that the electricity generated by a microbial fuel cell (MFC) can be used to in situ generate H₂O₂ at a carbon felt cathode. In the presence of scrap iron, H₂O₂ further reacts with Fe²⁺ to produce hydroxyl radicals. Attributed to the oxidation of H₂O₂ and hydroxyl radicals, and the oxidation–reduction of scrap iron, p-nitrophenol was significantly removed in the cathode chamber of the MFC. The p-nitrophenol was completely degraded after 12 h, and about 85% of TOC was removed after 96 h. Simultaneously, a maximum power density (143 mW m^?2) was generated by the MFC. It is concluded that a MFC not only can generate electricity and degrade biodegradable compounds, but also remove bio-refractory pollutants.     

Ultra-high surface area and mesoporous N-doped carbon derived from sheep bones with high electrocatalytic performance toward the oxygen reduction reaction

A nitrogen (N)-doped mesoporous carbon material exhibiting ultra-high surface area was successfully synthesized from sheep bones via a facile and low-cost method. The obtained carbon material had an ultra-high specific surface area of 1961 m² g^?1 and provided rich active sites for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which in turn resulted in high electrocatalytic activity. It was found that the pore size distribution for the newly prepared carbonaceous material fell in the range of 1–4 nm. Benefiting from its high surface area and the presence of pyridine-N and quaternary-N species, the as-prepared carbon material exhibited excellent ORR activity in an oxygen-saturated 0.1 M KOH solution, compared to commercial Pt/C (10 wt%). Due to its high ORR catalytic activity, stability and low-cost, using sheep bone as C and N precursors to produce N-doped carbon provides an encouraging step toward the goal of replacing commercial Pt/C as fuel cell cathode electrocatalyst.     

吡啶掺杂碳载钴酞菁催化氧还原的电化学性能及在燃料电池中的应用

以碳黑(Vulcan XC-72R)为载体, 吡啶(Py)和钴酞菁(CoPc)为催化剂前驱体, 经溶剂分散法制备了Py掺杂碳负载纳米钴酞菁复合催化剂(Py-CoPc/C). 通过扫描电镜-能谱分析(SEM-EDS)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)分析和X射线衍射(XRD)分析技术对催化剂的组成和微观结构进行了表征, 并运用线性扫描循环伏安法(LSV)和旋转圆盘电极(RDE)技术考察了不同Py掺杂含量对碳载钴酞菁(CoPc/C)催化氧还原反应(ORR)活性的影响及稳定性. 结果显示: Py掺杂可以明显改善CoPc/C 对ORR的电催化性能, 其中掺杂20%Py下所制备的20%Py-20%CoPc/C 催化剂对ORR表现出最佳的催化活性, 以其制备的气体扩散电极在O₂气氛饱和的0.1 mol·L^-1 KOH 电解质溶液中, 0.2 V (相对于标准氢电极)即可产生明显的氧还原电流, 半波电位为-0.03 V. 相比于40%Py/C 和未掺杂的40%CoPc/C, 20%Py-20%CoPc/C催化剂的半波电位分别正移了160 和15 mV. 进一步运用RDE理论研究表明, 在Py-CoPc/C 电极上ORR的电子转移总数为2.38, 高于CoPc/C电极上的电子转移总数1.96, 从而使ORR的选择性明显提高. SEM-EDS和XRD分析表明Py掺杂提高了CoPc/C催化剂的分散性和N含量, 更利于O₂的吸附. XPS分析表明: 吡啶结构的N与石墨结构的N均存在于Py-CoPc/C 催化剂中,与催化剂表面的Co离子配位可能是促使ORR活性提高的原因. 最后以20%Py-20%CoPc/C制备了膜电极组装(MEA)电极, 应用于H₂/O₂ 燃料电池单电池发电, 室温下获得最大发电功率密度为21 mW·cm^-2, 相对于CoPc/C提高至2.4倍.     

CoOOH用作阴极催化剂对非水性锂-氧气电池性能的影响

利用工艺简单,成本低廉的共沉淀法制得CoOOH,并用作非水性锂-氧气电池阴极催化剂。通过恒流充放电、线性伏安扫描（LSV）和电化学阻抗（EIS）测试研究了电极的电化学性能。结果表明：由于CoOOH能够明显提高氧气还原反应（ORR）的催化活性,与未使用CoOOH的电极相比较,使用CoOOH为催化剂的电极首次放电容量高达5 093 mAh·g^-1,提高了1.7倍。电池的充电过电压降低了约460 mV,充电可逆性得到增强,充放电可逆性提高,使得循环性能得到显著改善。     

Hybride process,microfiltration-electroperoxidation,for water treatment

Cross-flow microfiltration through a 0.8 μm inorganic tubular membrane was enhanced by coupling with a two electrode electrolysis cell producing hydrogen peroxide at high rate, without adding any chemical, by use of carbon felt cathode and dimensional stabilised anode (titanium coated with RuO₂). Anodic oxygen and transfer from atmosphere supplied the required oxygen. The current should be maintained under a maximum value to avoid peroxide reduction. This electrochemical process, called electroperoxidation, upgraded the water quality by removing contaminants that limit mass transport through the membrane, i.e. turbidity, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and microorganisms. Transient filtration was adjusted to an internal clogging model whose coefficient decreased at the same rate as DOC. The microfiltration steady state flux was multiplied by a factor proportional to the peroxide concentration introduced in the filtration loop. The induced resistance decreased simultaneously with chemical oxygen demand and 254 nm absorbance. Steady state fluxes 2.5 times higher than without treatment were experimentally obtained.     

First principles calculations of oxygen reduction reaction at fuel cell cathodes

The efficiency of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) depends critically on materials, in particular for the cathode where the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) occurs. Typically, mixed conducting perovskite ABO₃-type materials are used for this purpose. The dominating surface terminations are (001) AO and BO₂, with the relative fractions depending on materials composition and ambient conditions.Here, results of recent large-scale first principles (ab initio) calculations for the two alternative polar (La,Sr)O and MnO₂ (001) terminations of (La,Sr)MnO₃ cathode materials are discussed. The surface oxygen vacancy concentration for the (La,Sr)O termination is more than 5 orders of magnitude smaller compared to MnO₂, which leads to drastically decreased estimated ORR rates. Thus, it is predicted for prototypical SOFC cathode materials that the BO₂ termination largely determines the ORR kinetics, although with Sr surface segregation (long-term degradation) its fraction of the total surface area decreases, which slows down cathode kinetics.     

Synthesis of dual-doped non-precious metal electrocatalysts and their electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction

The pyrolyzed carbon supported ferrum polypyrrole(Fe-N/C) catalysts are synthesized with or without selected dopants, p-toluenesulfonic acid(TsOH), by a facile thermal annealing approach at desired temperature for optimizing their activity for the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) in O2-saturated 0.1 mol/L KOH solution. The electrochemical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry(CV) and rotating disk electrode(RDE) are employed with the Koutecky-Levich theory to quantitatively obtain the ORR kinetic constants and the reaction mechanisms. It is found that catalysts doped with TsOH show significantly improved ORR activity relative to the TsOH-free one. The average electron transfer numbers for the catalyzed ORR are determined to be 3.899 and 3.098, respectively, for the catalysts with and without TsOH-doping. The heat-treatment is found to be a necessary step for catalyst activity improvement, and the catalyst pyrolyzed at 600℃ gives the best ORR activity. An onset potential and the potential at the current density of-1.5 mA/cm2 for TsOH-doped catalyst after pyrolysis are 30 mV and 170 mV, which are more positive than those without pyrolized. Furthermore, the catalyst doped with TsOH shows higher tolerance to methanol compared with commercial Pt/C catalyst in 0.1 mol/L KOH. To understand this TsOH doping and pyrolyzed effect, X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscope(SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) are used to characterize these catalysts in terms of their structure and composition. XPS results indicate that the pyrrolic-N groups are the most active sites, a finding that is supported by the correspondence between changes in pyridinic-N content and ORR activity that occur with changing temperature. Sulfur species are also structurally bound to carbon in the forms of C–Sn–C, an additional beneficial factor for the ORR.     

LSM-infiltrated LSCF cathodes for solid oxide fuel cells

Mixed ionic-electronic conductors in the family of La_xSr_1–xCo_yFe_1–yO_3–δ have been widely studied as cathode materials for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). However, the long-term stability was a concern. Here we report our findings on the effect of a thin film coating of La_0.85Sr_0.15MnO_3–δ (LSM) on the performance of a porous La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O_3–δ (LSCF) cathode. When the thicknesses of the LSM coatings are appropriate, an LSM-coated LSCF electrode showed better stability and lower polarization (or higher activity) than the blank LSCF cathode without LSM infiltration. An anode-supported cell with an LSM-infiltrated LSCF cathode demonstrated at 825 °C a peak power density of ～1.07 W/cm², about 24% higher than that of the same cell without LSM infiltration (～0.86 W/cm²). Further, the LSM coating enhanced the stability of the electrode; there was little degradation in performance for the cell with an LSM-infiltrated LSCF cathode during 100 h operation.     

High oxygen-reduction activity of silk-derived activated carbon

Activated carbon prepared from silk fibroin, which is free of metal elements, showed a high catalytic activity for the oxygen-reduction reaction (ORR). The activated carbon had a very high onset potential of E_onset = 0.83 V (vs. RHE) in oxygen-saturated 0.5 M H₂SO₄ at 60 °C. The ORR on the activated carbon proceeded by a four-electron process in the high-electrode-potential region; this gradually decreased to a 3.5-electron reaction below about 0.6 V (vs. RHE). Only about 1% of nitrogen atoms (mostly quaternary) remained in the activated carbon by heat-treatment at up to 1200 °C are responsible for the high catalytic activity. The open circuit voltage of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell using the activated carbon as the cathode and a platinum/carbon black anode under pure oxygen and hydrogen gases, respectively, both at one atmosphere, was 0.96 V at 27 °C.     

Enhancing Energy Conversion Efficiency and Durability of Alkaline Nickel-Zinc Batteries with Air-Breathing Cathode

Despite their high output voltage and safety advantages, rechargeable alkaline nickel-zinc batteries face significant challenges associated with the cathodic side reaction of oxygen evolution, which results in low energy efficiency (EE) and poor stability. Herein, we propose to leverage the side oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in nickel-zinc batteries by coupling electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) in the cathode, thus constructing an air breathing cathode. Such a novel battery (Ni-ZnAB), designed in a pouch-type cell with a lean electrolyte, exhibits an outstanding EE of 85 % and a long cycle life of 100 cycles at 2 mA cm⁻², which are significantly superior to those of traditional Ni-Zn batteries (54 %, 50 cycles). Compared to Ni-Zn, the enhanced EE of Ni-ZnAB is attributed to the contribution from ORR, while the improved cycling stability is because the stability of the anode, cathode and electrolyte are also enhanced in Ni-ZnAB. Furthermore, an ultrahigh stability of 500 cycles with an average EE of 84 % at 2 mA cm⁻² was achieved using a mold cell with rich electrolyte, demonstrating the strong application potential of Ni-ZnAB.     

Self-sacrificial template synthesis of Fe,N co-doped porous carbon as efficient oxygen reduction electrocatalysts towards Zn-air battery application

Designing highly efficient non-precious based electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction（ORR） is of significance for the rapid development of metal-air batteries.Herein,a hydrothermal-pyrolysis method is employed to fabricate Fe,N co-doped porous carbon materials as effective ORR electrocatalyst through adopting graphitic carbon nitride（g-C₃ N₄） as both the self-sacrificial templates and N sources.The gC₃ N₄ provides a high concentration of unsatur...     

Photocatalytic fuel cell for simultaneous antibiotic wastewater treatment and electricity production by anatase TiO2 nanoparticles anchored on Ni foam

Photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) holds great potential for the sustainable production of electricity and degradation of organic pollutants for solving global energy and environmental problems. However, the efficient photodegradation of organic dyes and antibiotic drugs, such as ciprofloxacin (CIP) and methylene blue (MB), remains challenging. Aiming at improving the separation efficiency of hole and electron for electricity generation in the PFC system, TiO₂-NPs@NF-x photoanode was fabricated by a cost-effective and laborsaving hydrothermal approach. The as-fabricated photoanode demonstrated abundant active sites, enhanced light harvesting capacity and photogenerated charge carrier separation. At a CIP-HCl concentration of 10 mg/L and pH value of about 7, 85% of CIP-HCl can be efficiently removed after 3 h irradiation by 300 W Xe lamp. TiO₂-NPs@NF-20 photoelectrode based PFC system exhibited an impressed ability to simultaneously degrade ciprofloxacin and generate electricity under light irradiation with an open circuit voltage of 1.021 V, short circuit current density and maximum power density of 2.4 mA/cm², 0.357 mW/cm², respectively. This work provided a cost-effective method for the treatment of organic waste and generation of electrical power.     

Boosting ORR Catalytic Activity by Integrating Pyridine‐N Dopants,a High Degree of Graphitization,and Hierarchical Pores into a MOF‐Derived N‐Doped Carbon in a Tandem Synthesis

N‐doped carbon materials represent promising metal‐free electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), the cathode reaction in fuel cells, metal–air batteries, and so on. A challenge for optimizing the ORR catalytic activities of these electrocatalysts is to tune their local structures and chemical compositions in a rational and controlled way that can achieve the synergistic function of each factor. Herein, we report a tandem synthetic strategy that integrates multiple contributing factors into an N‐doped carbon. With an N‐containing MOF (ZIF‐8) as the precursor, carbonization at higher temperatures leads to a higher degree of graphitization. Subsequent NH₃ etching of this highly graphitic carbon enabled the introduction of a higher content of pyridine‐N sites and higher porosity. By optimizing these three factors, the resultant carbon materials displayed ORR activity that was far superior to that of carbon derived from a one‐step pyrolysis. The onset potential of 0.955 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) and the half‐wave potential of 0.835 V versus RHE are among the top ranks of metal‐free ORR catalysts and are comparable to commercial Pt/C (20 wt %) catalysts. Kinetic studies revealed lower H₂O₂ yields, higher electron‐transfer numbers, and lower Tafel slopes for these carbon materials compared with that derived from a one‐step carbonization. These findings verify the effectiveness of this tandem synthetic strategy to enhance the ORR activity of N‐doped carbon materials.