Oxygen-vacancy-enhanced Catalytic Activity of Au@Co3O4/CeO2 Yolk-shell Nanocomposite to Electrochemically Detect Hydrogen Peroxide

Biomimetic electrochemical sensors are very promising not only due to their lower expense and longer stability than conventional enzymatic ones, but they also often suffer from simultaneously achieving high sensitivity and good selectivity. Here we present a well-defined Au@Co₃O₄/CeO₂ yolk-shell nanostructure (YSN) that is first synthesized and exploited as highly efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) detection. The introduced CeO₂ in Co₃O₄ matrix greatly facilitates the migration of lattice oxygen, which increases the concentration of surface oxygen vacancies (O_a), remarkably enhancing the adsorption ability of H₂O₂ and promoting the decomposition of H₂O₂ for faster electron transfer than pristine Au@Co₃O₄ core-shell nanostructure (CSN). The abundant O_a of Au@Co₃O₄/CeO₂ YSN is confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). The as-prepared biomimetic sensor delivers a wide dynamic range (5.0 nM to 5.4 μM), a low limit of detection (LOD) (2.74 nM), and a high sensitivity (35.67 μA μM⁻¹ cm⁻²), paving a new way to construct an ultrasensitive and selective enzyme-free biomimetic electrochemical sensor. Furthermore, the sensor is used to real-time monitor H₂O₂ released from human cervical cancer cells (HeLa) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), demonstrating its great potential in practical applications.     

多种纳米结构Fe掺杂TiO2光热耦合水分解制氢研究

氧空位是材料缺陷工程的重要组成. 基于光生氧空位的直接热利用, 实现纯水分解制氢的光热耦合实验, 被认为是太阳能综合利用的有效途径. 以多种制备方法合成的TiO₂纳米材料为基础, 研究了多种形貌纳米TiO₂及其Fe掺杂改性材料的光热耦合反应能力. 通过高分辨透射电子显微镜(HRTEM)、 X射线衍射(XRD)和电子顺磁共振(EPR)对晶体特征进行表征, 利用漫反射光谱(DRS)、 光致发光(PL)和三电极测试法表征了材料的性能, 并结合密度泛函理论(DFT)计算了产氢反应路径. 研究结果表明, 溶胶-凝胶法制备的纳米颗粒相比水热法制备的纳米片及纳米线, 体相内缺陷较多, 载流子强度高, 光热耦合产氢效果较差. Fe掺杂改性扩展了光响应, 增强了载流子分离和寿命, 降低了电子传输阻抗, 利于光反应过程中光生氧空位的形成, 克服了制氢反应中的关键能垒. 同时, 纳米材料中的缺陷促进了Fe离子的有效掺杂, Fe掺杂TiO₂纳米颗粒的光热耦合平均产氢量为9.73 μmol/g, 性能提升达13倍.     

电沉积制备的PtNi纳米粒子用于氧还原反应:成核和生长机理

质子交换膜燃料电池(PEMFCs)电堆中阴极Pt基催化剂的高用量造成其成本居高不下,成为阻碍燃料电池汽车商业化推进的重要原因,因此开发低Pt、高活性的Pt基催化剂势在必行.Pt合金催化剂能够有效地降低Pt用量,并通过对合金颗粒的元素比例、晶面、粒径等实行精确调控,显著提升氧还原(ORR)催化活性.然而,目前常用的制备方法由于原料与制备成本高昂、过程复杂大都难以适应规模化生产需求.电化学方法通过控制施加的电流或电位控制晶体生长.在水体系中该方法已得到验证,但由于Pt化合物的热力学标准电极电位与过渡金属元素之间相差较大,且对于过渡金属来说,电负性大多小于铂,因此还原电位通常负于析氢电位,使得二者难以实现共沉积.有机体系中电位窗口比水体系大得多,Pt与电位较负的过渡金属可实现共沉积,采用小分子有机溶剂也可避免溶剂清洗问题,具有应用潜力.本文提出了一种简单的一步电沉积方法,选择易溶于水的N,N-二甲基甲酰胺(DMF)作为溶剂,将碳载体滴涂到玻碳电极上作为工作电极,通过电化学方法直接将Pt-Ni合金沉积到碳载体上,并利用物化表征与密度泛函理论(DFT)理论计算来探究共沉积机理.透射电镜表征结果表明,在不同的沉积电位下均可得到分散均匀、粒径适当的催化剂;且随着电位值降低,催化剂颗粒分散得更均匀,颗粒粒径不断减小.元素分布和晶面结果表明,铂镍元素均匀分布于颗粒中.所有样品均表现出优异的ORR性能,最高的面积比活性达到商业催化剂的6.85倍.将材料表征、电化学表征与DFT计算结合,建立起了铂镍合金生长过程的模型,并发现了有机体系中独特的成核-生长机理.将体系中的DMF换成超纯水,用同样的方法进行沉积,得到的催化剂颗粒团聚严重,说明DMF的使用能够避免颗粒团聚.在单独铂的体系中沉积发现,负载量极小,表明体系中镍前驱体的添加对于催化剂的沉积过程起到重要作用.电化学表征结果表明,在所选用的DMF有机体系中,镍的还原电位与铂的十分接近,但还原动力学更慢,趋向于先形成吸附原子后快速还原.由此可以推测,在二者合金的形成过程中,镍在碳载体表面的缓慢还原而形成的吸附原子能够成为铂还原的活性位点,从而降低了铂还原成核所需的能量,使得载体上的成核位点大大增加,这与DFT模拟结果一致.DFT建立了碳上镍的位点和铂的位点,分别在上面进行铂的还原,发现镍位点上比铂位点上更容易实现铂沉积.本文提出了铂镍共沉积的机理:在过电位(即还原能量)下,铂的还原动力学较镍稍快,于是铂先还原形成晶核,但难以达到生长的临界半径,于是单独铂体系中的沉积负载量很少.载体上还原的镍为铂还原提供了大量的活性位点,促进了铂还原,并与镍共沉积.Pt-Ni表面则进一步促进了铂的沉积和颗粒的生长.综上,本文提出了一种用于制备铂合金催化剂的有机电沉积体系,实现了单分散的碳载铂镍合金催化剂的一步制备.随后,本文将材料表征、电化学表征与DFT计算相结合,建立起了有机体系中铂镍合金成核-生长过程的机理模型.     

过渡金属电催化剂在硅基光阳极分解水产氧中的作用

光电化学分解水可将太阳能转换为绿色的氢能,为目前的能源危机和环境问题提供了一种理想的解决方案.在分解水反应中,涉及四空穴过程的产氧半反应是制约性能的关键步骤,往往需要在半导体表面沉积电催化剂以加速产氧反应动力学.因此,全面理解电催化剂在光电化学分解水体系中的作用至关重要.在目前的产氧电催化剂中,过渡金属羟基氧化物电催化剂(MOOH,M=Fe,Co,Ni)因其环保、廉价、高效以及稳定的特性,已被广泛用于半导体光阳极分解水器件中.而且,MOOH可用简单的电沉积方法沉积在光电极表面,易于大面积制备.然而,电沉积法制备的MOOH具有复杂的结构,对其作用机制的全面理解更加困难.因此,本文以电沉积MOOH修饰的硅基光阳极(n⁺p-Si/SiO_x/Fe/FeOx/MOOH)作为模型,研究了不同电催化剂对硅光阳极光电化学产氧性能的影响.实验发现电催化剂的界面优化在电催化剂修饰的光电极中发挥着重要作用,这是因为优化的界面可以提升界面电荷传输,提供更多的催化反应活性位点以及更高的本征催化活性,从而更有利于光解水性能的提升.该项研究揭示了电催化剂在光解水器件中的作用,并为今后高效光解水器件的设计提供了一定指导.首先在多晶n⁺p-Si基底上热蒸镀了一层30 nm的金属Fe膜,并通过电化学活化将Fe膜表面转换为FeOx得到Fe/FeOx(记作aFe)界面层,然后利用电沉积方法制备MOOH表面修饰层,最终得到n⁺p-Si/SiO_x/aFe:MOOH光阳极.X射线光电子能谱、拉曼光谱以及扫描电子显微镜表面元素成像的表征结果均证实电极表面由于界面层金属Fe元素的掺杂而形成了Fe1-xNixOOH.在模拟太阳光下用于光解水产氧时,n⁺p-Si/SiO_x/aFe:NiOOH电极的起始电位为~1.01 VRHE(相对于可逆氢电极的电势),在1.23 VRHE下的光电流为38.82 mA cm^-2,显著优于n⁺p-Si/SiO_x/aFe、n⁺p-Si/SiO_x/aFe:FeOOH以及n⁺p-Si/SiO_x/aFe:CoOOH三个对比样品,且其稳定性达到75 h.另外,我们发现n⁺p-Si/SiO_x/aFe:MOOH电极的光电化学产氧性能均显著高于n⁺p-Si/SiO_x/aFe电极,且p++-Si/SiO_x/aFe:MOOH的电催化产氧性能也高于p++-Si/SiO_x/MOOH,不仅证明了aFe界面层对Si与MOOH层之间的界面接触作用的有效调控,而且表明双电催化剂体系(aFe:MOOH)的电催化产氧活性高于单电催化剂(MOOH).热力学分析表明,n⁺p-Si/SiO_x/aFe:MOOH光阳极的光电压大小与其光解水产氧性能并不一致,从而排除了热力学因素对性能的关键影响.进一步从塔菲尔斜率、电化学活性表面积和电化学阻抗谱对各电极的动力学进行了分析,证明了动力学因素在上述光阳极产氧性能中的主导作用.同时发现,由于aFe:NiOOH双电催化剂具有更高的本征电催化产氧性能,提供了更多的表面活性位点以及更有效地促进了光生载流子的传输,对动力学的提升效果更显著,从而使n⁺p-Si/SiO_x/aFe:NiOOH光阳极表现出最高的光解水产氧性能.     

高活性和高稳定性的核壳结构PtPx@Pt/C催化氧还原

在质子交换膜燃料电池中,金属铂是最高效的阴极氧还原催化剂之一,但是铂昂贵的价格严重阻碍了其在燃料电池领域中的大规模商业化应用.通过铂与3d过渡金属(Fe、Co和Ni)合金化可以有效提高催化剂的氧还原活性,然而在实际的高腐蚀性、高电压和高温的燃料电池运行环境中,铂合金纳米粒子易发生溶解、迁移和团聚,从而导致催化剂耐久性差.同时过渡金属离子的溶出会影响质子交换膜的质子传导,并且一些过渡金属离子会催化芬顿反应,产生高腐蚀性?OH自由基,加快Nafion和催化剂的劣化.与过渡金属掺杂相比,非金属掺杂具有明显优势:一方面,非金属溶出产生的阴离子不会取代Nafion中的质子,也不会催化芬顿反应;另一方面,与3d过渡金属相比,非金属具有更高的电负性,其掺杂很容易调节Pt的电子结构.因此,本文通过非金属磷掺杂合成具有优异稳定性的核壳结构PtPx@Pt/C氧还原催化剂.通过热处理磷化商业碳载铂形成磷化铂(PtP2),经由酸洗处理产生富铂壳层,即PtPx@Pt/C.X射线粉末多晶衍射结果证明了PtP2相的存在,并且进一步通过电子能量损失谱对纳米粒子进行微区面扫描分析以及X射线光电子能谱分析证实了富铂壳层的存在,壳层厚度约1 nm.得益于核壳结构及磷掺杂引起的电子结构效应,PtP1.4@Pt/C催化剂在0.90 V(RHE)时的面积活性(0.62 mA cm–2)与质量活性(0.31 mAμgPt–1)分别是商业Pt/C的2.8倍和2.1倍.更重要的是,在加速耐久性测试中,PtP1.4@Pt/C催化剂在30000圈电位循环后质量活性仅衰减6％,在90000圈电位循环后仅衰减25％;而商业Pt/C催化剂在30000圈电位循环后就衰减46％.PtP1.4@Pt/C催化剂高活性与高稳定性主要归功于核壳结构、磷掺杂引起的电子结构效应以及磷掺杂增加了碳载体对催化剂粒子的锚定作用进而阻止了其迁移团聚.综上所述,本文为设计同时具有优异活性与稳定性非金属掺杂Pt基氧还原催化剂提供新的思路.     

Cu/Cu_2O nanoparticles co-regulated carbon catalyst for alkaline Al-air batteries

Developing high-efficiency,inexpensive,and steady non-precious metal oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) catalysts to displace Pt-based catalysts is significant for commercial applications of Al-air battery.Here,we have prepared the Cu/Cu_2 O-NC catalyst with excellent ORR performance and high stability,due to the synergistic effect of Cu and Cu_2 O nanoparticles.The half-wave potential(0.8 V) and the limiting-current density(5.20 mA/cm~2) of the Cu/Cu_2 O-NC are very close to those of the 20% Pt/C catalyst(0.82 V,5.10 mA/cm~2).Besides,it exhibits excellent performance with a maximal power density of 250 mW/cm~2 and a stable continuous discharge for more than 90 h in the Al-air battery test The promoting effects of Cu_2 O towards Cu-based ORR catalysts are illustrated as follows:(ⅰ) Cu_2 O is the major ORR active site by the redox of Cu(Ⅱ)/Cu(Ⅰ),which provides excellent ORR activities;(ⅱ) Cu can stabilize the location of Cu_2 O by assisting the electron transfer to Cu(Ⅱ)/Cu(Ⅰ) redox,which is conducive to the high stability of the catalyst.This work provides a useful strategy for enhancing the ORR performance of Cu-based catalysts.     

Dealloyed PtCu catalyst as an efficient electrocatalyst in oxygen reduction reaction

Pt-transition metal alloy catalysts with an active Pt surface have exceptional properties for use in oxygen electro-reduction reactions in fuel cells. Herein, we report the simple synthesis of dealloyed PtCu catalysts and their catalytic performance in oxygen reduction. The dealloyed PtCu catalysts consisted of a Pt-enriched shell with a Pt–Cu alloy core and were synthesized through a chemical co-reduction process followed by thermal annealing and chemical dealloying. During synthesis, thermal annealing leads to a high degree of formation of PtCu alloy particles (e.g., PtCu or PtCu₃), and chemical dealloying causes selective dissolution of unstable Cu species from the surface layers of the PtCu alloy particles, resulting in a PtCu alloy@Pt-enriched surface core–shell configuration. Our PtCu₃/C catalyst exhibits a great improvement in the oxygen reduction reaction with a mass activity of 0.501 A/mg_Pt, which is 2.24 times greater than that of a commercial Pt catalyst. In this article, the synthesis details, characteristics and performance improvements in ORR of chemically dealloyed PtCu catalysts are systemically explained.     

Electrode metal penetration of amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide semiconductor thin film transistors

Penetration effects of various electrode materials, namely Al, Au, and Cu, on the physical and electrical characteristics of amorphous oxide semiconductor thin film transistors (TFTs) were investigated. Amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) TFTs were fabricated with conventional staggered bottom gate structures on a p-type Si substrate. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) analysis under the electrode deposition area revealed variations in the oxygen bonding states and material compositions of the a-IGZO layer. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) with the line scan of energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) showed lateral penetration by the electrode metal. To compare the electrical characteristics of the tested TFTs, the initial current–voltage (I–V) transfer characteristics were examined. In addition, the tested TFTs fabricated using various electrode materials were tested under bias stress to verify the correlations between variations in TFT characteristics and both the metal work function and penetration-induced oxygen vacancies in the channel around the contact area.     

Development of Graphene/CdSe Quantum Dots‐Co Phthalocyanine Nanocomposite for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Nanocomposites containing CdSe quantum dots, tetra(4‐(4,6‐diaminopyrimidin‐2‐ylthio) phthalocyaninatocobalt(II)) (CoPyPc) and reduced graphene nanosheets (rGNS) were devoloped and used for the modification of a glassy carbon electrode. Characterization of the nanocomposites was done by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was used for electrochemical characterization of the prepared nanocomposite for oxygen reduction reaction. The oxygen reduction activity for rGNS/CdSe‐CoPyPc nanocomposite was found to be superior over the individual nanomaterials in this study. The activity of the nanocomposite towards oxygen reduction was also tested for tolerance to methanol crossover effect using chronoamperometry (CA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies.     

Facile Synthesis of MOF-derived Mn3O4@N-doped Carbon with Efficient Oxygen Reduction

Integration of MnO_x into the carbon matrix proves a viable strategy to improve the electrochemical performance of MnO_x materials. Mn₃O₄ nanoparticle-decorated N-doped carbon composites (Mn₃O₄@N-doped carbon) were facilely prepared from a non-porous eight-fold interpenetrated Zn^II-based MOF, which involves first synthesis of bimetallic Mn/Zn-MOF in one-pot reaction followed by direct pyrolysis at 1000 °C. In 0.1 m KOH solution, the optimal Mn₃O₄@N-doped carbon exhibits decent oxygen reduction activity with the onset potential (E_onset) of 0.94 V (vs. RHE) and half-wave potential (E_1/2) of 0.81 V (vs. RHE), excellent methanol tolerance as well as good durability.