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Advanced Electrocatalytic Materials for Energy and Environmental Applications

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Catalytic Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2024 | Viewed by 15577

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research (iAIR), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan, China
Interests: Hydorgen productionElectrochemistryWater treamentNanomaterials
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Guest Editor
School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, 273165, China
Interests: microbial fuel cell; bioelectrochemical system; environmental functional nanomaterials; wastewater treatment; oxygen reduction reaction; environmental science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to introduce the latest progress made in research on advanced electrocatalyst materials in the field of energy and the environment. With the rapid development of human society, energy shortages and environmental pollution have become two serious problems faced by human society. Therefore, there is an urgent need to solve these problems by developing advanced electrocatalyst materials for efficient energy conversion, energy storage and environmental protection. This Special Issue will mainly include manuscripts focused on the field of electrocatalysis. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: hydrogen evolution, carbon dioxide reduction, nitrogen reduction, oxygen reduction and microbial fuel cells. At the same time, we also intend to include research on the electrocatalytic treatment of refractory water pollutants and research on new energy recovery from environmental waste in this Special Issue. It is our pleasure to invite you to submit a manuscript to this Special Issue. Full papers, communications, and reviews are all welcome.

Prof. Dr. Jiayuan Yu
Dr. Junfeng Chen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • energy conversion and storage
  • hydrogen evolution reaction
  • nitrate reduction
  • upgrading of pollutants
  • carbon dioxide reduction
  • electrochemical water treatment
  • microbial fuel cells
  • environmental functional nanomaterials

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 5803 KiB  
Article
Shape–Preserved CoFeNi–MOF/NF Exhibiting Superior Performance for Overall Water Splitting across Alkaline and Neutral Conditions
by Yu Liu, Panpan Li, Zegao Wang and Liangjuan Gao
Materials 2024, 17(10), 2195; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17102195 - 7 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1159
Abstract
This study reported a multi–functional Co0.45Fe0.45Ni0.9–MOF/NF catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and overall water splitting, which was synthesized via a novel shape–preserving two–step hydrothermal method. The resulting bowknot flake structure on NF [...] Read more.
This study reported a multi–functional Co0.45Fe0.45Ni0.9–MOF/NF catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and overall water splitting, which was synthesized via a novel shape–preserving two–step hydrothermal method. The resulting bowknot flake structure on NF enhanced the exposure of active sites, fostering a superior electrocatalytic surface, and the synergistic effect between Co, Fe, and Ni enhanced the catalytic activity of the active site. In an alkaline environment, the catalyst exhibited impressive overpotentials of 244 mV and 287 mV at current densities of 50 mA cm−2 and 100 mA cm−2, respectively. Transitioning to a neutral environment, an overpotential of 505 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 was achieved with the same catalyst, showing a superior property compared to similar catalysts. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that Co0.45Fe0.45Ni0.9–MOF/NF shows versatility as a bifunctional catalyst, excelling in both OER and HER, as well as overall water splitting. The innovative shape–preserving synthesis method presented in this study offers a facile method to develop an efficient electrocatalyst for OER under both alkaline and neutral conditions, which makes it a promising catalyst for hydrogen production by water splitting. Full article
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13 pages, 2290 KiB  
Article
Study of the Durability of Membrane Electrode Assemblies in Various Accelerated Stress Tests for Proton-Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis
by Zhengquan Su, Jun Liu, Pengfei Li and Changhao Liang
Materials 2024, 17(6), 1331; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17061331 - 14 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1743
Abstract
In this work, we focus on the degradation of membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) in proton-exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) induced by different accelerated stress tests (ASTs), including constant-current mode, square-wave mode, and solar photovoltaic mode. In constant-current mode, at continuous testing for 600 [...] Read more.
In this work, we focus on the degradation of membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) in proton-exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) induced by different accelerated stress tests (ASTs), including constant-current mode, square-wave mode, and solar photovoltaic mode. In constant-current mode, at continuous testing for 600 h at 80 °C, a degradation of operating voltage increased by the enhanced current density from 22 µV/h (1 A/cm2) to 50 µV/h (3 A/cm2). In square-wave mode, we found that in the narrow fluctuation range (1–2 A/cm2), the shorter step time (2 s) generates a higher degradation rate of operating voltage, but in the wide fluctuation range (1–3 A/cm2), the longer step time (22 s) induces a faster operating voltage rise. In the solar photovoltaic mode, we used a simulation of 11 h sunshine duration containing multiple constant-current and square-wave modes, which is closest to the actual application environment. Over 1400 h ASTs, the solar photovoltaic mode lead to the most serious voltage rise of 87.7 µV/h. These results are beneficial to understanding the durability of the PEM electrolyzer and optimizing the components of MEAs, such as catalysts, membranes, and gas diffusion layers. Full article
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15 pages, 6417 KiB  
Article
Iodine-Doped Hollow Carbon Nanocages without Templates Strategy for Boosting Zinc-Ion Storage by Nucleophilicity
by Ruiting Niu, Huailin Fan, Qingfu Ban, Dezhi Zhou, Lekang Zhao, Jiayuan Yu, Qifeng Chen and Xun Hu
Materials 2024, 17(4), 838; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17040838 - 9 Feb 2024
Viewed by 960
Abstract
Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZHCs) combining merits of battery-type and capacitive electrodes are considered to be a prospective candidate in energy storage systems. Tailor-made carbon cathodes with high zincophilicity and abundant physi/chemisorption sites are critical but it remains a great challenge to achieve both [...] Read more.
Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZHCs) combining merits of battery-type and capacitive electrodes are considered to be a prospective candidate in energy storage systems. Tailor-made carbon cathodes with high zincophilicity and abundant physi/chemisorption sites are critical but it remains a great challenge to achieve both features by a sustainable means. Herein, a hydrogen-bonding interaction-guided self-assembly strategy is presented to prepare iodine-doped carbon nanocages without templates for boosting zinc-ion storage by nucleophilicity. The biomass ellagic acid contains extensional hydroxy and acyloxy groups with electron-donating ability, which interact with melamine and ammonium iodide to form organic supermolecules. The organic supermolecules further self-assemble into a nanocage-like structure with cavities under hydrothermal processes via hydrogen-bonding and π-π stacking. The carbon nanocages as ZHCs cathodes enable the high approachability of zincophilic sites and low ion migration resistance resulting from the interconnected conductive network and nanoscale architecture. The experimental analyses and theoretical simulations reveal the pivotal role of iodine dopants. The I5/I3 doping anions in carbon cathodes have a nucleophilicity to preferentially adsorb the Zn2+ cation by the formation of C+-I5-Zn2+ and C+-I3-Zn2+. Of these, the C+-I3 shows stronger bonding with Zn2+ than C+-I5. As a result, the iodine-doped carbon nanocages produced via this template-free strategy deliver a high capacity of 134.2 mAh/g at 1 A/g and a maximum energy and power density of 114.1 Wh/kg and 42.5 kW/kg. Full article
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12 pages, 3697 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Utilization of Fe(Ⅲ) Isolated from Laterite Hydrochloric Acid Lixivium via Ultrasonic-Assisted Precipitation to Synthesize LiFePO4/C for Batteries
by Ziyang Xu, Boren Tan, Boyuan Zhu, Guangye Wei, Zhihui Yu and Jingkui Qu
Materials 2024, 17(2), 342; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17020342 - 10 Jan 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1014
Abstract
Ultrasonic-assisted precipitation was employed to sustainably isolate Fe in the hydrochloric acid lixivium of low-grade laterite for the synthesis of battery-grade iron phosphate. The recovery efficiency of Ni and Co exceeded 99%, while the removal efficiency of the Fe impurity reached a maximum [...] Read more.
Ultrasonic-assisted precipitation was employed to sustainably isolate Fe in the hydrochloric acid lixivium of low-grade laterite for the synthesis of battery-grade iron phosphate. The recovery efficiency of Ni and Co exceeded 99%, while the removal efficiency of the Fe impurity reached a maximum of 95%. Precipitation parameters for the selective isolation of Fe (MgO precipitant, pH 1, 70–80 °C) were optimized and used in ultrasonic precipitation experiments. The use of ultrasonic waves in the precipitation process enhanced micromixing by reducing the size of primary grains and mitigating particle agglomeration, thereby significantly improving the purity of the isolated compound and providing high-quality iron phosphate (FePO4·2H2O). The LiFePO4/C composite prepared from as-precipitated FePO4 exhibited excellent electrochemical performance, with a discharge capacity of 149.7 mAh/g at 0.1 C and 136.3 mAh/g at 0.5 C after 100 cycles, retaining almost 100% cycling efficiency. This novel and facile method for iron removal from laterite acid lixivium not only efficiently removes excess iron impurities leached due to the poor selectivity of hydrochloric acid, but also enables the high-value utilization of these iron impurities. It enhances economic benefits while simultaneously alleviating environmental pressure. Full article
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11 pages, 2184 KiB  
Article
Reasonable Design of MXene-Supported Dual-Atom Catalysts with High Catalytic Activity for Hydrogen Evolution and Oxygen Evolution Reaction: A First-Principles Investigation
by Erpeng Wang, Miaoqi Guo, Jian Zhou and Zhimei Sun
Materials 2023, 16(4), 1457; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041457 - 9 Feb 2023
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2921
Abstract
MXene-supported single-atom catalysts (SACs) for water splitting has attracted extensive attention. However, the easy aggregation of individual metal atoms used as catalytic active centers usually leads to the relatively low loading of synthetic SACs, which limits the development and application of SACs. Herein, [...] Read more.
MXene-supported single-atom catalysts (SACs) for water splitting has attracted extensive attention. However, the easy aggregation of individual metal atoms used as catalytic active centers usually leads to the relatively low loading of synthetic SACs, which limits the development and application of SACs. Herein, by performing first-principles calculations for Pt and 3d transition metal single atoms immobilized on a two-dimensional (2D) Mo2TiC2O2 MXene surface, we systematically studied the performance of heterogeneous dual-atom catalysts (h-DACs) in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Significantly, h-DACs exhibit higher metal atom loading and more flexible active sites compared to SACs. Benefiting from these features, we found that Pt/Cu@Mo2TiC2O2 heterogeneous DACs exhibits excellent HER activity with ultra-low overpotential |ΔGH| (0.04 eV), lower than the corresponding Pt@Mo2TiC2O2 (0.14 eV) and Cu@Mo2TiC2O2 (0.33 eV) SACs, and even lower than that of Pt (0.09 eV). Meanwhile, Pt/Ni@Mo2TiC2O2 exhibits superior OER activity with ultra-low overpotential ηOER (0.38 V), lower than that of Pt@Mo2TiC2O2 (1.11 V) and Ni@Mo2TiC2O2 (0.57 V) SACs, and even lower than that of RuO2 (0.42 V) and IrO2 (0.56 V). Our finding paves the way for the rational design of h-DACs for HER and OER with excellent activity, which provides guidance for other catalytic reactions. Full article
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Review

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16 pages, 5090 KiB  
Review
Design Strategy of Corrosion-Resistant Electrodes for Seawater Electrolysis
by Li Zhao, Xiao Li, Jiayuan Yu and Weijia Zhou
Materials 2023, 16(7), 2709; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16072709 - 28 Mar 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4325
Abstract
Electrocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen (H2) production has attracted more and more attention in the context of energy shortages. The use of scarce pure water resources, such as electrolyte, not only increases the cost but also makes application difficult on a [...] Read more.
Electrocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen (H2) production has attracted more and more attention in the context of energy shortages. The use of scarce pure water resources, such as electrolyte, not only increases the cost but also makes application difficult on a large scale. Compared to pure water electrolysis, seawater electrolysis is more competitive in terms of both resource acquisition and economic benefits; however, the complex ionic environment in seawater also brings great challenges to seawater electrolysis technology. Specifically, chloride oxidation-related corrosion and the deposition of insoluble solids on the surface of electrodes during seawater electrolysis make a significant difference to electrocatalytic performance. In response to this issue, design strategies have been proposed to improve the stability of electrodes. Herein, basic principles of seawater electrolysis are first discussed. Then, the design strategy for corrosion-resistant electrodes for seawater electrolysis is recommended. Finally, a development direction for seawater electrolysis in the industrialization process is proposed. Full article
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25 pages, 4830 KiB  
Review
Killing Two Birds with One Stone: Upgrading Organic Compounds via Electrooxidation in Electricity-Input Mode and Electricity-Output Mode
by Jiamin Ma, Keyu Chen, Jigang Wang, Lin Huang, Chenyang Dang, Li Gu and Xuebo Cao
Materials 2023, 16(6), 2500; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16062500 - 21 Mar 2023
Viewed by 2579
Abstract
The electrochemically oxidative upgrading reaction (OUR) of organic compounds has gained enormous interest over the past few years, owing to the advantages of fast reaction kinetics, high conversion efficiency and selectivity, etc., and it exhibits great potential in becoming a key element in [...] Read more.
The electrochemically oxidative upgrading reaction (OUR) of organic compounds has gained enormous interest over the past few years, owing to the advantages of fast reaction kinetics, high conversion efficiency and selectivity, etc., and it exhibits great potential in becoming a key element in coupling with electricity, synthesis, energy storage and transformation. On the one hand, the kinetically more favored OUR for value-added chemical generation can potentially substitute an oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and integrate with an efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) or CO2 electroreduction reaction (CO2RR) in an electricity-input mode. On the other hand, an OUR-based cell or battery (e.g., fuel cell or Zinc–air battery) enables the cogeneration of value-added chemicals and electricity in the electricity-output mode. For both situations, multiple benefits are to be obtained. Although the OUR of organic compounds is an old and rich discipline currently enjoying a revival, unfortunately, this fascinating strategy and its integration with the HER or CO2RR, and/or with electricity generation, are still in the laboratory stage. In this minireview, we summarize and highlight the latest progress and milestones of the OUR for the high-value-added chemical production and cogeneration of hydrogen, CO2 conversion in an electrolyzer and/or electricity in a primary cell. We also emphasize catalyst design, mechanism identification and system configuration. Moreover, perspectives on OUR coupling with the HER or CO2RR in an electrolyzer in the electricity-input mode, and/or the cogeneration of electricity in a primary cell in the electricity-output mode, are offered for the future development of this fascinating technology. Full article
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