Non-Precious Metal Electrocatalysts: Synthesis, Characterization, and Application

A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Electrocatalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 22997

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Plac Lodzki 4, 10-957 Olsztyn, Poland
Interests: catalysis; electrochemistry; SEM/EDX analysis; hydrogen evolution reaction
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Electrocatalysis plays an important role in many chemical processes and is concentrated on improving their efficiency. However, in many cases, in order to accelerate the electrochemical process, it is necessary to use catalysts containing noble metals such as platinum, etc., which results in rising the system’s capital cost and the price of its products. Thus, many works are dedicated on the development of less expensive and more available catalysts by means of metallic and nonmetallic materials with high electrocatalytic activity. This Special Issue collects original research papers, reviews, and commentaries focused on the challenges for the development of sufficient and cheap electrocatalysts. Submissions are welcome especially (but not exclusively) in the following areas:            

  • The mechanisms and kinetics of electrochemical reactions;
  • Electrochemical degradation of pollutants;
  • Electrochemical reactions;
  • Electrosynthesis;
  • Electrode reactions. 

Dr. Tomasz Mikołajczyk
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • reaction kinetics
  • electrosynthesis
  • electrode reactions
  • electrochemical degradation
  • electrocatalysis

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 160 KiB  
Editorial
Non-Precious Metal Electrocatalysts: Synthesis, Characterization and Application
by Tomasz Mikołajczyk
Catalysts 2021, 11(5), 647; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11050647 - 20 May 2021
Viewed by 1850
Abstract
Electrocatalysis plays a vital role in many chemical processes and is concentrated on improving their efficiency [...] Full article

Research

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13 pages, 5056 KiB  
Article
Ni-N-Doped Carbon-Modified Reduced Graphene Oxide Catalysts for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Reaction
by Fangyuan Wang, Yu Liu, Zhiling Song, Zhichao Miao and Jinping Zhao
Catalysts 2021, 11(5), 561; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11050561 - 28 Apr 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3154
Abstract
Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is eliciting considerable attention in relation to the carbon cycle and carbon neutrality. As for the practical application of CO2RR, the electrocatalyst is a crucial factor, but, even so, designing and synthesizing an [...] Read more.
Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is eliciting considerable attention in relation to the carbon cycle and carbon neutrality. As for the practical application of CO2RR, the electrocatalyst is a crucial factor, but, even so, designing and synthesizing an excellent catalyst remains a significant challenge. In this paper, the coordination compound of Ni ions and dimethylglyoxime (DMG) was employed as a precursor to modify reduced graphene oxide (rGO) for CO2RR. The textural properties and chemical bonds of as-obtained rGO, N–C–rGO, Ni–rGO, Ni–N–C, and Ni–N–C–rGO materials were investigated in detail, and the role of Ni, N–C, and rGO in the CO2RR were researched and confirmed. Among all the catalysts, the Ni–N–C–rGO showed the optimal catalytic activity and selectivity with a high current density of 10 mA cm−2 and FE(CO)% of 85% at −0.87 V vs. RHE. In addition, there was no obvious decrease in activity for 10 h. Therefore, the Ni–N–C–rGO is a promising catalyst for CO2RR to CO. Full article
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11 pages, 5655 KiB  
Article
Highly CO Selective Trimetallic Metal-Organic Framework Electrocatalyst for the Electrochemical Reduction of CO2
by Tran-Van Phuc, Jin-Suk Chung and Seung-Hyun Hur
Catalysts 2021, 11(5), 537; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11050537 - 22 Apr 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2661
Abstract
Pd, Cu, and Zn trimetallic metal-organic framework electrocatalysts (PCZs) based on benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic were synthesized using a simple solvothermal synthesis. The as-synthesized PCZ catalysts exhibited as much as 95% faradaic efficiency towards CO, with a high current density, low onset potential, and excellent long-term [...] Read more.
Pd, Cu, and Zn trimetallic metal-organic framework electrocatalysts (PCZs) based on benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic were synthesized using a simple solvothermal synthesis. The as-synthesized PCZ catalysts exhibited as much as 95% faradaic efficiency towards CO, with a high current density, low onset potential, and excellent long-term stability during the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2. Full article
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13 pages, 2732 KiB  
Article
Enhancing the Effectiveness of Oxygen Evolution Reaction by Electrodeposition of Transition Metal Nanoparticles on Nickel Foam Material
by Mateusz Łuba, Tomasz Mikołajczyk, Mateusz Kuczyński, Bogusław Pierożyński and Ireneusz M. Kowalski
Catalysts 2021, 11(4), 468; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11040468 - 3 Apr 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4554
Abstract
Electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity was studied on nickel foam-based electrodes. The OER was investigated in 0.1 M NaOH solution at room temperature on as-received and Co- or Mo-modified Ni foam anodes. Corresponding values of charge-transfer resistance, exchange current-density for the OER [...] Read more.
Electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity was studied on nickel foam-based electrodes. The OER was investigated in 0.1 M NaOH solution at room temperature on as-received and Co- or Mo-modified Ni foam anodes. Corresponding values of charge-transfer resistance, exchange current-density for the OER and other electrochemical parameters for the examined Ni foam composites were recorded. The electrodeposition of Co or Mo on Ni foam base-materials resulted in a significant enhancement of the OER electrocatalytic activity. The quality and extent of Co, and Mo electrodeposition on Ni foam were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis. Full article
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9 pages, 2650 KiB  
Article
Tuning Photocatalytic Performance of Multilayer ZnO for Water Splitting by Biaxial Strain Composites
by Xiaofan Cai, Yuewu Huang, Jinzhi Hu, Shiwei Zhu, Xiaohua Tian, Kun Zhang, Guangju Ji, Yunxiao Zhang, Zhendong Fu and Changlong Tan
Catalysts 2020, 10(10), 1208; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal10101208 - 19 Oct 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2621
Abstract
Novel two-dimensional (2D) materials have received extensive attention in the field of photocatalysis due to their unique properties. Traditional ZnO material with wurtzite structure transforms into a stable graphite-like structure that has the characteristics of 2D material when its thickness is less than [...] Read more.
Novel two-dimensional (2D) materials have received extensive attention in the field of photocatalysis due to their unique properties. Traditional ZnO material with wurtzite structure transforms into a stable graphite-like structure that has the characteristics of 2D material when its thickness is less than a few atomic layers. In this work, using first-principles calculations, we investigated the potential of multilayer graphite-like ZnO as a photocatalyst for water splitting. The results showed that multilayer ZnO is a series of direct bandgap semiconductors, and their band edge positions all straddle the redox potential of water. Increasing with the number of layers, the bandgap of multilayer ZnO decreased from 3.20 eV for one layer to 2.21 eV for six layers, and visible light absorption capacity was significantly enhanced. Hence, multilayer ZnO was indeed promising for photocatalytic water splitting. Furthermore, suitable biaxial tensile strain could decrease the bandgap and maintain the stable graphite-like structure at a broader thickness range. In contrast, excessive biaxial tensile strain could change the redox capacity of multilayer ZnO and prevent it from catalyzing water splitting. Our theoretical results show that six-layer ZnO under 1% biaxial strain had direct bandgap of 2.07 eV and represents the most excellent photocatalytic performance among these multilayer ZnO materials. Full article
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Review

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24 pages, 20541 KiB  
Review
2D-Layered Non-Precious Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction: Fundamentals to Applications
by Prasanta Kumar Sahoo, Soubhagya Ranjan Bisoi, Yi-June Huang, Dung-Sheng Tsai and Chuan-Pei Lee
Catalysts 2021, 11(6), 689; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11060689 - 29 May 2021
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 7085
Abstract
The production of hydrogen via the water splitting process is one of the most promising technologies for future clean energy requirements, and one of the best related challenges is the choice of the most highly efficient and cost effective electrocatalyst. Conventional electrocatalysts based [...] Read more.
The production of hydrogen via the water splitting process is one of the most promising technologies for future clean energy requirements, and one of the best related challenges is the choice of the most highly efficient and cost effective electrocatalyst. Conventional electrocatalysts based on precious metals are rare and very-expensive for large-scale production of hydrogen, demanding the exploration for low-cost earth abundant alternatives. In this context, extensive works from both theoretical and experimental investigations have shown that two-dimensional (2D) layered materials have gained considerable attention as highly effective electrocatalytic materials for electrical-driven hydrogen production because of their unique layered structure and exciting electrical properties. This review highlights recent advancements on 2D layered materials, including graphene, transitional metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), layered double hydroxides (LDHs), MXene, and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) as cost-effective and highly efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen production. In addition, some fundamental aspects of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) process and a wide ranging overview on several strategies to design and synthesize 2D layered material as HER electrocatalysts for commercial applications are introduced. Finally, the conclusion and futuristic prospects and challenges of the advancement of 2D layered materials as non-precious HER electrocatalysts are briefly discussed. Full article
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