Molecular engineering to tune the ligand environment of atomically dispersed nickel for efficient alcohol electrochemical oxidation

Atomically dispersed metals maximize the number of catalytic sites and enhance their activity. However, their challenging synthesis and characterization strongly complicates their optimization. Here, the aim is to demonstrate that tuning the electronic environment of atomically dispersed metal catal...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Liang, Zhifu, Jiang, Daochuan, Wang, Xiang, Shakouri, Mohsen, Zhang, Ting|||0000-0002-0317-9662, Li, Zhongjun, Tang, PengYi|||0000-0002-2306-095X, Llorca, Jordi|||0000-0002-7447-9582, Liu, Lijia, Yuan, Yupeng, Heggen, Marc|||0000-0002-2646-0078, Dunin-Borkowski, Rafal E.|||0000-0001-8082-0647, Morante, Joan Ramon|||0000-0002-4981-4633, Cabot i Codina, Andreu|||0000-0002-7533-3251, Arbiol i Cobos, Jordi|||0000-0002-0695-1726
Formato: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Recursos:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:268423
Acesso em linha:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/268423
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1002/adfm.202106349
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Alcohol oxidation
Atomically dispersed metals
Electrocatalytic oxidation
Nickel
2D organic frameworks
Descrição
Resumo:Atomically dispersed metals maximize the number of catalytic sites and enhance their activity. However, their challenging synthesis and characterization strongly complicates their optimization. Here, the aim is to demonstrate that tuning the electronic environment of atomically dispersed metal catalysts through the modification of their edge coordination is an effective strategy to maximize their performance. This article focuses on optimizing nickel-based electrocatalysts toward alcohol electrooxidation in alkaline solution. A new organic framework with atomically dispersed nickel is first developed. The coordination environment of nickel within this framework is modified through the addition of carbonyl (CO) groups. The authors then demonstrate that such nickel-based organic frameworks, combined with carbon nanotubes, exhibit outstanding catalytic activity and durability toward the oxidation of methanol (CHOH), ethanol (CHCHOH), and benzyl alcohol (CHCHOH); the smaller molecule exhibits higher catalytic performance. These outstanding electrocatalytic activities for alcohol electrooxidation are attributed to the presence of the carbonyl group in the ligand chemical environment, which enhances the adsorption for alcohol, as revealed by density functional theory calculations. The work not only introduces a new atomically dispersed Ni-based catalyst, but also demonstrates a new strategy for designing and engineering high-performance catalysts through the tuning of their chemical environment.