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Archive for the ‘Materials’ Category

A Battery Cathode with a Bee Pupa-Filled Honeycomb Structure

18 Apr 2019

Increasing the volumetric energy densities of batteries is essential for improving the durability of portable electronics and the operating ranges of electric vehicles. One way to improve energy density is to enlarge the mass fraction of active materials in battery electrodes; however, the degree of enhancement remains limited. This limitation results from the densification of the electrodes when the mass fraction increases, making electron transport and ion diffusion throughout the electrodes sluggish. These drawbacks lower the utilization efficiency of the overall electrode materials.

A team of scientists from China and the United States has recently addressed the aforementioned challenges. Specifically, they synthesized a 3D cathode of carbon-coated Li₂MnSiO₄ (Li₂MnSiO₄/C) with a structure mimicking a honeycomb filled with bee pupas (Fig. 1). This lithium-ion battery cathode possesses a high mass fraction of 90% (of overall electrode mass) as well as a volumetric energy density as high as 2443 Wh/dm³.

The uniquely structured electrodes were prepared through a hard-template method (Fig. 1). Using polystyrene particles, silica surface coating, and Li₂MnSiO₄ precursor infiltration, the authors synthesized a carbon-coated Li₂MnSiO₄ honeycomb scaffold with each cavity filled with a carbon-coated Li₂MnSiO₄ particle. This architecture differed from previously reported 3D structures, which typically had a large portion of voids, and enabled an ultrahigh active-material mass loading of 90 wt.%. Additionally, the gaps between the scaffold and the particles functioned as ion-diffusion channels, and the carbon coatings served as electron-transport expressways. These characteristics effectively addressed the problem of sluggish ion diffusion and electron transport.

Figure 1. The synthesis procedures of the BPFH-shaped Li2MnSiO4/C electrode. The green particles and yellow scaffold represent polystyrene spheres and the silica coating, respectively.

Due to the facilitated electron transport and ion diffusion, the Li₂MnSiO₄/C electrode with a bee pupa-filled honeycomb (BPFH) structure (Fig. 2a) exhibited an outstanding charge-storage performance. Specifically, it delivered a high volumetric capacity of 643 mAh/cm³ at a current density of 0.1 C, corresponding to a volumetric density of 2443 Wh/dm³. This volumetric capacity was approximately two times higher than that of a Li₂MnSiO₄/C honeycomb lattice without any Li₂MnSiO₄particles (Fig. 2b). After 100 consecutive charge-discharge cycles, the BPFH-shaped Li₂MnSiO₄/C electrode retained a volumetric capacity of 328 mAh/cm³ (Fig. 2c).

Figure 2. (a and b) Scanning electron microscopy images of (a) the BPFH-shaped Li2MnSiO4/C electrode and (b) the Li2MnSiO4/C scaffold. (c) The capacities and the Coulombic efficiencies of the two electrodes during 100 charge-discharge cycles.

The demonstrated BPFH architecture could be extended to other materials for the synthesis of battery electrodes with both high mass fractions of active materials and outstanding volumetric energy densities.

To find out more please read:

A Bee Pupa-Infilled Honeycomb Structure-Inspired Li₂MnSiO₄ Cathode for High Volumetric Energy Density Secondary Batteries

Jinyun Liu, Xirong Lin, Huigang Zhang, Zihan Shen, Qianqian Lu, Junjie Niu, Jinjin Li and Paul V. Braun

Chem. Commun., 2019, 55, 3582-3585

About the blogger:

Tianyu Liu obtained his Ph.D. (2017) in Chemistry from University of California, Santa Cruz in the United States. He is passionate about scientific communication to introduce cutting-edge research to both the general public and scientists with diverse research expertise. He is a blog writer for Chem. Commun. and Chem. Sci. More information about him can be found at http://liutianyuresearch.weebly.com/.

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Saving Organic Electrodes in Lithium-Ion Batteries

31 Jan 2019

Organic compounds with conjugated electron structures are emerging as promising Li-ion battery cathodes due to their high capacity and environmental benignity. To make these cathodes practically feasible, organic electrodes are typically incorporated with metal ions to boost their energy densities. The addition of metal ions, however, usually jeopardizes the structural integrity of the electrodes and shortens battery lifetime.

Recently, three groups of Chinese researchers demonstrated that increasing the electrolyte concentration could effectively prolong the lifespan of metal-incorporated organic cathodes. The researchers studied cuprous tetracyano-quinodimethane (CuTCNQ), a Cu²⁺-containing organic Li-ion battery cathode, and observed its significantly improved cycling stability in a 7 M LiClO₄ electrolyte compared to a 1 M electrolyte. This work was published recently in ChemComm.

CuTCNQ in a typical diluted electrolyte of 1 M LiClO₄ exhibited unsatisfactory stability. Its first-cycle charging capacity reached ~180 mAh/g, but it dropped appreciably to 23 mAh/g after the first discharging process (Figure 1a). Concurrently, the electrolyte turned from clear to yellow (Figure 1b), due to the dissolution of TCNQ. These observations unequivocally showed the rapid disintegration of CuTCNQ in diluted electrolytes.

Figure 1. (a) The first-cycle charge-discharge profile of CuTCNQ in a liquid electrolyte containing ethylene carbonate (EC), propylene carbonate (PC) and 1 M LiClO4 (1 M LiClO4-EC/PC). (b) Photographs showing the electrolyte color before and after the first charge-discharge cycle.

CuTCNQ was found to be more stable in electrolytes with concentrations higher than 1 M. When the LiClO₄ concentration increased to 3 M, 5 M and 7 M, the specific capacities of CuTCNQ retained after 50 consecutive charge-discharge cycles were ~25 mAh/g, ~70 mAh/g, and ~110 mAh/g, respectively (Figure 2a). All of these capacities were higher than that of CuTCNQ in 1 M LiClO₄ after the same cycle number (<10 mAh/g). Additionally, the electrolytes experienced nearly no color change, suggesting little TCNQ was dissolved (Figure 2b).

The elevated stability of CuTCNQ correlates to the formation of Li⁺-ClO₄^– ion pairs in concentrated electrolytes (Figure 2c). With increasing LiClO₄ concentration, Li⁺ and ClO₄^– tend to form ion pairs that coordinate with solvent molecules. Solvent-coordination reduces the number of free solvent molecules that can dissolve TCNQ, thus minimizing the dissolution of TCNQ.

Figure 2. (a) The cycling stability performances of CuTCNQ with electrolytes with different LiClO4 concentrations. (b) Photographs showing the electrolyte color before and after 50 charge-discharge cycles at different LiClO4 concentrations. (c) Li+ and ClO4- form solvent-coordinated ion pairs in super-concentrated electrolytes (e.g., 7 M).

This work provides a facile approach to mitigate the capacity fading of CuTCNQ. The strategy may be extended to stabilize other metal-incorporated organic cathodes in Li-ion batteries.

To find out more please read:

Sustainable Cycling Enabled by A High-Concentration Electrolyte for Lithium-Organic Batteries

Ying Huang, Chun Fang, Wang Zhang, Qingju Liu and Yunhui Huang

Chem. Commun., 2019, 55, 608-611

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Copper A3 Coupling using a Switchable Homogeneous/Heterogeneous Catalyst

06 Nov 2018

A MOC, I learned this week, is a metal-organic cage. I was familiar with MOMs, MOFs and MOBs, but MOCs were a new one. A MOM (metal-organic material) is a coordination-driven assembly constructed from metal nodes linked by organic ligands. MOMs encompass both MOFs (metal-organic frameworks) and MOCs (metal-organic cages). A MOF is an extended network with the potential for inner porosity, and a MOC is a discrete metal-ligand cluster. And that’s just about as far down the nomenclature rabbit hole I’m willing to go. If you’re keeping up you’ll realise that I forgot one! A MOB is a crowd of graduate students competing for free coffee at the public seminar.

Dong and co-workers at Shandong Normal University designed and prepared a MOM catalyst constructed from copper(II) nodes and a tripodal ligand consisting of a phenylic wheel functionalised with diketones. In chloroform these two components arrange into discrete MOC assemblies containing two tripodal ligands and three copper ions. The copper ions in the cluster are each coordinated to two diketone moieties (in a acetylacetonate-like fashion) in a quasi-square planar arrangement.

Synthesis of the tripodal ligand functionalised with diketone coordinating moieties.

An interesting property of the material is that it can switch between the MOC form, soluble in halogenated solvents, and an insoluble MOF that assembles upon addition of 1,4-dioxane. 1,4-Dioxane is both an anti-solvent and a ligand; coordination between copper and 1,4-dioxane binds the discrete MOC cages to each other, arranging them into the extended MOF structure. This behaviour can be exploited to prepare a practical catalyst that combines the benefits of both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, namely that homogeneous catalysts are generally more efficient, selective and easier to study, but heterogeneous catalysis are easier to recover and recycle. What better way to solve this problem than with a catalyst that is homogeneous during the reaction conditions, but heterogeneous when it comes to product separation?

Reversible metal-organic cage MOC(top left)-MOF(top right) metal-organic framework transition mediated by the addition of 1,4-dioxane. Coordination bonds between 1,4-dioxane shown (bottom image).

Reversible MOC(top left)-MOF(top right) transition mediated by the addition of 1,4-dioxane. Coordination bonds between 1,4-dioxane shown (bottom image).

The authors used the A³ coupling reaction to demonstrate this concept in a catalytic reaction. The A³ reaction is a transition metal-catalysed, multi-component coupling reaction between aldehydes, alkynes and amines. The products are propargylamines, practical synthetic intermediates for the synthesis of nitrogen heterocycles. The A³ reaction has been extensively studied and can be effected by a wide range of transition metal catalysts. Its versatility makes it a popular choice as a model catalytic reaction to demonstrate innovative ideas in catalytic design – as the authors have done here.

Coordination-driven assemblies have a unique potential for the synthesis of differentially soluble materials, used by the authors for novel catalytic design. Whether this particular metal-ligand combination can be applied to other copper catalysed reactions remains to be seen, nevertheless the principle offers an innovative approach that augments the range of methods striving to bridge the gap between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis.

To find out more please read:

Cu₃L₂ metal-organic cages for A³-coupling reactions: reversible coordination interaction triggered homogeneous catalysis and heterogeneous recovery

Gong-Jun Chen, Chao-Qun Chen, Xue-Tian Li, Hui-Chao Ma and Yu-Bin Dong.
Chem. Commun., 2018, 54, 11550-11553
DOI: 10.1039/c8cc07208f

About the author

Zoë Hearne is a PhD candidate in chemistry at McGill University in Montréal, Canada, under the supervision of Professor Chao-Jun Li. She hails from Canberra, Australia, where she completed her undergraduate degree. Her current research focuses on transition metal catalysis to effect novel transformations, and out of the lab she is an enthusiastic chemistry tutor and science communicator.

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The Birth of a Semiconducting Metal Organic Framework by Sulfur Coordination

22 Oct 2018

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are crystalline nanomaterials composed of metal ions or clusters coordinated with organic ligands. Owing to the versatility of their building blocks, MOFs have multiple functionalities and can serve as gas separators, sensors, catalysts, electrode materials etc. Now the structure diversity of MOFs is further enriched by Wu and coworkers from Soochow University, China. Specifically, the researchers synthesized a semiconducting MOF with tetra-coordinated sulfur units. This breakthrough was recently published in ChemComm.

The uniqueness of the synthesized semiconducting MOF (MCOF-89) is its square-planar tetra-coordinated metal-sulfur structure, which is observed in MOFs for the first time. It was believed that putting a sulfur atom next to a metal node of MOFs was extremely difficult, because of the large discrepancy in bonding energy between metal-sulfur bonds and conventional metal-carboxylate bonds. Incorporating sulfur atoms thereby could undermine the structural stability of MOFs.

The authors addressed this challenge by designing a tetra-coordination environment as illustrated in Figure 1. The four manganese-sulfur bonds effectively reinforced the unstable S coordination. MCOF-89 was synthesized via a solvothermal reaction with Mn(CH₃COO)₂ and thiourea as the Mn and S sources, respectively.

Figure 1. The structure of MCOF-89. The illustration on the left is a three-dimensional lattice structure (the red, green and yellow balls represent oxygen, manganese and sulfur), and the structure on the right shows the Mn-S square-planar tetra-coordination configuration (M = manganese).

The synthesized S-incorporated MOF is a semiconductor with a bandgap of 2.82 eV. Additionally, this MOF is photoactive and is able to generate a photocurrent of ~1.9 µA/cm² upon light irradiation.

This work exemplifies how molecular design can lead to the discovery of novel MOFs with extraordinary structures. It could also inspire other synthesis protocols toward various metal-chalcogenide-containing MOFs with unexpected properties.

To find out more please read:

A Semiconducting Metal-Chalcogenide–Organic Framework with Square-Planar Tetra-Coordinated Sulfur

Huajun Yang, Min Luo, Zhou Wu, Wei Wang, Chaozhuang Xue and Tao Wu

Chem. Commun., 2018, 54, 11272-11275

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MOFS, ZMOFS and Automobiles

05 Sep 2018

Mohamed Eddaoudi and co-workers at KAUST have synthesised a porous metal organic framework (MOF) constructed from carboxylic acid-functionalised imidazole linkers coordinated to yttrium and potassium cations. The researchers classified this material as a zeolite-like MOF (ZMOF) due to its topological resemblance to the naturally occurring zeolite mineral analcime.

The material’s architecture, with cylindrical channels and a pore aperture measuring 3.8 x 6.2 Å, promised utility as a molecular sieve, and the authors showed the ZMOF could be used to sort small chain alkanes based on their level of branching. Linear and mono-branched pentanes and butanes were adsorbed by the material for different lengths of time (linear isomers were retained longer than their branched counterparts) allowing kinetic separation, while the di-branched alkane 2,2,4-trimethylpentane was excluded entirely. The authors anticipate that this material could have practical applications in crude oil refining, to upgrade petroleum into more energy-efficient fuels with reduced emissions.

ZMOF zeolite-like metal organic framework crystal structure with analcime (ana) topology showing channels and pore aperture.

ZMOF crystal structure with analcime (ana) topology showing channels and pore aperture.

The petroleum used to power internal combustion engines consists of a mixture of low molecular weight, linear and branched alkanes. The research octane number (RON) is a standard measure of petroleum performance, and indicates how much pressure a fuel can withstand before self-igniting (knocking) in the engine. High compression engines, which are more energy efficient and release less emissions than regular engines, require high RON fuels.

The RON increases with the proportion of branched alkanes, so can be improved by supplementing fuels with branched isomers obtained by catalytic isomerisation. This process generates a mixture of linear and branched alkanes, so the desired products must be isolated via fractional distillation, which is energy intensive. This creates a dilemma: high RON fuels are more energy efficient, but their energy-intensive production reduces the net benefit.

The authors envisaged an energy-efficient strategy for increasing the RON of petroleum fuels: A low RON fuel is pumped into the engine, where it encounters a separation chamber consisting of ZMOF-based membranes. The membrane excludes and redirects di-branched alkanes, which have a very high RON, to the internal combustion engine. The low RON fraction, consisting of mono-branched and linear alkanes, passes through the ZMOF pores to undergo further reforming processes downstream. In other words: low RON fuels go in, but high RON fuels are combusted.

Scheme showing how ZMOF materials could be used to upgrade gasoline by separating alkanes based on their level of branching. zeolite-like metal organic framework petroleum reforming

Scheme showing the RON of common small-chain alkanes and the use of ZMOF membranes in upgrading gasoline by separating alkanes based on their level of branching

In this work the authors show the potential of ZMOFs to maximise the energetic potential and reduce emissions of petroleum based fuels, while also offering a glimpse of the more general strategy of energy-efficient separations of chemically-similar molecules using tailored materials.

To find out more please read:

Upgrading gasoline to high octane number using zeolite-like metal organic framework molecular sieve with ana-topology

M. Infas H. Mohideen, Youssef Belmabkhout, Prashant M. Bhatt, Aleksander Shkurenko, Zhijie Chen, Karim Adil, Mohamed Eddaoudi.
Chem. Commun., 2018, 54, 9414-9417
DOI: 10.1039/c8cc04824j

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Better Make It A Double

26 Jun 2018

Synthesizing nanomaterials consisting of two-particle pairs, or dimers, is no longer a headache. Hongyu Chen and coworkers from Nanjing Tech University, China recently developed a protocol that can produce gold dimers with a record high yield. This breakthrough is published in Chem. Commun.

Dimers are suitable platforms to study the effects of particle-particle interactions on the electrical and optical properties of the constituent materials. Unfortunately, no conventional synthesis methods to exclusively produce dimers from single particles have been successful. This is because of the uncontrollable particle-aggregation rate that leads to the formation of multi-particle clusters. Therefore, how to couple single particles into dimers without triggering their further aggregation has become a tough nut to crack.

Chen and coworkers found a solution by developing a polymer-assisted method that generates gold dimers with high yield. Firstly, they encapsulated individual gold nanoparticles with polymer shells made of polystyrene-b-poly(acrylic acid). Under optimized conditions, the gold nanoparticles were mostly coupled into dimers (Figure 1), achieving a dimer yield of 65%. This is the highest dimer yield achieved for one-step synthesis methods.

Figure 1. (a) A transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image of the polymer-encapsulated gold single particles. (b) A TEM image and (c) a scanning electron microscopy image of the synthesized gold dimers. All scale bars are 200 nm.

The key to this success is due to three factors: temperature, solvent composition and acid concentration. All these factors can change the strength of the repulsion force among the polymer shells. The force must be meticulously tuned to a level that is weak enough to induce 1-to-1 coupling, but strong enough to prevent 1-to-multiple or multiple-to-multiple aggregation. Through a set of control experiments, the authors identified the optimal conditions to be 60 ^oC, dimethylformamide/water (v/v)=6:1 and 5 mM of hydrochloric acid.

The method demonstrated herein could be extended to other particles. It may also inspire versatile synthesis strategies towards complex nanostructures with high selectivity.

To find out more please read:

Controllable Oligomerization: Defying Step-Growth Kinetics in the Polymerization of Gold Nanoparticles

Xuejun Cheng, Gui Zhao, Yan Lu, Miao Yan, Hong Wang and Hongyu Chen

Chem. Sci., 2018, DOI: 10.1039/C8CC03424A

About the blogger:

Tianyu Liu obtained his Ph.D. (2017) in Physical Chemistry from University of California, Santa Cruz in the United States. He is passionate about scientific communication to introduce cutting-edge research to both the general public and scientists with diverse research expertise. He is a blog writer for Chem. Commun. and Chem. Sci. More information about him can be found at http://liutianyuresearch.weebly.com/.

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ChemComm poster prize winner at the 2018 European Materials Research Society Spring Meeting

20 Jun 2018

The 2018 European Materials Research Society (EMRS) Spring Meeting was held from the 18^th – 22^nd June in the Strasbourg Convention Centre in France.

The EMRS Spring Meeting is the society’s major conference and covers all aspects of materials science including energy and environment, biomaterials, semiconductors, nanomaterials, functional materials, and materials processing and characterization. It offers on average 25 topical symposia and is widely recognised as being of the highest international significance, with approximately 2,500 attendees every year.

ChemComm is proud to announce that the ChemComm poster prize was awarded to Dr Manal Alkhamisi from the University of Nottingham (School of Physics and Astronomy) for ‘The Growth and Fluorescence of Phthalocyanine Monolayers and Thin Films on Hexagonal Boron Nitride’. Manal was awarded the prize by ChemComm Associate Editor Steven De Feyter.

Well done Manal!

ChemComm Associate Editor Steven De Feyter (left) awarding the poster prize to Dr Manal Alkhamisi (right)

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Come for the colour changing crystals, stay for the science

31 May 2018

Synthesis of copper bimetallic complexes from imidazolyl ligands, and the solvatochromic materials formed upon crystallization and solvent guest-exchange. The solvatochromic behaviour was quantified with visible-region diffuse reflectance spectra.

During the first inorganic chemistry course I took during my undergraduate degree, our professor started the class by passing around some mineral samples, promising us that if we pursued the chemistry of metals we could work with beautifully coloured crystals every day. At the time, colour seemed like such a trite detail amongst the complexity of the subject. Why would you choose a field of study based on something so simple? Well, after a PhD dominated by pale yellow oils, I think I get it now.

Nikolayenko and Barbour at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa bring us colour! The authors synthesised organometallic copper complexes, which crystallise to form porous single crystals that drastically change colour upon absorption of various solvents. The authors investigated the solvatochromic mechanism using X-ray crystallography, EPR, UV-visible spectroscopy and DFT calculations. Solvatochromic materials are not just made to look pretty; they have potential to be used as sensitive, selective and recyclable sensors to detect solvent vapours with useful applications in industrial process risk management, chemical threat detection and environmental monitoring.

The researchers synthesised a series of complexes comprised of a bidentate ligand with 2-methylimidazolyl groups coordinated to copper(II) ions. The complexes stack to form channels in the crystal, capable of trapping solvent molecules to give different coloured crystals: DMSO and THF-containing crystals are green (λ_max = 574 nm and 540 nm, respectively), those containing acetonitrile are red (λ_max = 624 nm), and crystals trapping acetone, ether and pentane are yellow (λ_max = 588), orange (λ_max = 598 nm) and red/brown (λ_max = 592 nm), respectively.

The authors revealed a correlation between the size of the solvent guest, coordination geometry of the copper complex, and the ligand field splitting. Small guests such as acetonitrile minimally perturb the metallocyclic framework, preserving a rhombic ligand field geometry (large δ_xy of g values in the EPR spectrum), small ligand d-orbital splitting and red-shifted optical spectra. Large guests such as THF have the opposite effect, giving ligand field geometries approaching tetragonal (small δ_xy), large ligand field d-orbital splitting and blue-shifted optical spectra.

By delving into the complexity beneath a seemingly simple phenomenon, Nikolayenko, Barbour and their co-workers have shown using a series of single-crystal complexes that there is nothing simple about colour (and nothing trite about detail).

To find out more please read:

Supramolecular solvatochromism: mechanistic insight from crystallography, spectroscopy, and theory

Varvara I. Nikolayenko, Lisa M. van Wyk, Orde Q. Munro, Leonard J. Barbour.
Chem. Commun., 2018, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/c8cc02197j

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Pt3Ni-Coated Palladium Nano-branches Outperformed Pt in Catalyzing Ethanol Oxidation

30 May 2018

Researchers in China recently developed a new Pd-based catalyst that outperformed Pt, the benchmark catalyst for electrochemical oxidation of ethanol. This catalyst, synthesized by a one-pot chemical reduction method, consists of branched Pd nanocrystals coated with thin Pt₃Ni shells.

The ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) is a typical anode reaction that drives the energy output from fuel cells. Due to its intrinsically slow kinetics, the reaction requires proper EOR catalysts to facilitate the oxidation. Pt-based materials are highly active in promoting EOR, but the scarcity of Pt leads to high costs and demands efficient methods to recycle these materials. In addition, the instable catalytic activity of Pt significantly reduces the lifetime of EOR catalysts containing Pt. Clearly, developing inexpensive EOR catalysts with comparable performance to Pt is meaningful for the affordability and durability of fuel cells.

A research team led by Shuifen Xie at Huaqiao University and Shenzhen Research Institute of Xiamen University in China, have demonstrated a one-pot chemical reduction method of a novel EOR catalyst. This catalyst is made of Pt₃Ni-coated Pd nanocrystals as shown in Figure 1. There are three main advantages for this catalyst over the benchmark Pt: Firstly, the core material Pd is more affordable. Secondly, the ultrathin Pt-alloy coating, Pt₃Ni, contains relatively less Pt and is reported to exhibit high EOR catalytic activity. Thirdly, the little lattice mismatch between Pt and Pd allows seamless integration of the two metals that is beneficial to preserve the structural integrity and ensure excellent durability.

Figure 1. (a) The schematic illustration showing the key steps of the one-pot chemical reduction method. The catalyst is formed via consecutive reduction of Pd²⁺, Pt²⁺ and Ni²⁺ to Pd nano-branches, Pt nanoparticles and Pt₃Ni coatings, respectively. (b) A TEM image of a representative morphology of a branched nanocrystal. (c) Elemental mappings depict that Pt and Ni elements exist mainly in the shell while Pd is in the core.

Electrochemical characterizations revealed that the catalytic performance of the Pt₃Ni-coated Pd nanocrystals outperformed those of two commercial catalysts: Pt/C (Pt particles supported on activated carbon) and Pd black (a fine powder elemental Pd). Figure 2a compares the linear-sweep voltammograms of the three samples. The synthesized catalyst showed appreciably enhanced oxidation current at potentials beyond 0.4 V vs. RHE. The histograms in Figure 2b clearly display that the mass activity and the specific activity of the synthesized nanocrystals are the highest. The authors ascribed the superior performance to the high surface area (42.50 m² g^-1), the ultrathin Pt₃Ni coating with its {111} crystal planes exposed, and the core-shell configuration.

Figure 2. (a) Linear-sweep voltammograms of the synthesized catalyst (Pd@Pt₃Ni/C), Pt/C and Pd black. (b) The comparison of mass activity (i.e. oxidation current normalized to the masses of the catalysts) and specific activity (i.e. oxidation current normalized to the areas of the catalysts) of Pd@Pt₃Ni/C, Pt/C and Pd black.

This work signifies the feasibility of Pd-based nano-catalysts as alternatives to Pt towards catalyzing EOR. It is also expected to encourage the effort in developing a diverse array of inexpensive and high-performance catalysts for other reactions pertaining to fuel cells, including but not limited to oxidation of fuels other than ethanol and oxygen reduction reactions.

To find out more please read:

One-Pot Synthesis of Pd@Pt₃Ni Core-Shell Nanobranches with Ultrathin Pt₃Ni{111} Skins for Efficient Ethanol Electrooxidation

Yuanyuan Wang, Wei Wang, Fei Xue, Yong Cheng, Kai Liu, Qiaobao Zhang, Maochang Liu and Shuifen Xie

Chem. Commun., 2018, DOI: 10.1039/c8cc02816h

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The CO2-Capturing Mechanism of Quaternary Nitrogen-Containing Polymers Revealed Experimentally

21 May 2018

A group of scientists from Washington University at St. Louis, USA have disclosed experimentally how CO₂ is captured by polymers with quaternary nitrogen cations. Using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), the authors established that CO₂ molecules were absorbed as bicarbonate anions (HCO₃^–).

The increasing amount of CO₂ has posed a number of concerning environmental issues such as climate change, rising sea level and ocean acidification. Capturing CO₂ from the atmosphere is an effective way to lower the CO₂ concentration. Recently, a family of polymer absorbents containing quaternary nitrogen functional groups, termed humidity-swing polymers, have been identified as promising absorbents to absorb CO₂ directly from air. However, the limited understanding of the chemical mechanism related to their CO₂-capturing capability hindered the development of these promising absorbents.

In ChemComm, Yang et al. used solid-state ¹³C NMR to explore how CO₂ molecules were captured and released. Figure 1a presents the NMR spectra of a humidity-swing polymer absorbent itself (top), upon contacting with CO₂ (middle) and after releasing CO₂ (bottom). The most striking feature is the appearance of an additional sharp peak at a chemical shift of 161 ppm in the middle spectrum, which did not show up in the other two spectra. The authors further studied the shape evolution of the additional peak, with respect to temperature, and concluded that the peak was due to HCO₃^– anions. Additionally, the authors also identified the presence of hydroxide anions in the absorbent after CO₂ was released.

Figure 1. (a) The solid-state ¹³C NMR spectra of the humidity-swing polymeric absorbent (structure shown in the inset of the middle spectrum) itself (top), upon contacting with CO₂ (middle) and after releasing CO₂ (bottom). (b) The proposed pathways of how CO₂ molecules interact with the quaternary-N anions of the absorbent.

The researchers then proposed the CO₂ adsorption-desorption mechanism (illustrated in Figure 1b) based on the experimental results. The storage and release of CO₂ depend on the humidity level of the surroundings: When the humidity is low, the polymer absorbs CO₂ and forms HCO₃^– anions; the negative charge of HCO₃^– is counter-balanced by the neighboring quaternary N cations. When the humidity is increased, HCO₃^– anions combine with water and decompose to CO₂ and hydroxide anions. This proposed pathway does not involve CO₃^2- anions, which differs from the previously-reported mechanisms derived from theoretical simulations.

The published results represent the first set of experimental evidence elucidating how CO₂ molecules interact with humidity-swing polymeric absorbents. The acquired mechanistic insight could provide valuable guidelines for the design of CO₂ absorbents with ultrahigh absorption capacity.

To find out more please read:

Humidity-Swing Mechanism for CO₂ Capture from Ambient Air
Hao Yang, Manmilan Singh and Jacob Schaefer
Chem. Commun., 2018, DOI: 10.1039/c8cc02109k

About the blogger:

Tianyu Liu obtained his Ph.D. (2017) in Physical Chemistry from University of California, Santa Cruz in United States. He is passionate about scientific communication to introduce cutting-edge research to both the general public and scientists with diverse research expertise. He is a blog writer for Chem. Commun. and Chem. Sci. More information about him can be found at http://liutianyuresearch.weebly.com/.

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Chemical Communications Blog

Archive for the ‘Materials’ Category

A Battery Cathode with a Bee Pupa-Filled Honeycomb Structure

Saving Organic Electrodes in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Copper A3 Coupling using a Switchable Homogeneous/Heterogeneous Catalyst

The Birth of a Semiconducting Metal Organic Framework by Sulfur Coordination

MOFS, ZMOFS and Automobiles

Better Make It A Double

ChemComm poster prize winner at the 2018 European Materials Research Society Spring Meeting

Come for the colour changing crystals, stay for the science

Pt3Ni-Coated Palladium Nano-branches Outperformed Pt in Catalyzing Ethanol Oxidation

The CO2-Capturing Mechanism of Quaternary Nitrogen-Containing Polymers Revealed Experimentally

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