Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yu Qiu, Yifei Rao, Yinan Zheng, Hao Hu, Wenhua Zhang, Xiaohui Guo
Summary: Surface strain engineering is a promising strategy for designing electrocatalysts for sustainable energy storage and conversion. This study presents the preparation of a trifunctional electrocatalyst (Ru/RuO2@NCS) by anchoring lattice mismatch strained core/shell Ru/RuO2 nanocrystals on nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets. The resulting catalyst exhibits high catalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), enabling high power and energy density in rechargeable Zn-air batteries and achieving efficient water splitting. The compressive strained RuO2 in the catalyst reduces the reaction barrier and improves the binding of intermediates, leading to enhanced catalytic activity and stability.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Subramanian Sowmya, Vijendran Vijaikanth
Summary: This study focuses on the development of cost-effective modified electrodes containing g-C3N4/chlorocobaloxime composites and their applications in energy conversion and storage systems. The results show that these composite materials exhibit excellent electrocatalytic properties for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Additionally, the composite coatings also show promising supercapacitance applications.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Chuanhao Li, Tong Song, Cong Xie, Wenbin Shi, Dan Wang, Ping Yang
Summary: This paper demonstrates the synthesis of high-quality thin g-C3N4 homojunctions by controlling precursor components during the seed growth process. The resulting samples showed changes in microstructure, band gap, and photoelectrochemical properties. Photocatalytic activities were tested through H2 generation and the photodegradation of Rhodamine B (Rh B). The formation of homojunctions improves the photoelectrocatalytic activities.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jayaraman Balamurugan, Thanh Tuan Nguyen, Do Hwan Kim, Nam Hoon Kim, Joong Hee Lee
Summary: The development of 3D nickel molybdenum oxyselenide nanoarchitectures with numerous oxygen vacancies through a low-cost hydrothermal and selenium ion modulation approach has been shown to enhance catalytic activities and electrochemical performance. This strategy provides a general approach to explore efficient multifunctional catalysts with enhanced durability for applications such as flexible Zn-air batteries and water electrolyzers.
APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ruonan Yin, Shaojun Zhu, Tianrui Lu, Qingcheng Zhang, Dajie Lin, Huile Fin, Shun Wang, Jing-Jing Lv
Summary: Nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen tri-doped carbon nanosheets (N, S, O-CNs) were prepared using rice straw as the carbon precursor via a modified in-situ g-C3N4 template method. The N, S, O-CNs exhibited efficient electrocatalytic performance for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The introduced S element activated electron transfer and accelerated reaction kinetics for HER, while the N/O dopants promoted ORR and OER. The N, S, O-CNs demonstrated excellent performance and durability as a multifunctional catalyst for ORR, OER, and HER, and showed superior performance in rechargeable Zn-air batteries and water splitting devices.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Zixuan Zhang, Yin Wang, Jingqi Guan, Tingting Zhang, Peihe Li, Yin Hao, Limei Duan, Zhiqiang Niu, Jinghai Liu
Summary: This study demonstrates a low-cost and bifunctional electrocatalyst for metal-air batteries. By converting two-dimensional graphitic carbon nitride into one-dimensional metal-ended nitrogen doped carbon nanotubes, the catalytic activity for ORR and OER can be achieved. The chemically modulated Co-NCNTs-N exhibited excellent activity in both ORR and OER, and showed superior performance in Zn-air batteries.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mukesh Kumar, Tharamani C. Nagaiah
Summary: This article presents a simple method to synthesize nanorod embedded wheat-grain CoFe(3:1)S-2 catalyst and demonstrates its excellent performance in hydrogen evolution and oxygen reduction reactions through experiments. In addition, the catalyst also exhibits good electrochemical properties in water electrolysis and zinc-air batteries. These results highlight the importance of this catalyst in the field of energy conversion and storage.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Shanshan Chen, Kang Lian, Wenxian Liu, Qian Liu, Gaocan Qi, Jun Luo, Xijun Liu
Summary: As an ideal carbon-free energy carrier, ammonia plays a crucial role in modern society. The conventional industrial synthesis of NH3 results in high energy consumption and environmental pollution, highlighting the importance of developing NH3 synthesis under benign conditions. Electrochemical synthesis of NH3 using zinc-nitrogen batteries has gained attention due to its mild reaction conditions and environmental friendliness. However, the current challenges lie in the low power density and ammonia production of these battery systems. This review summarizes the latest progress in zinc-nitrogen batteries, including reaction mechanisms, reactor design principles, and strategies to improve their performance.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yixuan Wang, Jianpeng Sun, Yuan Yao, Zizhen Li, Xiangchao Meng
Summary: In this study, g-C3N4 nanosheets were successfully synthesized and different metal nanoparticles were deposited on their surface, significantly enhancing the photocatalytic hydrogen production activity. Pt-loaded g-C3N4 nanosheets exhibited the highest hydrogen production activity, and the maximum hydrogen production rate was achieved under external bias. The research discussed and explained the enhancement mechanism in detail.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yahan Meng, Mingming Wang, Zhengxin Zhu, Taoli Jiang, Zaichun Liu, Na Chen, Chunyue Shen, Qia Peng, Wei Chen
Summary: The study demonstrates an integrated hydrogen gas production and energy storage system made possible by using a multifunctional nickel-cobalt phosphate (NCP) material. The NCP shows better redox reactions for energy storage and higher electrochemical activity due to the synergistic effect between Ni, Co, and phosphate ions. The NCP-H-2 battery based on the NCP cathode and H-2 anode shows outstanding rate performance and long-term stability, making it suitable for potential energy production and storage applications.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xuecheng Liu, Ling Gao, Gaoxiang Qi, Jie Zhang, Biyan Liu, Yucheng Chen
Summary: The LaVO4/g-C3N4 composite with heterojunction structure and oxygen defects inhibits the recombination of electron-hole pairs, showing superior photocatalytic water splitting performance under visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic activity of the composite is significantly enhanced by oxygen defects, and the Z scheme mechanism is proposed for the photocatalytic water splitting reaction.
NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jiaqi Dong, Yue Zhang, Muhammad Irfan Hussain, Wenjie Zhou, Yingzhi Chen, Lu-Ning Wang
Summary: This article introduces the impact of pore structure on the photoelectric performance of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), discusses methods for modifying the pore structure, and compares their advantages and disadvantages. Furthermore, the potential applications of porous g-C3N4 in photocatalysis are also explored.
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Xuan Jiang, Zhaodong Nan
Summary: This study demonstrates that the introduction of Zn2+ in Fe-doped g-C3N4 can improve the catalytic performance, and a catalytic mechanism is proposed. The synergy between first-row transition-metal cations doped in g-C3N4 enhances the catalytic activity. However, the stable electronic centrifugation of Zn2+ poses a challenge to the synergistic mechanism. Compared to Fe-CN, the introduction of Zn2+ in 4Fe/1Zn-CN increases the degradation rate constant of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC). The increased atomic percent of Fe (Fe2+ and Fe3+), the molar ratio of Fe2+ to Fe3+, and the decreased band gap contribute to the excellent catalytic performance of 4Fe/1Zn-CN. The radicals ·OH, ·O-2 (-), and O-1(2) play different roles under different pH conditions. Additionally, 4Fe/1Zn-CN exhibits excellent stability after five cycles. These findings provide a strategy for synthesizing Fenton-like catalysts.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yi Yang, Tao Chen, Bingxue Yu, Mingke Zhu, Fanbo Meng, Wen Shi, Mingchang Zhang, Zichen Qi, Kaiyang Zeng, Junmin Xue
Summary: Zinc metal anode is a promising choice in aqueous zinc ion batteries, but zinc dendrite growth compromises its practicability. In this study, a modified separator was developed by coating g-C3N4 nanosheets onto commercial cellulose fiber separator. The g-C3N4 coated separator enables dendrite-free zinc deposition and improves the reversibility of zinc metal anodes.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tong Song, Xiao Zhang, Ping Yang
Summary: A novel metal-free all-solid-state z-scheme g-C3N4/NCDs/WOx photocatalyst with enhanced visible and NIR light photocatalytic activity was fabricated using nitrogen-doped carbon dots (NCDs) as the electron mediator. The hydrogen evolution rate significantly increased under visible light irradiation, and the apparent quantum efficiency reached 7.58% at 420 nm. The utilization efficiency of NIR light was improved by the localized surface plasmon resonance effect of WOx and the up-converted photoluminescence property of NCDs.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qin Zhu, Shuoqi Zhang, Jing Ma, Jun Zhu, Shuhua Li, Guixiang Zeng
Summary: The transfer hydrogenation of azobenzene with ammonia borane mediated by pincer bismuth complex 1 was studied using density functional theory calculations. The study revealed an unusual metal-ligand cooperation mechanism involving the saturation/regeneration of the C=N functional group on the pincer ligand. The reaction proceeds through the hydrogenation of the C=N bond, followed by the conversion of 3(CN) to a Bi-H intermediate, and eventually results in the production of N,N'-diphenylhydrazine and regeneration of the catalyst. The substitution of the phenyl group with a tert-butyl group on the pincer ligand improves the catalyst's performance.
CHEMISTRY-AN ASIAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Qiang Zhu, Yang Ge, Wei Li, Jing Ma
Summary: Polarization is important in charged and hydrogen bonding systems. Efforts have been made to incorporate polarization into force fields at different levels, employing physics-based, quantum mechanism-based, and machine learning-assisted models. Limitations of computational cost and transferability have been addressed through QM-based approaches. Variable electrostatic parameters can be used to reduce computational cost while maintaining accuracy. The effects of polarization and entropy on the prediction of partition coefficient are demonstrated using molecular dynamics simulations and machine learning models. Directions and challenges for future development are discussed.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL THEORY AND COMPUTATION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yan Xiong, Bang Li, Yuming Gu, Tong Yan, Zhigang Ni, Shuhua Li, Jing-Lin Zuo, Jing Ma, Zhong Jin
Summary: We report the synthesis of a zinc-based coordination polymer that contains bridging dinitrogen anionic ligands, which shows high efficiency as a photocatalyst for nitrogen fixation under ambient conditions. Experimental and theoretical studies reveal that the active sites in the polymer promote the formation of NH3 and sustain continuous catalytic cycles. This work presents an example of a molecular active site embedded within a coordination polymer for mild nitrogen fixation.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hao Zheng, Lulu Fu, Ranran Wang, Jianmin Jiao, Yingying Song, Conghao Shi, Yuan Chen, Juli Jiang, Chen Lin, Jing Ma, Leyong Wang
Summary: This study investigates the kinetic traits of planar chirality transformation in sodium carboxylate pillar[5]arene (WP5-Na) and ammonium carboxylate pillar[5]arene (WP5-NH4). The authors demonstrate the effect of counter cations on the rotational barriers of hydroquinone rings in anionic pillar[5]arenes (WP5), leading to the development of a cation grease/brake rotor system. The tunable rotor system shows potential applications as a fluorescence switch and anti-counterfeiting ink.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Si-Wen Ke, Wei Li, Yuming Gu, Jian Su, Yifan Liu, Shuai Yuan, Jing-Lin Zuo, Jing Ma, Ping He
Summary: In this study, bifunctional cathode catalysts for ORR/OER were constructed in a COF platform by incorporating Ni-bis(dithiolene) and Co-porphyrin units. The resulting bimetallic Ni/Co-COF exhibited high surface area, good electrical conductivity, and excellent chemical stability. Li-O2 batteries with the Ni/Co-COF-based cathode showed low discharge/charge potential gap and stable cycling, comparable to PtAu nanocrystals. DFT computations and control experiments revealed the critical role of Ni and Co sites in regulating the Li2O2 deposition.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lulu Fu, Ranran Wang, Qiang Zhu, Yuming Gu, Lifeng Zheng, Yuan Chen, Juli Jiang, Jing Ma
Summary: Chirality is found everywhere in nature, from DNA double helix to biological macromolecules, snail shells, and galaxies. However, controlling chirality at the nanoscale is challenging due to the complex structure of supramolecular assemblies, small energy differences between enantiomers, and difficulties in obtaining polymorphic crystals. In this study, the planar chirality of water-soluble pillar[5]arenes was rationalized by molecular dynamics simulations and quantum chemical calculations. The researchers used machine learning to predict the chirality of different host-guest complexes with high accuracy.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL THEORY AND COMPUTATION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Fangyuan Wang, Yuming Gu, Bailin Tian, Yuxia Sun, Lifeng Zheng, Shengtang Liu, Lingyu Tang, Xiao Han, Jing Ma, Mengning Ding
Summary: Replacing the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with water-assisted oxidation of organic molecules is a promising approach for sustainable electrochemical biomass utilization. In this study, spinel sulfides were investigated for the electrooxidation of furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, showing superior catalytic performance compared to spinel oxides. The phase transition of spinel sulfides into amorphous bimetallic oxyhydroxides during electrochemical activation was found to be responsible for their excellent conversion rate, selectivity, faradaic efficiency, and stability. A volcano-like correlation was also established between their BEOR and OER activities.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kun Fan, Jian Li, Yongshan Xu, Cheng Fu, Yuan Chen, Chenyang Zhang, Guoqun Zhang, Jing Ma, Tianyou Zhai, Chengliang Wang
Summary: This study reports the synthesis of a three-dimensional coordination polymer with atomically precise structures. The material exhibits high conductivity and has potential applications as cathodes in sodium-ion batteries with high capacity, rate capability, and cyclability.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yanrong Wang, Caixing Wang, Wei Wang, Yu Zhang, Zhaowei Guo, Jianhang Huang, Lei Yan, Jing Ma, Yonggang Wang
Summary: This study demonstrates the capability of an organic quinone compound, dibenzo[b,i]thianthrene-5,7,12,14-tetraone (DTT), to store H3O+ in an acid electrolyte with high capacity and long-term cycling stability. The DTT-based battery shows promising stability and performance, even at low temperatures.
ACS ENERGY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Ming-Feng Qin, Li-Feng Zheng, Song-Song Bao, Fei-Hu Xue, Jing Ma, Li-Min Zheng, Jian Su
Summary: Three mixed-ligand metal phosphonates were constructed, and the chains in these compounds could be dispersed in water by adjusting the pH, forming interwoven nanostrands/nanosheets. The photothermal effect was observed for these compounds both in solid state and in HEPES solution upon 808 nm laser irradiation, and CoCo showed the highest photothermal conversion efficiency. Theoretical calculations revealed the important role of cobalt(II) ion in extending pi-electron delocalization and enhancing NIR absorption in CoCo.
ACS APPLIED ELECTRONIC MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yang Ge, Xueping Wang, Qiang Zhu, Yuqin Yang, Hao Dong, Jing Ma
Summary: This study proposes a machine learning-guided adaptive parametrization method that develops a mixed atomic and coarse-grained model to precisely regulate the peptide self-assembly. The method significantly reduces computational costs while maintaining qualitative agreement with observed morphologies in experiments.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL THEORY AND COMPUTATION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jia-Ge Jia, Chen-Chen Zhao, Yi-Fan Wei, Zhi-Min Zhai, Song-Song Bao, Allan J. Jacobson, Jing Ma, Li-Min Zheng
Summary: Controlling the formation and chirality of artificial systems, especially coordination polymers, is a challenging task. In this study, solvents were used as a tool to induce the formation of macroscopic helices with controllable chirality in chiral coordination polymers. The morphology of the self-assemblies could be manipulated by varying the cosolvent in water, resulting in twisted ribbons, needle-like crystals, nanofibers, and superhelices. Interestingly, the helicity of the superhelix could be controlled by using different propanol isomers in water.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yi Hu, Junchuan Liang, Yuming Gu, Songyuan Yang, Wenjun Zhang, Zuoxiu Tie, Jing Ma, Zhong Jin
Summary: A new method for the preparation of two-dimensional bismuthene nanoflakes, along with their protection and application in electrochemical CO2 reduction, is proposed in this study. The method involves the use of a h-BN covering layer to suppress structural transformations and charge transfer, resulting in improved thermal stability and electrocatalytic performance. This research is of significant importance for the synthesis and utilization of high surface energy two-dimensional materials.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Fangyuan Wang, Yuming Gu, Bailin Tian, Yuxia Sun, Lifeng Zheng, Shengtang Liu, Lingyu Tang, Xiao Han, Jing Ma, Mengning Ding
Summary: Replacing the OER with water-assisted oxidation of organic molecules is a promising method for sustainable electrochemical biomass utilization. Spinel sulfides exhibit superior catalytic performance compared to spinel oxides and complete phase transition during electrochemical activation, serving as the active species. Excellent conversion rate, selectivity, faradaic efficiency, and stability were achieved through sulfide-derived amorphous CuCo-oxyhydroxide, and a volcano-like correlation was established between their BEOR and OER activities based on an OER-assisted organic oxidation mechanism.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xin Huang, Xuan Qiu, Wei Wang, Junjie Li, Zhi Li, Xiaomeng Yu, Jing Ma, Yonggang Wang
Summary: Organic electrode materials with tunable structures and sustainability have gained attention. In this study, dibenzo[b,i]phenazine-5,7,12,14-tetrone (DPT) is synthesized as a cathode active material for an aqueous Zn battery, exhibiting high capacity, high-rate performance, and superlong life. Despite DPT's insulative nature, the presence of trace dissolved discharge product DPTx- enables promising performance even with high mass loading and low carbon additives.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
