Phytate Enhances Intermediate Adsorption Kinetics on Nickel for Efficient Primary Aniline Electrooxidation

Abstract

AbstractNickel (Ni)‐based electrocatalysts are promising for use in the primary amine electrooxidation reaction (pAOR) due to the in situ generation of oxygen intermediates on their surface. Herein, phytate‐coordinated Ni foam (PA‐NF) is reported as an efficient pAOR electrocatalyst with a benzylamine oxidation rate of 1.01 mmol h−1 and a benzonitrile selectivity of ∼100 %. Experimental evidence indicated the upshift of the d‐band center of the Ni sites after PA coordination and enhancement of the adsorption kinetics of oxygen intermediates on the PA‐NF surface during the reaction, resulting in high catalytic performance. This work details a facile strategy for enhancing the pAOR performance of Ni‐ and other transition‐metal‐based electrocatalysts.