Attenuated Total Reflection Surface Enhanced Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy Research Articles

Covalent Organic Framework Stabilized Single CoN4Cl2 Site Boosts Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction into Tunable Syngas

AbstractSolar carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction provides an attractive alternative to producing sustainable chemicals and fuel. However, the construction of a highly active photocatalyst was challenging because of the rapid charge recombination and sluggish surface CO2 reduction. Herein, a unique Co−N4Cl2 single site was fabricated by loading Co species into the 2,2′‐bipyridine and triazine‐containing covalent organic framework (COF) for CO2 conversion into syngas under visible light irradiation. The resulting champion catalyst TPy‐COF‐Co enabled a record‐high CO production rate of 426 mmol g−1 h−1, associated with the unprecedented turnover number (TON) and turnover frequency (TOF) of 2095 and 1607 h−1, respectively. The catalyst also exhibited favorable recycling performance and widely adjustable syngas production (CO/H2 ratio: 1.8 : 1–1 : 16). A systematical investigation including operando synchrotron X‐ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy, in situ attenuated total reflection surface‐enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR‐SEIRAS), and theoretical calculation indicated that the triazine‐based COF framework promoted the charge transfer towards the single Co−N4Cl2 sites that greatly promoted the CO2 activation by lowering the energy barrier of *COOH generation, facilitating the CO2 transformation. This work highlights the great potential of the molecular regulation of COF‐derived single‐atom catalysts to boost CO2 photoreduction efficiency.

Enhanced CO2 Electroreduction to ethylene on Cu nanocube coated with nitrogen-doped carbon shell in-situ electro-derived from metal-organic framework

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) to ethylene is one of the most promising technologies to achieve efficient use of carbon resources and sustainable development, in which the development of an efficient and stable electrocatalyst is particularly important. In this work, we develop a catalyst in situ electro-derived from Cu-based MOF for CO2RR to ethylene. We prepared nano Cu-MOF by microwave synthesis and supported it on a Cu foil substrate as a working electrode (denoted as MOF/Cu foil). During in situ electrolysis, Cu-MOF was converted into a highly dispersed nitrogen-doped carbon-coated Cu nanocube (denoted as Cu-cube/CN), which inhibited particle agglomeration and enhanced active site exposure. At a potential of −1.15 V vs. RHE, the Faradaic efficiency (FE) of the Cu-cube/CN catalyst for ethylene is 49.6 %, significantly higher than that of the original Cu foil electrode and Cu-MOF supported on the gas diffusion layer (GDL) prepared working electrode (denoted as MOF/GDL). In situ attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations studies indicate that due to the electron-donating ability of the CN coating, the adsorption of *CO is enhanced, increasing the *CO coverage, lowering the reaction free energy of *CO dimerization, promoting C-C coupling and ethylene generation. This work provides new insights for the development of efficient and stable electrocatalysts for CO2RR-to-ethylene production.

Heterometallic Transition Metal Oxides Containing Lewis Acids as Molecular Catalysts for the Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Carbon Monoxide with Bimodal Activity.

Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (e-CO2RR) to CO is replete with challenges including the need to carry out e-CO2RR at low overpotentials. Previously, a tricopper-substituted polyoxometalate was shown to reduce CO2 to CO with a very high faradaic efficiency albeit at -2.5 V versus Fc/Fc+. It is now demonstrated that introducing a nonredox metal Lewis acid, preferably GaIII, as a binding site for CO2 in the first coordination sphere of the polyoxometalate, forming heterometallic polyoxometalates, e.g., [SiCuIIFeIIIGaIII(H2O)3W9O37]8-, leads to bimodal activity optimal both at -2.5 and -1.5 V versus Fc/Fc+; reactivity at -1.5 V being at an overpotential of ∼150 mV. These results were observed by cyclic voltammetry and quantitative controlled potential electrolysis where high faradaic efficiency and chemoselectivity were obtained at -2.5 and -1.5 V. A reaction with 13CO2 revealed that CO2 disproportionation did not occur at -1.5 V. EPR spectroscopy showed reduction, first of CuII to CuI and FeIII to FeII and then reduction of a tungsten atom (WVI to WV) in the polyoxometalate framework. IR spectroscopy showed that CO2 binds to [SiCuIIFeIIIGaIII(H2O)3W9O37]8- before reduction. In situ electrochemical attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) with pulsed potential modulated excitation revealed different observable intermediate species at -2.5 and -1.5 V. DFT calculations explained the CV, the formation of possible activated CO2 species at both -2.5 and -1.5 V through series of electron transfer, proton-coupled electron transfer, protonation and CO2 binding steps, the active site for reduction, and the role of protons in facilitating the reactions.

Electrochemical CO2 Reduction in Acidic Electrolytes: Spectroscopic Evidence for Local pH Gradients.

Inspired by recent advances in electrochemical CO2 reduction (CO2R) under acidic conditions, herein we leverage in situ spectroscopy to inform the optimization of CO2R at low pH. Using attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) and fluorescent confocal laser scanning microscopy, we investigate the role that alkali cations (M+) play on electrochemical CO2R. This study hence provides important information related to the local electrode surface pH under bulk acidic conditions for CO2R, both in the presence and absence of an organic film layer, at variable [M+]. We show that in an acidic electrolyte, an appropriate current density can enable CO2R in the absence of metal cations. In situ local pH measurements suggest the local [H+] must be sufficiently depleted to promote H2O reduction as the competing reaction with CO2R. Incrementally incorporating [K+] leads to increases in the local pH that promotes CO2R but only at proton consumption rates sufficient to drive the pH up dramatically. Stark tuning measurements and analysis of surface water structure reveal no change in the electric field with [M+] and a desorption of interfacial water, indicating that improved CO2R performance is driven by suppression of H+ mass transport and modification of the interfacial solvation structure. In situ pH measurements confirm increasing local pH, and therefore decreased local [CO2], with [M+], motivating alternate means of modulating proton transport. We show that an organic film formed via in situ electrodeposition of an organic additive provides a means to achieve selective CO2R (FECO2R ∼ 65%) over hydrogen evolution reaction in the presence of strong acid (pH 1) and low cation concentrations (≤0.1 M) at both low and high current densities.

Covalent Organic Framework Stabilized Single CoN4Cl2 Site Boosts Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction into Tunable Syngas.

Solar carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction provides an attractive alternative to producing sustainable chemicals and fuel. However, the construction of a highly active photocatalyst was challenging because of the rapid charge recombination and sluggish surface CO2 reduction. Herein, a unique Co-N4Cl2 single site was fabricated by loading Co species into the 2,2'-bipyridine and triazine-containing covalent organic framework (COF) for CO2 conversion into syngas under visible light irradiation. The resulting champion catalyst TPy-COF-Co enabled a record-high CO production rate of 426 mmol g-1 h-1, associated with the unprecedented turnover number (TON) and turnover frequency (TOF) of 2095 and 1607 h-1, respectively. The catalyst also exhibited favorable recycling performance and widely adjustable syngas production (CO/H2 ratio: 1.8:1-1:16). A systematical investigation includingoperandosynchrotron X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy, in-situ attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS), and theoretical calculation indicated that the triazine-based COF framework promoted the charge transfer towards the single Co-N4Cl2 sites that greatly promoted the CO2 activation by lowering the energy barrier of *COOH generation, facilitating the CO2 transformation. This work highlights the great potential of the molecular regulation of COF-derived single-atom catalysts to boost CO2 photoreduction efficiency.

Sulfur-Bridged Asymmetric CuNi Bimetallic Atom Sites for CO2 Reduction with High Efficiency.

Double-atom catalysts (DACs) with asymmetric coordination are crucial for enhancing the benefits of electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction and advancing sustainable development, however, the rational design of DACs is still challenging. Herein, this work synthesizes atomically dispersed catalysts with novel sulfur-bridged Cu-S-Ni sites (named Cu-S-Ni/SNC), utilizing biomass wool keratin as precursor. The plentiful disulfide bonds in wool keratin overcome the limitations of traditional gas-phase S ligand etching process and enable the one-step formation of S-bridged sites. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) confirms the existence of bimetallic sites with N2Cu-S-NiN2 moiety. In H-cell, Cu-S-Ni/SNC shows high CO Faraday efficiency of 98.1% at -0.65V versus RHE. Benefiting from the charge tuning effect between the metal site and bridged sulfur atoms, a large current density of 550mAcm-2 can be achieved at -1.00V in flow cell. Additionally, in situ XAS, attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations show Cu as the main adsorption site is dual-regulated by Ni and S atoms, which enhances CO2 activation and accelerates the formation of *COOH intermediates. This kind of asymmetric bimetallic atom catalysts may open new pathways for precision preparation and performance regulation of atomic materials toward energy applications.

Uncovering the Dissociative Adsorption of the Leveler Janus Green B on Cu Electrodes at the Molecular Level.

The interfacial adsorption structure of an organic leveler decides its functionality in Cu interconnect electroplating and is yet far from clear. In this work, in situ attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) in conjunction with density functional theory (DFT) calculations are applied to unravel the interfacial adsorption of the classic dye leveler Janus Green B (JGB) at a Cu electrode and understand its polarization property against Cu electrodeposition from an adsorption structure perspective. ATR-SEIRAS measurements and DFT calculations reveal that the N=N bond of the JGB molecule splits via reductive hydrogenation, forming two fragments of contrasting adsorption configurations. JGB exhibits the strongest inhibition effect on Cu deposition among all the tested additives including individual and mixed fragments, due to the highest coverage of organic adsorbates from JGB dissociation, as measured by EQCM. This work highlights the advantage of surface sensitive analytical tools in understanding the structure-performance of levelers.

Electrochemical Synthesis of Urea: Co-Reduction of Nitrite and Carbon Dioxide on Binuclear Cobalt Phthalocyanine.

Exploration of molecular catalysts with the atomic-level tunability of molecular structures offers promising avenues for developing high-performance catalysts for the electrochemical co-reduction reaction of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrite (NO2 -) into value-added urea. In this work, a binuclear cobalt phthalocyanine (biCoPc) catalyst is prepared through chemical synthesis and applied as a C─N coupling catalyst toward urea. Achieving a remarkable Faradaic efficiency of 47.4% for urea production at -0.5V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), this biCoPc outperforms many known molecular catalysts in this specific application. Its unique planar macromolecular structure and the increased valence state of cobalt promote the adsorption of nitrogenous and carbonaceous species, a critical factor in facilitating the multi-electron C─N coupling. Combining highly sensitive in situ attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the linear adsorbed CO (COL) and bridge adsorbed CO (COB) is captured on biCoPc catalyst during the co-reduction reaction. COB, a pivotal intermediate in the co-reduction from CO2 and nitrite to urea, is evidenced to be labile and may be attacked by nitrite, promoting urea production. This work demonstrates the importance of designing molecular catalysts for efficient co-reduction of CO2 and nitrite to urea.

A supported Ni2 dual-atoms site hollow urchin-like carbon catalyst for synergistic CO2 electroreduction

Dual-atoms catalysts (DACs), while inheriting the advantages of maximum atom utilization ratio and excellent selectivity of single-atom catalysts (SACs), can better enhance the catalytic activity through the synergy of adjacent atoms. Therefore, DACs are considered to be very potential catalysts for CO2 to CO conversion. Its catalytic activity is greatly influenced by the coordination environment and morphology. Here, hollow urchin-like NiNC catalysts (Ni-NC(HU)-x, x = 100, 50, 25, 0) were synthesized using urchin-like nickel particles as template. By adjusting the amount of additional nitrogen source, the percentage content of pyridinic-N was adjusted as well as further affecting the coordination environment. Among them, Ni-NC(HU)-50, which had the highest content of pyridinic-N, formed a dual-atoms coordination structure and had the best catalytic performance that the CO Faradaic efficiency (FECO) reached 97.2 % at −0.9 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) and sustained above 95 % within 50 h. In-situ attenuated total reflectance surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations showed that Ni-NC(HU)-50 exhibited the best performance of CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) by lowering the *COOH formation free energy barrier and its favorable dual desorption mechanism of *COL and *COB.

Catalytic Peculiarity of Alkali Metal Cation-Free Electrode/Polyelectrolyte Interfaces Toward CO2 Reduction.

A prominent feature of modern electrochemical technologies, such as fuel cells and electrolysis, is the employing of polyelectrolytes instead of liquid electrolytes. Unlike the well-studied electrode/liquid electrolyte interfaces, however, the catalytic characteristics of electrode/polyelectrolyte interfaces remain largely unexplored, mostly due to the lack of reliable probing methods. Herein, we report a universally applicable approach to investigating electrocatalytic reactions at electrode/polyelectrolyte interfaces under normal electrochemical conditions. By coating a thin layer of anion-exchange membrane (AEM) onto the electrode surface, solutions with bulky organic cations were well separated, thus a pure electrode/polyelectrolyte interface can be established in a regular electrochemical setup and studied using in situ spectroscopies, e.g., attenuated total reflectance surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS). We found that the blank Au surface was inert toward the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) in the absence of alkali metal cations, whereas coating with an AEM can dramatically turn on the catalytic activity. ATR-SEIRAS revealed that the hydrogen bond network of water at the Au/AEM interface was enhanced in comparison to that on the blank Au surface, which facilitated the hydrogenation process of the CO2RR. These findings further our fundamental understanding of the catalytic behavior of electrode/polyelectrolyte interfaces and benefit the development of relevant electrochemical technologies.

Unraveling the Mechanism of Ammonia Electrooxidation by Coupled Differential Electrochemical Mass Spectrometry and Surface-Enhanced Infrared Absorption Spectroscopic Studies.

Ammonia electrooxidation has received considerable attention in recent times due to its potential application in direct ammonia fuel cells, ammonia sensors, and denitrification of wastewater. In this work, we used differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS) coupled with attenuated total reflection-surface-enhanced infrared absorption (ATR-SEIRA) spectroscopy to study adsorbed species and solution products during the electrochemical ammonia oxidation reaction (AOR) on Pt in alkaline media, and to correlate the product distribution with the surface ad-species. Hydrazine electrooxidation, hydroxylamine electrooxidation/reduction, and nitrite electroreduction on Pt have also been studied to enhance the understanding of the AOR mechanism. NH3, NH2, NH, NO, and NO2 ad-species were identified on the Pt surface with ATR-SEIRA spectroscopy, while N2, N2O, and NO were detected with DEMS as products of the AOR. N2 is formed through the coupling of two NH ad-species and then subsequent further dehydrogenation, while the dimerization of HNOad leads to the formation of N2O. The NH-NH coupling is the rate-determining step (rds) at high potentials, while the first dehydrogenation step is the rds at low potentials. These new spectroscopic results about the AOR and insights could advance the search and design of more effective AOR catalysts.

Enhanced Electrochemical CO2 Reduction to Formate over Phosphate‐Modified In: Water Activation and Active Site Tuning

AbstractElectrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) offers a sustainable strategy for producing fuels and chemicals. However, it suffers from sluggish CO2 activation and slow water dissociation. In this work, we construct a (P−O)δ− modified In catalyst that exhibits high activity and selectivity in electrochemical CO2 reduction to formate. A combination of in situ characterizations and kinetic analyses indicate that (P−O)δ− has a strong interaction with K+(H2O)n, which effectively accelerates water dissociation to provide protons. In situ attenuated total reflectance surface‐enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR‐SEIRAS) measurements together with density functional theory (DFT) calculations disclose that (P−O)δ− modification leads to a higher valence state of In active site, thus promoting CO2 activation and HCOO* formation, while inhibiting competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). As a result, the (P−O)δ− modified oxide‐derived In catalyst exhibits excellent formate selectivity across a broad potential window with a formate Faradaic efficiency as high as 92.1 % at a partial current density of ~200 mA cm−2 and a cathodic potential of −1.2 V vs. RHE in an alkaline electrolyte.

Enhanced Electrochemical CO2 Reduction to Formate over Phosphate-Modified In: Water Activation and Active Site Tuning.

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) offers a sustainable strategy for producing fuels and chemicals. However, it suffers from sluggish CO2 activation and slow water dissociation. In this work, we construct a (P-O)δ- modified In catalyst that exhibits high activity and selectivity in electrochemical CO2 reduction to formate. A combination of in situ characterizations and kinetic analyses indicate that (P-O)δ- has a strong interaction with K+(H2O)n, which effectively accelerates water dissociation to provide protons. In situ attenuated total reflectance surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) measurements together with density functional theory (DFT) calculations disclose that (P-O)δ- modification leads to a higher valence state of In active site, thus promoting CO2 activation and HCOO* formation, while inhibiting competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). As a result, the (P-O)δ- modified oxide-derived In catalyst exhibits excellent formate selectivity across a broad potential window with a formate Faradaic efficiency as high as 92.1 % at a partial current density of ~200 mA cm-2 and a cathodic potential of -1.2 V vs. RHE in an alkaline electrolyte.

Promoting Electrochemical CO2 Reduction to Formate via Sulfur‐Assisted Electrolysis

AbstractElectrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) provides a renewable approach to transform CO2 to produce chemicals and fuels. Unfortunately, it faces the challenges of sluggish CO2 activation and slow water dissociation. This study reports the modification of Bi‐based electrocatalyst by S, which leads to a remarkable enhancement in activity and selectivity during electrochemical CO2 reduction to formate. Based on comprehensive in situ examinations and kinetic evaluations, it is observed that the presence of S species over Bi catalyst can significantly enhance its interaction with K+(H2O)n, facilitating fast dissociation of water molecules to generate protons. Further in situ attenuated total reflectance surface‐enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR‐SEIRAS) and in situ Raman spectroscopy measurements reveal that S modification is able to decrease the oxidation state of Bi active site, which can effectively enhance CO2 activation and facilitate HCOO* intermediate formation while suppressing competing hydrogen evolution reaction. Consequently, the S‐modified Bi catalyst achieves impressive electrochemical CO2RR performance, reaching a formate Faradaic efficiency (FEformate) of 91.2% at a formate partial current density of ≈135 mA cm−2 and a potential of −0.8 V versus RHE in an alkaline electrolyte.

1-Dodecyl-2-methyl-3-benzylimidazolium chloride as a novel leveler: Towards simultaneously both the microvia void-free filling and through hole conformal thickening

In this work, an organic additive, 1-Dodecyl-2-methyl-3-benzylimidazolium chloride (DMBI), is explored as a novel leveler with excellent property in simultaneous microvia and through hole copper metallization. Studies of galvanostatic measurements (GM) and cyclic voltammetry stripping (CVS) demonstrate that DMBI exhibits the necessary fundamental leveler’s characteristics of convection-dependent adsorption, and the stronger inhibition effect on copper ions electroreduction at a higher electrode rotating rate. Moreover, the combination of DMBI and SPS behaves a stronger convection diffusion effect than that of DMBI and PEG. In situ attenuated total reflectance-surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) spectroscopic analysis illustrates that DMBI affects the electroreduction of copper ions by competing with bis-(sodium sulfopropyl) disulfide (SPS), and polyethylene glycol (PEG) can slightly weaken the decrease of DMBI adsorption cross section on copper surface. Based on the outstanding characteristics of DMBI as a novel leveler, we develop an advanced DMBI-based formula for Cu electronic plating, and achieve the microvia void-free filling and through hole conformal thickening simultaneously in a printed circuit board (PCB).

Tailoring the catalytic microenvironment of CuO with hydrophobic CuSA2 for selective CO2 electroreduction to C2+ products

Advancing the Faraday efficiency (FE) and current density of Cu catalyzed electrochemical CO2 reduction (ECR) reaction to produce C2+ products is important for its practical applications. Constructing a hydrophobic interface to regulate the local reaction environment is an effective method to improve the selectivity of C2+ products, but it is limited by the low reaction current density. In this work, we fabricated a novel hydrophobic and ECR active copper stearate (CuSA2) decorated CuO nanoparticle catalyst (CuO/CuSA2) for ECR reaction toward C2+ products. As a result, the CuO/CuSA2 catalyst achieved an FE of 61.33 % and a partial current density of 429.33 mA cm−2 for C2+ products. The CuSA2 and CuO nanoparticle cooperate very well for the formation of C2+ products. The in-situ attenuated total reflectance surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) and electrochemical adsorption experiment indicated that the hydrophobic CuSA2 regulated the local ECR reaction environment. The local ∗CO2.- and *CO adsorption were strengthened by hydrophobic CuSA2 modification while the H2O adsorption was inhibited. CuO nanoparticle promotes *CO coupling reaction and enhances C2 intermediates (*OCCOH and *OC2H5) adsorption. Hydrophobic CuSA2 and CuO nanoparticle synergistically promote the generation of C2+ products. This work provides new insights into the design of hydrophobic CO2 reduction electrocatalysts for the preparation of C2+ products.

Evaluating the ATR-SEIRAS Performance of Electrodeposited Copper CO2 Reduction Catalysts using a Flow-Through Spectroelectrochemical Cell

The ATR-SEIRAS (attenuated total reflection surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy) activity of electrodeposited Cu nanoparticles on indium tin oxide (ITO)-modified Si internal reflection elements is reported. The solution in the cell is easily, and repeatedly, exchanged between a copper deposition bath and a solution containing 4-methoxypyridine through the use of a flow-through spectroelectrochemical cell. 4-methoxypyridine is a convenient SEIRAS probe molecule exhibiting potential dependent adsorption/desorption on the copper surface. Successive amounts of copper are deposited and then evaluated for electrochemical SEIRAS activity without the need to expose the Cu surface to ambient conditions. It is found that copper deposition charge densities of approximately 60 mC cm-2 exhibit the largest amplitude and most symmetric IR absorption peaks of the investigated electrodeposition conditions. SEM images of the different Cu charge density films are correlated with the SEIRAS results and establish that close-packed two-dimensional, percolated arrays of oblate, ellipsoidal Cu nanoparticles are responsible for ideal SEIRAS performance and three-dimensional aggregates of larger particles should be avoided. Textured films of Cu nanoparticles are used to determine the adsorbed species present on the copper surface during CO2 electroreduction at low overpotentials. Evidence of adsorbed CO and COH is found at lower overpotentials than those described in previous reports.

Dendritic copper oxide catalyst engineering weak-polarity Cu-O bond for high-efficiency nitrate electroreduction

Nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) is deemed a promising pathway for both ammonia synthesis and water purification. Developing a high-efficiency catalyst with excellent NH3 selectivity and catalytic stability is desirable but remains challenging. In this work, a dendritic copper oxide catalyst (Cu-B2) has been developed to efficiently catalyze NO3RR for ammonia production, the Cu-B2 exhibits excellent catalytic performance, achieving an NH3 Faradaic efficiency as high as 94 % and an NH3 yield of 16.9 mg h−1 cm−2 with a current density of 192.3 mA cm−2 at − 0.6 V (vs. RHE, reversible hydrogen electrode). During NO3RR testing, the Cu-B2 catalysts are reduced in situ to form highly active Cu0/Cu+ sites, while retaining its dendritic morphology. Compared with other catalysts, the Cu-O bond in Cu-B2 catalyst has weaker polarity, resulting in Cu0/Cu+ sites in lower oxidation states. In situ attenuated total reflection surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) studies reveal the Cu-B2 catalyst exhibits a potential-independent capability for *NO3- adsorption and high conversion efficiency of NO2- intermediate into ammonia, DFT calculations reveal that Cu-B2 exhibts higher NO3- adsorption energy and lower NO3- adsorption energy barrier than Cu-B1, thus endowing it with a remarkably improved catalytic activity and durability.

Modulating surface microenvironment based on Ag-adorned CuO flower-liked nanospheres for strengthening C-‍C coupling during CO2RR

Modulating the surface microenvironment is crucial in strengthening CC coupling, leading to increasing selectivity in the production of multi-carbon (C2+) products during CO2 electroreduction. Herein, we have concentrated on investigating how to control the effect of surface distribution of active components of a series of Ag-decorated CuO, denoted as xAg/yCuO. These catalysts with similar chemical elements and morphology are designed, but they exhibit different selectivity in the CO2 electroreduction process. As a result, the Ag particles in 3Ag/CuO aggregates, while the Ag in 2Ag/2CuO and Ag/3CuO is uniformly distributed on the flower-like CuO nanosphere. Besides, 3Ag/CuO has the highest Faraday efficiency (FE) of CO with a value of 30.9 % at 0.8 V vs. RHE, demonstrating rich-Ag catalysts are beneficial to produce CO. 2Ag/2CuO shows excellent FEC2H4 of 51.4 % at -1.2 V vs. RHE due to the highly dispersed distribution of Ag on the flower-like CuO and higher vacancy O. Ag/3CuO exhibits higher FEH2 compared to other catalysts across a wide potential range, and its minimal impedance is attributed to its exceptional performance in the hydrogen evolution reaction. The proposed reaction pathway for the most effective catalysts 2Ag/2CuO, as determined by in-situ attenuated total reflectance surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS), involves the following steps: CO2 →*CO2−→ *COOH → *CO→ *CHO→ *OCHCHO→ *OCHCH2→ C2H4. These findings demonstrate that controlling the surface structure can influence the local environment to enhance the efficiency of CO2 electroreduction.

Novel water/oxygen cycle reaction photo fuel cell for solar conversion and pollutant detection: Based on selective 2-electron collaborative catalysis process

New typed photovoltaic devices, represented by water/oxygen cycle based photo fuel cells (PFCs) as a promising strategy to resolve the fossil energy crisis, have attracted extensive attention for the ideal photo energy conversion and utilization efficiency, spontaneous operation, and miniaturized devices. However, they still have limitations such as low oxygen reduction efficiency and poor stability caused by the complex structure of the cathode. In this work, a synergetic and fast 2-electron water/oxygen cycle reaction based dual-photoelectrode fuel cell (DPFC) is constructed with molecularly imprinted (MI)-CdS/ZnO nanorods (NRs) as photoanode and p-type organic semiconductor polythiophene (pTTh) as photocathode for the first time. The larger self-bias and simple structure endow the device higher open circuit potential (EOCV = 1.07 ± 0.08 V) and ideal output power density (Pmax = 60.5 ± 2.1 μW·cm−2). Attributed to the synergistic reaction effects, the 2-electron water/oxygen cycle is realized by the photocathode-generated H2O2 to serve as shuttle molecule, with outstanding cyclic stability (96 %) in 64 h continuous irradiation. Moreover, a portable self-powered sensor for the typical environmental pollutant atrazine is successfully developed based on this DPFC. A very wide concentration range (0.002 to 50 nM) and a super low detection limit (0.19 pM) is achived via a digital multimeter without the assistance of any signal amplifier. The mechanism, pathway, and active site of the selective reduction process are studied by the attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS). This work has proposed a cheap and regulatable new way to convert and utilize solar energy and provided theoretical guidance for achieving economic power generation and the sensing strategy of self-powered sensors.