Jianping Lai

Unprecedented metal-free 3D porous carbonaceous electrodes for full water splitting

Earth-abundant, active and stable water splitting electrocatalysts operating in the same electrolyte at all pH values is important for many renewable energy conversion processes. We report here the first carbon nanomaterials-based metal-free water splitting electrocatalyst. The nitrogen, phosphorus and oxygen tri-doped porous graphite carbon@oxidized carbon cloth (ONPPGC/OCC) electrocatalyst can be prepared by a simple cost-effective method using aniline, phytic acid and OCC as precursors. Being a robust integrated three-dimensional porous bifunctional electrode, ONPPGC/OCC enables a high-performance basic water electrolyzer with 10 mA cm−2 at a cell voltage of 1.66 V. Additionally, this electrode offers excellent catalytic performance and durability under both neutral and acidic conditions.

Synthesis of Convex Hexoctahedral Palladium@Gold Core–Shell Nanocrystals with {431} High-Index Facets with Remarkable Electrochemiluminescence Activities

Convex hexoctahedral nanocrystals have been synthesized through fast growth kinetics and the use of cetylpyridinium chloride as a capping agent. Monodisperse convex hexoctahedral Pd@Au core-shell nanocrystals with {431} high-index facets are obtained at high reaction rates by using high concentrations of ascorbic acid in the presence of cetylpyridinium chloride. In contrast, octahedral nanocrystals with {111} low-index facets and their {100}-truncated counterparts are formed at low ascorbic acid concentrations. The substitute of cetylpyridinium chloride with cetyltrimethylammonium chloride leads to the generation of concave trisoctahedral Pd@Au core-shell nanocrystals with {331} high-index facets, indicating that cetylpyridinium plays an important role in the formation of convex hexoctahedral nanocrystals. The as-prepared convex hexoctahedral Pd@Au core-shell nanocrystals exhibit remarkable catalytic performances toward electrochemiluminescence compared with truncated octahedral and concave trisoctahedral Pd@Au core-shell nanocrystals.

Ultrasensitive Glutathione Detection Based on Lucigenin Cathodic Electrochemiluminescence in the Presence of MnO2 Nanosheets

Glutathione (GSH) is a crucial antioxidant produced endogenously and plays key roles in biological systems. It is vitally important to design simple, selective, and sensitive methods to sense GSH and monitor changes of GSH concentration. In this work, the cathodic electrochemiluminescence (ECL) of lucigenin in the presence of MnO2 nanosheets at a glassy carbon electrode was utilized for GSH detection. GSH can reduce MnO2 nanosheets into Mn(2+) which can obviously inhibit the ECL of lucigenin. The ECL inhibition efficiencies increase linearly with the concentrations of glutathione in the range of 10 to 2000 nM. The detection limit for GSH measurement is 3.7 nM. This proposed method is highly sensitive, selective, simple, fast, and cost-effective. Moreover, this approach can detect GSH in human serum samples with excellent recoveries, which indicates its promising application under physiological conditions.

Recent Advances in the Synthesis and Electrocatalytic Applications of Platinum‐Based Bimetallic Alloy Nanostructures

Pt‐based bimetallic alloy nanomaterials with a low Pt loading can exhibit promising catalytic properties with exciting electrochemical applications. An effective structure control of Pt‐based bimetallic alloy nanomaterials is critical to achieve enhanced catalytic properties. This review article focuses on recent advances in the controllable synthesis and electrocatalytic applications of Pt‐based bimetallic alloy nanostructures. Recent contributions on the controllable synthesis of a rich variety of Pt‐based bimetallic alloy nanostructures, for example, PtPd, PtCu, PtNi, PtCo, and PtFe, and hybrid nanostructures based on Pt‐based bimetallic alloy nanomaterials are summarized. Different Pt‐based bimetallic alloy nano‐electrocatalysts with enhanced activity and durability for different electrocatalytic reactions, such as the fuel cell reaction and the hydrogen evolution reaction, are outlined. Finally, an outlook on future trends and developments is provided.

Designed multimetallic Pd nanosponges with enhanced electrocatalytic activity for ethylene glycol and glycerol oxidation

We report an effective synthesis of surfactant-free multimetallic Pd nanosponges with tunable compositions using EDTA as the structure-directing reagent and NaBH4 as the reducing reagent. Among the mono-metallic Pd, binary PdNi and PdAu, ternary PdAuNi nanosponges and commercial Pt/C catalysts studied, Pd62Au21Ni17 nanosponges exhibit excellent activities and are the most efficient nanoparticle catalysts ever reported for both ethylene glycol and glycerol oxidation reactions.

Facile surfactant-free synthesis and characterization of Fe3O4@3-aminophenol–formaldehyde core–shell magnetic microspheres

Fe3O4@3-aminophenol–formaldehyde (Fe3O4@APF) core–shell resin polymer magnetic nanocomposites were synthesized using a straightforward surfactant-free methodology. The shell quickly formed within 5 min and could be easily size tunable in the range from 15 to 137 nm by changing the concentrations of 3-aminophenol and formaldehyde. The morphology, composition and magnetic properties of the resulting magnetic microspheres were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis measurements. The magnetic microspheres were uniform in morphology and can be converted into Fe3O4@carbon magnetic nanocomposites because of their excellent thermal stability. Moreover, Fe3O4@APF magnetic microspheres have excelling adsorption properties in the removal of methyl blue.

Facile Synthesis of Porous PtM (M=Cu, Ni) Nanowires and Their Application as Efficient Electrocatalysts for Methanol Electrooxidation

Porous Pt75Cu25 and Pt73Ni27 nanowires were successfully synthesized by a one‐step wet chemical solution method without the use of any template for the first time. The combination of porous and one‐dimensional features and the addition of a second cheap metal offer high catalyst utilization, excellent catalytic activity, and better durability for the methanol oxidation reaction. Porous Pt75Cu25 and Pt73Ni27 nanowires showed mass current densities of 390 (at 0.69) and 503 mA mg−1 (at 0.70 V), respectively. These mass current densities are much higher than that of Pt nanowires (356 mA mg−1 at 0.73 V) and commercial Pt black (195 mA mg−1 at 0.73 V). During the entire 2000 s current–time test, the porous Pt75Cu25 and Pt73Ni27 nanowires also exhibited higher stability for the methanol oxidation reaction than Pt nanowires and commercial Pt black.

A Platinum Highly Concave Cube with one Leg on each Vertex as an Advanced Nanocatalyst for Electrocatalytic Applications

Platinum highly concave cubes with one leg on each vertex (HCCLV) enclosed by {7 5 0} facets were conveniently synthesized for the first time through a one‐pot solvothermal method in a mixed solvent of oleylamine and isopropanol containing platinum(II) acetylacetonate. This method can also be extended to the synthesis of Pt dendrite nanocubes at shorter reaction times. Preferential overgrowth may facilitate the formation of Pt HCCLV in the presence of oleylamine and isopropanol. The Pt HCCLV exhibit excellent electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of methanol (7.76×) and ethanol (5.46×) compared to commercial Pt black. Furthermore, the Pt HCCLV show higher stability than Pt dendrite nanocubes and commercial Pt black. The Pt HCCLV also remarkably improve the electrochemiluminescence activity of the luminol/H2O2 system.

Wireless Electrochemiluminescence with Disposable Minidevice

Wireless electrochemiluminescence system based on the wireless energy transmission technique has been demonstrated for the first time. It has a disposable transmitter and a coiled energy receptor. The coiled energy receptor is smartly used as the electrode. The wireless electrochemiluminescence system has been used to detect hydrogen peroxide with good sensitivity, featuring advantages of easy manipulation, low cost, and small size. The handy and cheap wireless electrochemiluminescence device can use laptops as a power supply. It is promising for the development of portable or disposable electrochemiluminescence devices for various applications (e.g., such as point of care testing, field analysis, scientific research, and chemical education). These advantages enable one to integrate many wireless electrochemiluminescence minidevices with screen printing coiled electrode arrays in microwell plates and charge-coupled devices (CCD) cameras to develop electrochemiluminescence high-throughput screening systems with broad applications in clinical analysis, drug screening, and biomolecular interaction studies.

Concave and duck web-like platinum nanopentagons with enhanced electrocatalytic properties for formic acid oxidation

Pt-branched structures featuring concave and duck web-like nanopentagons (CWPNP), with surfaces enclosed by {111} facets, high-energy {110} and {554} facets, multiple twin boundaries, duck web-like edges and inherent anisotropic branches are herein reported. The unique chemisorption properties and reducing capacities of tri-n-propylamine and oleylamine, as well as the inhibition of oxidative etching of the twin defects by the exclusion of chloride ions contribute to the formation of Pt CWPNP. Pt CWPNP exhibited unprecedented electrocatalytic activities, high antipoisoning activity and durability in formic acid oxidation reaction (FOR) in comparison to commercial Pt/C and Pt black, and thus is a promising catalyst for the FOR. The excellent FOR performance of Pt CWPNP is attributed to the least poisoned {111} facets, active sites by high-energy facets, multiple twin boundaries, duck web-like edges and inherent anisotropic branches composed of 1D nanowires. It is anticipated that this study will offer a new approach for the design of surface structure-controlled FOR electrocatalysts.