Si-Jia Li

Noble-metal-free NiFeMo nanocatalyst for hydrogen generation from the decomposition of hydrous hydrazine

Noble-metal-free NiFeMo nanoparticles without any surfactant or support have been facilely synthesized and successfully applied as a highly efficient catalyst for the rapid and complete decomposition of hydrous hydrazine (a promising hydrogen storage/generation material) for hydrogen generation at a mild temperature. The surfactant/support-free nanoparticles possess good dispersion and small particle size. Moreover, upon the incorporation of Mo and Fe, the catalytic activity and hydrogen selectivity of the present trimetallic catalyst are remarkably improved compared with its mono-/bi-metallic counterparts.

Facile synthesis of AgAuPd/graphene with high performance for hydrogen generation from formic acid

AgAuPd nanoparticles with small particle size, good dispersity and high degree of crystallinity on graphene are synthesized by a facile co-reduction route. The resultant AgAuPd/graphene exhibits 100% H2 selectivity, 100% conversion and excellent catalytic activity toward the hydrogen generation from decomposition of formic acid without any additive at room temperature.

Anchoring and Upgrading Ultrafine NiPd on Room‐Temperature‐Synthesized Bifunctional NH2‐N‐rGO toward Low‐Cost and Highly Efficient Catalysts for Selective Formic Acid Dehydrogenation

Hydrogen is widely considered to be a sustainable and clean energy alternative to the use of fossil fuels in the future. Its high hydrogen content, nontoxicity, and liquid state at room temperature make formic acid a promising hydrogen carrier. Designing highly efficient and low-cost heterogeneous catalysts is a major challenge for realizing the practical application of formic acid in the fuel-cell-based hydrogen economy. Herein, a simple but effective and rapid strategy is proposed, which demonstrates the synthesis of NiPd bimetallic ultrafine particles (UPs) supported on NH2 -functionalized and N-doped reduced graphene oxide (NH2 -N-rGO) at room temperature. The introduction of the NH2 N group to rGO is the key reason for the formation of the ultrafine and well-dispersed Ni0.4 Pd0.6 UPs (1.8 nm) with relatively large surface area and more active sites. Surprisingly, the as-prepared low-cost NiPd/NH2 -N-rGO dsiplays excellent hydrophilicity, 100% H2 selectivity, 100% conversion, and remarkable catalytic activity (up to 954.3 mol H2 (mol catalyst)-1 h-1 ) for FA decomposition at room temperature even with no additive, which is much higher than that of the best catalysts so far reported.

Amorphizing of Cu Nanoparticles toward Highly Efficient and Robust Electrocatalyst for CO2 Reduction to Liquid Fuels with High Faradaic Efficiencies

Conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) into valuable chemicals, especially liquid fuels, through electrochemical reduction driven by sustainable energy sources, is a promising way to get rid of dependence on fossil fuels, wherein developing of highly efficient catalyst is still of paramount importance. In this study, as a proof-of-concept experiment, first a facile while very effective protocol is proposed to synthesize amorphous Cu NPs. Unexpectedly, superior electrochemical performances, including high catalytic activity and selectivity of CO2 reduction to liquid fuels are achieved, that is, a total Faradaic efficiency of liquid fuels can sum up to the maximum value of 59% at -1.4 V, with formic acid (HCOOH) and ethanol (C2 H6 O) account for 37% and 22%, respectively, as well as a desirable long-term stability even up to 12 h. More importantly, this work opens a new avenue for improved electroreduction of CO2 based on amorphous metal catalysts.

Non-noble-metal bismuth nanoparticle-decorated bismuth vanadate nanoarray photoanode for efficient water splitting

Sunlight-driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting using earth-abundant semiconductor-based materials offers one promising strategy to produce attainable and sustainable carbon free energy. Herein, we demonstrate for the first time that a heterojunction nanostructure of a Bi/BiVO4 photoanode is fabricated by directly coupling semimetal Bi nanoparticles to BiVO4 nanoarrays, showing excellent water oxidation performance. The as-obtained photoanode exhibits a remarkable photocurrent density of 1.96 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode (vs. RHE) under AM 1.5G (100 mW cm−2) irradiation, which is approximately 2-fold higher than that of the pristine BiVO4. Based on the detailed analyses of J–V, i–t, M–S and EIS plots, the reason for the high photocurrent density of Bi/BiVO4 can be attributed to the improved charge separation efficiency, the enhanced hole injection efficiency and the suppressed back reaction of water oxidation.