Recent Progress on Nickel-Based Oxide/(Oxy)Hydroxide Electrocatalysts for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Developing clean and sustainable energies as alternatives to fossil fuels is in strong demand within modern society. The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is the efficiency-limiting process in plenty of key renewable energy systems, such as electrochemical water splitting and rechargeable metal–air batteries. In this regard, ongoing efforts have been devoted to seeking high-performance electrocatalysts for enhanced energy conversion efficiency. Apart from traditional precious-metal-based catalysts, nickel-based compounds are the most promising earth-abundant OER catalysts, attracting ever-increasing interest due to high activity and stability. In this review, the recent progress on nickel-based oxide and (oxy)hydroxide composites for water oxidation catalysis in terms of materials design/synthesis and electrochemical performance is summarized. Some underlying mechanisms to profoundly understand the catalytic active sites are also highlighted. In addition, the future research trends and perspectives on the development of Ni-based OER electrocatalysts are discussed.     

General Formation of Macro-/Mesoporous Nanoshells from Interfacial Assembly of Irregular Mesostructured Nanounits

Mesoporous core–shell nanostructures with controllable ultra-large open channels in their nanoshells are of great interest. However, soft template-directed cooperative assembly to mesoporous nanoshells with highly accessible pores larger than 30 nm, or even above 50 nm into macroporous range, remains a significant challenge. Herein we report a general approach for precisely tailored coating of hierarchically macro-/mesoporous polymer and carbon shells, possessing highly accessible radial channels with extremely wide pore size distribution from ca. 10 nm to ca. 200 nm, on diverse functional materials. This strategy creates opportunities to tailor the interfacial assembly of irregular mesostructured nanounits on core materials and generate various core–shell nanomaterials with controllable pore architectures. The obtained Fe,N-doped macro-/mesoporous carbon nanoshells show enhanced electrochemical performance for the oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline condition.     

Polyaniline/12-phosphotungstic acid/V<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript> nanocomposite and its platinum analog as oxygen reduction electrocatalysts

A guest-host nanocomposite based on electroconducting polyaniline doped with 12-phosphotungstic acid and V₂O₅ as well as its bifunctional analog containing not more than 5 mass% nanosized platinum were obtained. A study was carried out on the structure of these nanocomposites, their redox characteristics, and electrocatalytic activity in the reduction of oxygen. These nanocomposites were found to display catalytic properties in the electrochemical reduction of oxygen, while the presence of even a slight amount of nanosized platinum in the bifunctional composite leads to a significant increase in its electrocatalytic activity. __________ Translated from Teoreticheskaya i éksperimental’naya Khimiya, Vol. 43, No. 5, pp. 307–314, September–October, 2007.     

Nano-electrochemical detection of hydrogen or protons using palladium nanoparticles: distinguishing surface and bulk hydrogen.

The benefits of using nanoparticle-modified electrodes are exemplified through the electrochemical detection of protons and/or hydrogen. It is shown that a palladium-nanoparticle-modified boron-doped diamond allows voltammetric information relating to the relative roles played by the surface and the bulk metal to be obtained for the proton-hydrogen system at palladium surfaces which is not accessible using palladium macroelectrodes or microelectrodes.     

Electrocatalytic activity of sol-gel-prepared RuO2/Ti anode in chlorine and oxygen evolution reactions

Electrocatalytic properties of RuO₂/Ti anode with different coating masses, which are prepared by the alkoxide sol-gel procedure, are investigated in chlorine and oxygen evolution reactions by polarization measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in H₂SO₄ and NaCl electrolytes. According to polarization measurements, the activity of anodes at overpotentials below 100 mV is independent of coating mass. However, impedance measurements above 100 mV reveal changes in the activity of anodes in chlorine evolution reaction for different coating masses. The diffusion limitations related to the evolved chlorine are registered in low-frequency domain at 1.10 V (SCE), diminishing with the increase in potential to the 1.15 V (SCE). The observed impedance behavior is discussed with respect to the activity model for activated titanium anodes in chlorine evolution reaction involving formation of gas channels within porous coating structure. Gas channels enhance the mass transfer rate similarly to the forced convection, which also increases the activity of anode. This is more pronounced for the anode of greater coating mass due to its more compact surface structure. The more compact structure appears to be beneficial for gas channels formation. Published in Russian in Elektrokhimiya, 2006, Vol. 42, No. 10, pp. 1173–1179. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

聚中性红膜修饰电极的电化学特性及其电催化性能

研究了中性红在玻碳电极表面电聚合成膜的方法和条件，对膜内电荷传输过程和电化学特性分别用循环伏安技术和电位阶跃暂态技术进行了初步探讨。该膜对维生素Ｃ和亚硝酸盐有较强的电催化作用，催化电流与底物浓度在很宽的范围内呈线性关系，可用于实际样品的分析。     

纳米晶型MnCo2O4的微波加热法制备及其电催化性能

以Co和Mn的醋酸盐为原料,采用共沉淀法制得草酸盐前驱物,加入一定量微波吸波剂乙炔黑后,用微波进行热处理制得复合氧化物MnCo2O4.X射线衍射和扫描电镜结果表明,产物为纳米晶型,结晶良好,纯度较高,粒径为10~20nm且分布均匀.在室温下、空气气氛中,以6mol/L的KOH溶液为电解液测试了由MnCo2O4制备的空气扩散电极对氧还原反应的催化效果.极化曲线显示,在-0.2V(vsHg/HgO)电位下,氧还原反应电流密度达96mA/cm2.为显示微波加热法的优越性,用马弗炉煅烧制备了MnCo2O4,并对两种热处理方法所得产物的物化性能进行了比较.     

聚中性红膜修饰电极测定痕量NO2^—的研究

研究了聚中性红膜修饰电极对ＮＯ－２的催化氧化性能，建立了测定ＮＯ－２的新方法。ＮＯ－２的浓度在２．０×１０－６～５．０×１０－３ｍｏｌ／Ｌ范围内与催化氧化峰电流呈良好的线性关系，检测限为６．０×１０－７ｍｏｌ／Ｌ。若利用计时电流法分析，检测限可达８．０×１０－８ｍｏｌ／Ｌ。     

Hydrogen Oxidation on a Platinum Microelectrode: Effect of Carbon Monoxide Impurities

The kinetics of the hydrogen oxidation and the CO adsorption on a Pt (ultra)microelectrode is studied in a 0.5 M H₂SO₄ solution saturated with a mixture of gaseous H₂ and CO at partial CO pressures p _CO = 10–500 ppm. The balance between rates of diffusion and adsorption of CO at different adsorption times is studied. Studied is the effect of CO impurities in H₂ on steady-state polarization curves for the hydrogen ionization and nonsteady-state curves of the oxidation current decay with time at 0.02–0.05 V. Conditions under which in a certain time interval and at a certain CO concentration the slope of an I vs. t curve is proportional to p _CO are determined. The obtained dependence may be used when designing a technique for monitoring CO impurities in technical hydrogen.