Single atom catalysts (SACs) possess unique catalytic properties due to low-coordination and unsaturated active sites. However, the demonstrated performance of SACs is limited by low SAC loading, poor metal–support interactions, and nonstable performance. Herein, we report a macromolecule-assisted SAC synthesis approach that enabled us to demonstrate high-density Co single atoms (10.6 wt % Co SAC) in a pyridinic N-rich graphenic network. The highly porous carbon network (surface area of ∼186 m2 g–1) with increased conjugation and vicinal Co site decoration in Co SACs significantly enhanced the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in 1 M KOH (η10 at 351 mV; mass activity of 2209 mA mgCo–1 at 1.65 V) with more than 300 h stability. Operando X-ray absorption near-edge structure demonstrates the formation of electron-deficient Co-O coordination intermediates, accelerating OER kinetics. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal the facile electron transfer from cobalt to oxygen species-accelerated OER.
Heterostructured nanocomposite tin phthalocyanine@mesoporous ceria (SnPc@CeO2...Pawan Kumar
Heterostructured tin phthalocyanine supported to mesoporous ceria was synthesized and used a
photocatalyst for CO2 reduction under visible light. The photoreduction CO2 activities of the
heterostructures were investigated in the presence of triethylamine as sacrificial agent. The developed
photocatalyst exhibited high catalytic activity for photoreduction of CO2 and after 24 hours of visible
light irradiation 2342 mmol g1 cat of methanol (fMeOH ¼ 0.0223 or 2.23%) and 840 mmol g1 cat of CO
(fCO ¼ 0.0026 or 0.26%) were obtained as the major reaction products. The methanol formation rate
(RMeOH) and CO formation rate (RCO) was found to be 97.5 mmol h1 g1 cat and 35.0 mmol h1 g1 cat
respectively. While under the identical experimental conditions mesoporous ceria (meso-CeO2) gave
only 316 mmol g1 cat of methanol (fMeOH ¼ 0.003 or 0.30%) and 126 mmol g1 cat CO (fCO ¼ 0.0004
or 0.04%) with product formation rate RMeOH ¼ 13.2 mmol h1 g1 cat and RCO ¼ 5.3 mmol h1 g1 cat.
Furthermore, the recovered catalyst showed consistent catalytic activity for at least five runs without any
significant loss in product yields
Heterostructured nanocomposite tin phthalocyanine@mesoporous ceria (SnPc@CeO2...Pawan Kumar
Heterostructured tin phthalocyanine supported to mesoporous ceria was synthesized and used a
photocatalyst for CO2 reduction under visible light. The photoreduction CO2 activities of the
heterostructures were investigated in the presence of triethylamine as sacrificial agent. The developed
photocatalyst exhibited high catalytic activity for photoreduction of CO2 and after 24 hours of visible
light irradiation 2342 mmol g1 cat of methanol (fMeOH ¼ 0.0223 or 2.23%) and 840 mmol g1 cat of CO
(fCO ¼ 0.0026 or 0.26%) were obtained as the major reaction products. The methanol formation rate
(RMeOH) and CO formation rate (RCO) was found to be 97.5 mmol h1 g1 cat and 35.0 mmol h1 g1 cat
respectively. While under the identical experimental conditions mesoporous ceria (meso-CeO2) gave
only 316 mmol g1 cat of methanol (fMeOH ¼ 0.003 or 0.30%) and 126 mmol g1 cat CO (fCO ¼ 0.0004
or 0.04%) with product formation rate RMeOH ¼ 13.2 mmol h1 g1 cat and RCO ¼ 5.3 mmol h1 g1 cat.
Furthermore, the recovered catalyst showed consistent catalytic activity for at least five runs without any
significant loss in product yields
Edge-confined under-coordinated Cu atoms on Ru nanosheets enable efficient CH...Pawan Kumar
In this issue of Chem Catalysis, Jinchang Fan et al. demonstrate that Cu atoms confined in ultrathin 2D metallic Ru nanosheets (Ru11Cu NSs) favor bi-coordinated adsorption of O∗ species to reduce the activation energy barrier for a facile C–H bond cleavage to C1 oxygenates (CH3OOH and CH3OH) with 99% selectivity.
An equiaxed, submicron grain size distribution was generated in an Al (0.1 wt.% Sc) alloy by
processing through equal channel angular pressing followed by a low temperature pre-
ageing heat treatment. The alloy was subsequently annealed for various times at 300, 350,
400 and 450° C for investigating the thermal stability of the deformation microstructure. It
was found that up to 400° C, the submicron grain structure coarsens slowly and uniformly by
a process of continuous recrystallization.
Structural, Electrical and Magnetotransport properties of La0.7Ca0.2Sr0.1MnO3...IOSR Journals
The sample of manganite perovskite oxide La0.7Ca0.2Sr0.1MnO3 has been prepared by solution combustion synthesis. The synthesized sample has been pelletized and further sintered at 8000C for 8 hours. The XRD pattern reveals that the samples are of single phase nature with orthorhombic structure and the diffraction patterns can be indexed with the pbnm space groups. The crystallite sizes calculated from broadening of XRD peaks using Scherrer’s formula were about 18 nm. Resistivity measurements were performed in the temperature range 2K under 3, 5, 10 and 14 T field using PPMS. Magnetoresistance shows a shift in metal-insulator transition temperature from ~213 K at zero field to ~250 K at 14T. MR value decreases as the temperature increases and at 300 K maximum value of MR is found to be ~ 22% for an applied field of 14 T. MR of ~ 28% is observed at 230 K. MR of ~ 35% is observed at 150 K in an applied field of 14 T and MR has negative sign
Iron, cobalt and Nickel -ligand bonding in metallocene: Differentiation betwe...AI Publications
The electronic structure and geometry optimization of ferrocene, cobaltocene and nickelocene molecules using DFT/B3LYP with the basis set of 6-31G (d) calculations. The Eigen values, Eigen vector and population analysis of the molecules show that the first 13 molecular orbitals in ferrocene, 12 in cobaltocene and 14 in nickelocene have contribution from 2pzorbitals of carbon of (C5H5)− and4s,4pand 3dorbitals of iron, cobalt or nickel, respectively. We found that the extents of involvement of metal orbitals in the three cases are different. In ferrocene the maximum involvement out of 4s and 4porbitals in the order 4pz >4py >4s > 4pxand out of 3d orbitals the order of involvement is 3dyz >3dxz >3d2z>3dx2−y2>3dxy. The involvement of corresponding orbital in cobaltocene with respect to the 4sand 4porbitals is in the order of 4s >4pz >4py >4pxand in 3d orbitals the order is 3dx2−y2>3dxz >3d2z>3dx2−y2 and in the nickelocene molecule it is 4py >4p>4s >4pz and in 3d orbitals the order is 3dyz >3dx2−y2>3dxy >3dxz >3d2z. The total involvement of 3d, 4s and 4porbitals of metal and 2pz orbitals of the ten carbon atoms of both ligands of (C5H5) −in ferrocene, cobaltocene and nickelocene respectively are 42.2528, 40.2388 and 38.3776
Photo-assisted oxidation of thiols to disulfides using cobalt ‘‘Nanorust’’ un...Pawan Kumar
Heterogeneous ‘‘Nanorust’’ containing cobalt oxide has been developed for the visible light assisted
oxidation of thiols to disulfides using molecular oxygen as an oxidant under alkaline free conditions and
therefore more environmentally friendly. Pyrolysis of heterogenized tetrasulfonated cobalt(II) phthalocyanine
(CoPcS) supported on mesoporous ceria (CeO2) transforms it into a novel heterogeneous ‘‘Nanorust’’
containing CoOx-C,N@CeO2 which exhibited higher catalytic activity than the homogeneous CoPcS as well
as the ceria immobilized CoPcS catalyst. Importantly, these catalysts could easily be recovered and recycled
for several runs, which makes the process greener and cost-effective
Study of Microstructural, Electrical and Dielectric Properties of La0.9Pb0.1M...Scientific Review SR
The present work studies the microstructural and electrical properties of La0.9Pb0.1MnO3 and La0.8Y0.1Pb0.1MnO3 ceramics synthesized by solid-state route method. Microstructure and elemental analysis of both samples were carried out by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) method, respectively. Phase analysis by X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated formation of single phase distorted structure. The XRD data were further analyzed by Rietveld refinement technique. Raman analysis reveals that Y atom substitutes La site into the LPMO with shifting of phonon modes. The temperature variation of resistivity of undoped and Y-doped La0.9Pb0.1MnO3 samples have been investigated. The electrical resistivity as a function of temperature showed that all samples undergo an metal-insulator (M-I) transition having a peak at transition temperature TMI. Y-doping increases the resistivity and the metal-insulator transition temperature (TMI) shifts to lower temperature. The temperature-dependent resistivity for temperatures less than metal-insulator transition is explained in terms the quadratic temperature dependence and for T > TMI, thermally activated conduction (TAC) is appropriate. Variation of frequency dispersion in permittivity and loss pattern due to La-site substitution in LPMO was observed in the dielectric response curve.
Multistage Activation of Anthracite Coal-Based Activated Carbon for High-Perf...GuanrongSong1
An anthracitic coal-derived activated porous carbon is proposed as a promising carbon electrode material for
supercapacitor (SC) applications. The specific capacitance of this activated carbon SC electrode is related to the characteristics, such
as specific surface area, pore size distribution, wettability, and conductivity. In the present work, a series of anthracite-based activated
carbons (ABAC) were prepared via a multistage activation process and used as electrode materials for SCs. The multistage activation
experiment was developed by exploring different activation temperatures, precursor/activating agent mass ratios, and process treating
environments. The electrochemical performance of ABACs was evaluated in a three-electrode testing system. Multiple electrolytes
were utilized, such as 1 M sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and 1 and 6 M potassium hydroxide (KOH) solutions. An optimum ABAC
electrode was obtained, characterized by its largest wettability and superior conductivity, and achieved excellent electrochemical
performance. The three-electrode system exhibited a specific capacitance of 288.52 and 260.30 F/g at 0.5 A/g in the 1 M H2SO4 and
6 M KOH electrolytes, respectively. It was found that moderate multistage activation temperatures are beneficial for the electrolyte
uptake which enhances the specific capacitance. The high content of the oxygen functional groups on the activated carbon surface
greatly improved its specific capacitance due to the increase in wettability. In the 1 M H2SO4 electrolyte, the working electrode
exhibited better performance than in 1 M KOH because the ion diameter in the acidic electrolyte was more suitable for pore
diffusion. The concentrated KOH electrolyte leads to an increase in specific capacitance due to increased ions being adsorbed by a
certain number of the hydrophilic pores. Moreover, the specific capacitance of the optimum ABAC sample remained at 95.4% of the
initial value after 1000 galvanostatic charge−discharge tests at 0.5 A/g, which is superior to the performance of SC grade commercial
carbon.
The synthesis and characterization of three new metal chalcogenide aerogels, Chalcogels,
AFe3Zn3S17 (A= Na, K, or Rb) is described. Alkali metal polychalcogenides (Na2S5, K2S5, or Rb2S5)
reactwith metal acetate like Fe(OAc)2 and Zn(OAc)2in formamide solutionforming extended polymeric
frameworks by gelation. Chalcogels obtained aftersupercritical drying have BET surface areas of
430, 444, and 435 m
2
/g for NaFe3Zn3S17, KFe3Zn3S17, and RbFe3Zn3S17, respectively. The effect of the
counter ions (K, Na, and Rb) wasstudied by examined the adsorption capacities of the resulting
chalcogels toward different gases and volatile organic compounds. The measurements showed that
CO2 and toluene adsorption capacities increase with the polarizability of the surface atoms in the
following order: Rb chalcogel> K chalcogel> Na chalcogel.This finding reveals a trend based on
cation size and acid–base surface properties that might have a significant impact on altering
adsorptive properties of chalcogels by using more polarizable counter ions.
Photo-assisted oxidation of thiols to disulfides using cobalt ‘‘Nanorust’’ un...Pawan Kumar
Heterogeneous ‘‘Nanorust’’ containing cobalt oxide has been developed for the visible light assisted
oxidation of thiols to disulfides using molecular oxygen as an oxidant under alkaline free conditions and
therefore more environmentally friendly. Pyrolysis of heterogenized tetrasulfonated cobalt(II) phthalocyanine
(CoPcS) supported on mesoporous ceria (CeO2) transforms it into a novel heterogeneous ‘‘Nanorust’’
containing CoOx-C,N@CeO2 which exhibited higher catalytic activity than the homogeneous CoPcS as well
as the ceria immobilized CoPcS catalyst. Importantly, these catalysts could easily be recovered and recycled
for several runs, which makes the process greener and cost-effective.
Isolated Iridium Sites on Potassium-Doped Carbon-nitride wrapped Tellurium Na...Pawan Kumar
Many industrial processes such transesterification of fatty acid for biodiesel production, soap manufacturing and biosynthesis of ethanol generate glycerol as a major by-product that can be used to produce commodity chemicals. Photocatalytic transformation of glycerol is an enticing approach that can exclude the need of harsh oxidants and extraneous thermal energy. However, the product yield and selectivity remain poor due to low absorption and unsymmetrical site distribution on the catalyst surface. Herein, tellurium (Te) nanorods/nanosheets (TeNRs/NSs) wrapped potassium-doped carbon nitride (KCN) van der Waal (vdW) heterojunction (TeKCN) is designed to enhance charge separation and visible-NIR absorption. The iridium (Ir) single atom sites decoration on the TeKCN core-shell structure (TeKCNIr) promotes selective oxidation of glycerol to glyceraldehyde with a conversion of 45.6% and selectivity of 61.6% under AM1.5G irradiation. The catalytic selectivity can reach up to 88% under 450 nm monochromatic light. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) demonstrates the presence of undercoordinated IrN2O2 sites which improved catalytic selectivity for glycol oxidation. Band energies and computational calculations reveal faile charge transfer in the TeKCNIr heterostructure. EPR and scavenger tests discern that superoxide (O2•−) and hydroxyl (•OH) radicals are prime components driving glycerol oxidation.
Isolated Iridium Sites on Potassium-Doped Carbon-nitride wrapped Tellurium Na...Pawan Kumar
Many industrial processes such transesterification of fatty acid for biodiesel production, soap manufacturing and biosynthesis of ethanol generate glycerol as a major by-product that can be used to produce commodity chemicals. Photocatalytic transformation of glycerol is an enticing approach that can exclude the need of harsh oxidants and extraneous thermal energy. However, the product yield and selectivity remain poor due to low absorption and unsymmetrical site distribution on the catalyst surface. Herein, tellurium (Te) nanorods/nanosheets (TeNRs/NSs) wrapped potassium-doped carbon nitride (KCN) van der Waal (vdW) heterojunction (TeKCN) is designed to enhance charge separation and visible-NIR absorption. The iridium (Ir) single atom sites decoration on the TeKCN core-shell structure (TeKCNIr) promotes selective oxidation of glycerol to glyceraldehyde with a conversion of 45.6% and selectivity of 61.6% under AM1.5G irradiation. The catalytic selectivity can reach up to 88% under 450 nm monochromatic light. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) demonstrates the presence of undercoordinated IrN2O2 sites which improved catalytic selectivity for glycol oxidation. Band energies and computational calculations reveal faile charge transfer in the TeKCNIr heterostructure. EPR and scavenger tests discern that superoxide (O2•−) and hydroxyl (•OH) radicals are prime components driving glycerol oxidation.
More Related Content
Similar to High-Density Cobalt Single-Atom Catalysts for Enhanced Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Edge-confined under-coordinated Cu atoms on Ru nanosheets enable efficient CH...Pawan Kumar
In this issue of Chem Catalysis, Jinchang Fan et al. demonstrate that Cu atoms confined in ultrathin 2D metallic Ru nanosheets (Ru11Cu NSs) favor bi-coordinated adsorption of O∗ species to reduce the activation energy barrier for a facile C–H bond cleavage to C1 oxygenates (CH3OOH and CH3OH) with 99% selectivity.
An equiaxed, submicron grain size distribution was generated in an Al (0.1 wt.% Sc) alloy by
processing through equal channel angular pressing followed by a low temperature pre-
ageing heat treatment. The alloy was subsequently annealed for various times at 300, 350,
400 and 450° C for investigating the thermal stability of the deformation microstructure. It
was found that up to 400° C, the submicron grain structure coarsens slowly and uniformly by
a process of continuous recrystallization.
Structural, Electrical and Magnetotransport properties of La0.7Ca0.2Sr0.1MnO3...IOSR Journals
The sample of manganite perovskite oxide La0.7Ca0.2Sr0.1MnO3 has been prepared by solution combustion synthesis. The synthesized sample has been pelletized and further sintered at 8000C for 8 hours. The XRD pattern reveals that the samples are of single phase nature with orthorhombic structure and the diffraction patterns can be indexed with the pbnm space groups. The crystallite sizes calculated from broadening of XRD peaks using Scherrer’s formula were about 18 nm. Resistivity measurements were performed in the temperature range 2K under 3, 5, 10 and 14 T field using PPMS. Magnetoresistance shows a shift in metal-insulator transition temperature from ~213 K at zero field to ~250 K at 14T. MR value decreases as the temperature increases and at 300 K maximum value of MR is found to be ~ 22% for an applied field of 14 T. MR of ~ 28% is observed at 230 K. MR of ~ 35% is observed at 150 K in an applied field of 14 T and MR has negative sign
Iron, cobalt and Nickel -ligand bonding in metallocene: Differentiation betwe...AI Publications
The electronic structure and geometry optimization of ferrocene, cobaltocene and nickelocene molecules using DFT/B3LYP with the basis set of 6-31G (d) calculations. The Eigen values, Eigen vector and population analysis of the molecules show that the first 13 molecular orbitals in ferrocene, 12 in cobaltocene and 14 in nickelocene have contribution from 2pzorbitals of carbon of (C5H5)− and4s,4pand 3dorbitals of iron, cobalt or nickel, respectively. We found that the extents of involvement of metal orbitals in the three cases are different. In ferrocene the maximum involvement out of 4s and 4porbitals in the order 4pz >4py >4s > 4pxand out of 3d orbitals the order of involvement is 3dyz >3dxz >3d2z>3dx2−y2>3dxy. The involvement of corresponding orbital in cobaltocene with respect to the 4sand 4porbitals is in the order of 4s >4pz >4py >4pxand in 3d orbitals the order is 3dx2−y2>3dxz >3d2z>3dx2−y2 and in the nickelocene molecule it is 4py >4p>4s >4pz and in 3d orbitals the order is 3dyz >3dx2−y2>3dxy >3dxz >3d2z. The total involvement of 3d, 4s and 4porbitals of metal and 2pz orbitals of the ten carbon atoms of both ligands of (C5H5) −in ferrocene, cobaltocene and nickelocene respectively are 42.2528, 40.2388 and 38.3776
Photo-assisted oxidation of thiols to disulfides using cobalt ‘‘Nanorust’’ un...Pawan Kumar
Heterogeneous ‘‘Nanorust’’ containing cobalt oxide has been developed for the visible light assisted
oxidation of thiols to disulfides using molecular oxygen as an oxidant under alkaline free conditions and
therefore more environmentally friendly. Pyrolysis of heterogenized tetrasulfonated cobalt(II) phthalocyanine
(CoPcS) supported on mesoporous ceria (CeO2) transforms it into a novel heterogeneous ‘‘Nanorust’’
containing CoOx-C,N@CeO2 which exhibited higher catalytic activity than the homogeneous CoPcS as well
as the ceria immobilized CoPcS catalyst. Importantly, these catalysts could easily be recovered and recycled
for several runs, which makes the process greener and cost-effective
Study of Microstructural, Electrical and Dielectric Properties of La0.9Pb0.1M...Scientific Review SR
The present work studies the microstructural and electrical properties of La0.9Pb0.1MnO3 and La0.8Y0.1Pb0.1MnO3 ceramics synthesized by solid-state route method. Microstructure and elemental analysis of both samples were carried out by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) method, respectively. Phase analysis by X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated formation of single phase distorted structure. The XRD data were further analyzed by Rietveld refinement technique. Raman analysis reveals that Y atom substitutes La site into the LPMO with shifting of phonon modes. The temperature variation of resistivity of undoped and Y-doped La0.9Pb0.1MnO3 samples have been investigated. The electrical resistivity as a function of temperature showed that all samples undergo an metal-insulator (M-I) transition having a peak at transition temperature TMI. Y-doping increases the resistivity and the metal-insulator transition temperature (TMI) shifts to lower temperature. The temperature-dependent resistivity for temperatures less than metal-insulator transition is explained in terms the quadratic temperature dependence and for T > TMI, thermally activated conduction (TAC) is appropriate. Variation of frequency dispersion in permittivity and loss pattern due to La-site substitution in LPMO was observed in the dielectric response curve.
Multistage Activation of Anthracite Coal-Based Activated Carbon for High-Perf...GuanrongSong1
An anthracitic coal-derived activated porous carbon is proposed as a promising carbon electrode material for
supercapacitor (SC) applications. The specific capacitance of this activated carbon SC electrode is related to the characteristics, such
as specific surface area, pore size distribution, wettability, and conductivity. In the present work, a series of anthracite-based activated
carbons (ABAC) were prepared via a multistage activation process and used as electrode materials for SCs. The multistage activation
experiment was developed by exploring different activation temperatures, precursor/activating agent mass ratios, and process treating
environments. The electrochemical performance of ABACs was evaluated in a three-electrode testing system. Multiple electrolytes
were utilized, such as 1 M sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and 1 and 6 M potassium hydroxide (KOH) solutions. An optimum ABAC
electrode was obtained, characterized by its largest wettability and superior conductivity, and achieved excellent electrochemical
performance. The three-electrode system exhibited a specific capacitance of 288.52 and 260.30 F/g at 0.5 A/g in the 1 M H2SO4 and
6 M KOH electrolytes, respectively. It was found that moderate multistage activation temperatures are beneficial for the electrolyte
uptake which enhances the specific capacitance. The high content of the oxygen functional groups on the activated carbon surface
greatly improved its specific capacitance due to the increase in wettability. In the 1 M H2SO4 electrolyte, the working electrode
exhibited better performance than in 1 M KOH because the ion diameter in the acidic electrolyte was more suitable for pore
diffusion. The concentrated KOH electrolyte leads to an increase in specific capacitance due to increased ions being adsorbed by a
certain number of the hydrophilic pores. Moreover, the specific capacitance of the optimum ABAC sample remained at 95.4% of the
initial value after 1000 galvanostatic charge−discharge tests at 0.5 A/g, which is superior to the performance of SC grade commercial
carbon.
The synthesis and characterization of three new metal chalcogenide aerogels, Chalcogels,
AFe3Zn3S17 (A= Na, K, or Rb) is described. Alkali metal polychalcogenides (Na2S5, K2S5, or Rb2S5)
reactwith metal acetate like Fe(OAc)2 and Zn(OAc)2in formamide solutionforming extended polymeric
frameworks by gelation. Chalcogels obtained aftersupercritical drying have BET surface areas of
430, 444, and 435 m
2
/g for NaFe3Zn3S17, KFe3Zn3S17, and RbFe3Zn3S17, respectively. The effect of the
counter ions (K, Na, and Rb) wasstudied by examined the adsorption capacities of the resulting
chalcogels toward different gases and volatile organic compounds. The measurements showed that
CO2 and toluene adsorption capacities increase with the polarizability of the surface atoms in the
following order: Rb chalcogel> K chalcogel> Na chalcogel.This finding reveals a trend based on
cation size and acid–base surface properties that might have a significant impact on altering
adsorptive properties of chalcogels by using more polarizable counter ions.
Photo-assisted oxidation of thiols to disulfides using cobalt ‘‘Nanorust’’ un...Pawan Kumar
Heterogeneous ‘‘Nanorust’’ containing cobalt oxide has been developed for the visible light assisted
oxidation of thiols to disulfides using molecular oxygen as an oxidant under alkaline free conditions and
therefore more environmentally friendly. Pyrolysis of heterogenized tetrasulfonated cobalt(II) phthalocyanine
(CoPcS) supported on mesoporous ceria (CeO2) transforms it into a novel heterogeneous ‘‘Nanorust’’
containing CoOx-C,N@CeO2 which exhibited higher catalytic activity than the homogeneous CoPcS as well
as the ceria immobilized CoPcS catalyst. Importantly, these catalysts could easily be recovered and recycled
for several runs, which makes the process greener and cost-effective.
Similar to High-Density Cobalt Single-Atom Catalysts for Enhanced Oxygen Evolution Reaction (20)
Isolated Iridium Sites on Potassium-Doped Carbon-nitride wrapped Tellurium Na...Pawan Kumar
Many industrial processes such transesterification of fatty acid for biodiesel production, soap manufacturing and biosynthesis of ethanol generate glycerol as a major by-product that can be used to produce commodity chemicals. Photocatalytic transformation of glycerol is an enticing approach that can exclude the need of harsh oxidants and extraneous thermal energy. However, the product yield and selectivity remain poor due to low absorption and unsymmetrical site distribution on the catalyst surface. Herein, tellurium (Te) nanorods/nanosheets (TeNRs/NSs) wrapped potassium-doped carbon nitride (KCN) van der Waal (vdW) heterojunction (TeKCN) is designed to enhance charge separation and visible-NIR absorption. The iridium (Ir) single atom sites decoration on the TeKCN core-shell structure (TeKCNIr) promotes selective oxidation of glycerol to glyceraldehyde with a conversion of 45.6% and selectivity of 61.6% under AM1.5G irradiation. The catalytic selectivity can reach up to 88% under 450 nm monochromatic light. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) demonstrates the presence of undercoordinated IrN2O2 sites which improved catalytic selectivity for glycol oxidation. Band energies and computational calculations reveal faile charge transfer in the TeKCNIr heterostructure. EPR and scavenger tests discern that superoxide (O2•−) and hydroxyl (•OH) radicals are prime components driving glycerol oxidation.
Isolated Iridium Sites on Potassium-Doped Carbon-nitride wrapped Tellurium Na...Pawan Kumar
Many industrial processes such transesterification of fatty acid for biodiesel production, soap manufacturing and biosynthesis of ethanol generate glycerol as a major by-product that can be used to produce commodity chemicals. Photocatalytic transformation of glycerol is an enticing approach that can exclude the need of harsh oxidants and extraneous thermal energy. However, the product yield and selectivity remain poor due to low absorption and unsymmetrical site distribution on the catalyst surface. Herein, tellurium (Te) nanorods/nanosheets (TeNRs/NSs) wrapped potassium-doped carbon nitride (KCN) van der Waal (vdW) heterojunction (TeKCN) is designed to enhance charge separation and visible-NIR absorption. The iridium (Ir) single atom sites decoration on the TeKCN core-shell structure (TeKCNIr) promotes selective oxidation of glycerol to glyceraldehyde with a conversion of 45.6% and selectivity of 61.6% under AM1.5G irradiation. The catalytic selectivity can reach up to 88% under 450 nm monochromatic light. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) demonstrates the presence of undercoordinated IrN2O2 sites which improved catalytic selectivity for glycol oxidation. Band energies and computational calculations reveal faile charge transfer in the TeKCNIr heterostructure. EPR and scavenger tests discern that superoxide (O2•−) and hydroxyl (•OH) radicals are prime components driving glycerol oxidation.
Isolated Iridium Sites on Potassium-Doped Carbon-nitride wrapped Tellurium Na...Pawan Kumar
Many industrial processes such transesterification of fatty acid for biodiesel production, soap manufacturing and biosynthesis of ethanol generate glycerol as a major by-product that can be used to produce commodity chemicals. Photocatalytic transformation of glycerol is an enticing approach that can exclude the need of harsh oxidants and extraneous thermal energy. However, the product yield and selectivity remain poor due to low absorption and unsymmetrical site distribution on the catalyst surface. Herein, tellurium (Te) nanorods/nanosheets (TeNRs/NSs) wrapped potassium-doped carbon nitride (KCN) van der Waal (vdW) heterojunction (TeKCN) is designed to enhance charge separation and visible-NIR absorption. The iridium (Ir) single atom sites decoration on the TeKCN core-shell structure (TeKCNIr) promotes selective oxidation of glycerol to glyceraldehyde with a conversion of 45.6% and selectivity of 61.6% under AM1.5G irradiation. The catalytic selectivity can reach up to 88% under 450 nm monochromatic light. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) demonstrates the presence of undercoordinated IrN2O2 sites which improved catalytic selectivity for glycol oxidation. Band energies and computational calculations reveal faile charge transfer in the TeKCNIr heterostructure. EPR and scavenger tests discern that superoxide (O2•−) and hydroxyl (•OH) radicals are prime components driving glycerol oxidation.
Solar-Driven Cellulose Photorefining into Arabinose over Oxygen-Doped Carbon ...Pawan Kumar
Biomass photorefining is a promising strategy to address the energy crisis and transition toward carbon carbon-neutral society. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of direct cellulose photorefining into arabinose by a rationally designed oxygen-doped polymeric carbon nitride, which generates favorable oxidative species (e.g., O2–, •OH) for selective oxidative reactions at neutral conditions. In addition, we also illustrate the mechanism of the photocatalytic cellulose to arabinose conversion by density functional theory calculations. The oxygen insertion derived from oxidative radicals at the C1 position of glucose within cellulose leads to oxidative cleavage of β-1,4 glycosidic linkages, resulting in the subsequent gluconic acid formation. The following decarboxylation process of gluconic acid via C1–C2 α-scissions, triggered by surface oxygen-doped active sites, generates arabinose and formic acid, respectively. This work not only offers a mechanistic understanding of cellulose photorefining to arabinose but also sets up an example for illuminating the path toward direct cellulose photorefining into value-added bioproducts under mild conditions.
Solar-Driven Cellulose Photorefining into Arabinose over Oxygen-Doped Carbon ...Pawan Kumar
Biomass photorefining is a promising strategy to address the energy crisis and transition toward carbon carbon-neutral society. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of direct cellulose photorefining into arabinose by a rationally designed oxygen-doped polymeric carbon nitride, which generates favorable oxidative species (e.g., O2–, •OH) for selective oxidative reactions at neutral conditions. In addition, we also illustrate the mechanism of the photocatalytic cellulose to arabinose conversion by density functional theory calculations. The oxygen insertion derived from oxidative radicals at the C1 position of glucose within cellulose leads to oxidative cleavage of β-1,4 glycosidic linkages, resulting in the subsequent gluconic acid formation. The following decarboxylation process of gluconic acid via C1–C2 α-scissions, triggered by surface oxygen-doped active sites, generates arabinose and formic acid, respectively. This work not only offers a mechanistic understanding of cellulose photorefining to arabinose but also sets up an example for illuminating the path toward direct cellulose photorefining into value-added bioproducts under mild conditions.
Solar-Driven Cellulose Photorefining into Arabinose over Oxygen-Doped Carbon ...Pawan Kumar
Biomass photorefining is a promising strategy to address the energy crisis and transition toward carbon carbon-neutral society. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of direct cellulose photorefining into arabinose by a rationally designed oxygen-doped polymeric carbon nitride, which generates favorable oxidative species (e.g., O2–, •OH) for selective oxidative reactions at neutral conditions. In addition, we also illustrate the mechanism of the photocatalytic cellulose to arabinose conversion by density functional theory calculations. The oxygen insertion derived from oxidative radicals at the C1 position of glucose within cellulose leads to oxidative cleavage of β-1,4 glycosidic linkages, resulting in the subsequent gluconic acid formation. The following decarboxylation process of gluconic acid via C1–C2 α-scissions, triggered by surface oxygen-doped active sites, generates arabinose and formic acid, respectively. This work not only offers a mechanistic understanding of cellulose photorefining to arabinose but also sets up an example for illuminating the path toward direct cellulose photorefining into value-added bioproducts under mild conditions.
Partial Thermal Condensation Mediated Synthesis of High-Density Nickel Single...Pawan Kumar
Direct selective transformation of greenhouse methane (CH4) to liquid oxygenates (methanol) can substitute energy-intensive two-step (reforming/Fischer–Tropsch) synthesis while creating environmental benefits. The development of inexpensive, selective, and robust catalysts that enable room temperature conversion will decide the future of this technology. Single-atom catalysts (SACs) with isolated active centers embedded in support have displayed significant promises in catalysis to drive challenging reactions. Herein, high-density Ni single atoms are developed and stabilized on carbon nitride (NiCN) via thermal condensation of preorganized Ni-coordinated melem units. The physicochemical characterization of NiCN with various analytical techniques including HAADF-STEM and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) validate the successful formation of Ni single atoms coordinated to the heptazine-constituted CN network. The presence of uniform catalytic sites improved visible absorption and carrier separation in densely populated NiCN SAC resulting in 100% selective photoconversion of (CH4) to methanol using H2O2 as an oxidant. The superior catalytic activity can be attributed to the generation of high oxidation (NiIII═O) sites and selective C─H bond cleavage to generate •CH3 radicals on Ni centers, which can combine with •OH radicals to generate CH3OH.
Partial Thermal Condensation Mediated Synthesis of High-Density Nickel Single...Pawan Kumar
Direct selective transformation of greenhouse methane (CH4) to liquid oxygenates (methanol) can substitute energy-intensive two-step (reforming/Fischer–Tropsch) synthesis while creating environmental benefits. The development of inexpensive, selective, and robust catalysts that enable room temperature conversion will decide the future of this technology. Single-atom catalysts (SACs) with isolated active centers embedded in support have displayed significant promises in catalysis to drive challenging reactions. Herein, high-density Ni single atoms are developed and stabilized on carbon nitride (NiCN) via thermal condensation of preorganized Ni-coordinated melem units. The physicochemical characterization of NiCN with various analytical techniques including HAADF-STEM and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) validate the successful formation of Ni single atoms coordinated to the heptazine-constituted CN network. The presence of uniform catalytic sites improved visible absorption and carrier separation in densely populated NiCN SAC resulting in 100% selective photoconversion of (CH4) to methanol using H2O2 as an oxidant. The superior catalytic activity can be attributed to the generation of high oxidation (NiIII═O) sites and selective C─H bond cleavage to generate •CH3 radicals on Ni centers, which can combine with •OH radicals to generate CH3OH.
Selective Cellobiose Photoreforming for Simultaneous Gluconic Acid and Syngas...Pawan Kumar
Here, we demonstrate the selective cellobiose (building block of cellulose) photoreforming for gluconic acid and syngas co-production in acidic conditions by rationally designing a bifunctional polymeric carbon nitride (CN) with potassium/sulfur co-dopant. This heteroatomic doped CN photocatalyst possesses enhanced visible light absorption, higher charge separation efficiency than pristine CN. Under acidic conditions, cellobiose is not only more efficiently hydrolyzed into glucose but also promotes the syngas and gluconic acid production. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal the favorable generation of •O2− during the photocatalytic reaction, which is essential for gluconic acid production. Consequently, the fine-designed photocatalyst presents excellent cellobiose conversion (>80%) and gluconic acid selectivity (>70%) together with the co-production of syngas (~56 μmol g-1 h-1) under light illumination. The current work demonstrates the feasibility of biomass photoreforming with value-added chemicals and syngas co-production under mild condition.
Selective Cellobiose Photoreforming for Simultaneous Gluconic Acid and Syngas...Pawan Kumar
Here, we demonstrate the selective cellobiose (building block of cellulose) photoreforming for gluconic acid and syngas co-production in acidic conditions by rationally designing a bifunctional polymeric carbon nitride (CN) with potassium/sulfur co-dopant. This heteroatomic doped CN photocatalyst possesses enhanced visible light absorption, higher charge separation efficiency than pristine CN. Under acidic conditions, cellobiose is not only more efficiently hydrolyzed into glucose but also promotes the syngas and gluconic acid production. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal the favorable generation of •O2− during the photocatalytic reaction, which is essential for gluconic acid production. Consequently, the fine-designed photocatalyst presents excellent cellobiose conversion (>80%) and gluconic acid selectivity (>70%) together with the co-production of syngas (~56 μmol g-1 h-1) under light illumination. The current work demonstrates the feasibility of biomass photoreforming with value-added chemicals and syngas co-production under mild condition.
Selective Cellobiose Photoreforming for Simultaneous Gluconic Acid and Syngas...Pawan Kumar
Here, we demonstrate the selective cellobiose (building block of cellulose) photoreforming for gluconic acid and syngas co-production in acidic conditions by rationally designing a bifunctional polymeric carbon nitride (CN) with potassium/sulfur co-dopant. This heteroatomic doped CN photocatalyst possesses enhanced visible light absorption, higher charge separation efficiency than pristine CN. Under acidic conditions, cellobiose is not only more efficiently hydrolyzed into glucose but also promotes the syngas and gluconic acid production. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal the favorable generation of •O2− during the photocatalytic reaction, which is essential for gluconic acid production. Consequently, the fine-designed photocatalyst presents excellent cellobiose conversion (>80%) and gluconic acid selectivity (>70%) together with the co-production of syngas (~56 μmol g-1 h-1) under light illumination. The current work demonstrates the feasibility of biomass photoreforming with value-added chemicals and syngas co-production under mild condition.
Partial Thermal Condensation Mediated Synthesis of High-Density Nickel Single...Pawan Kumar
Direct selective transformation of greenhouse methane (CH4) to liquid oxygenates (methanol) can substitute energy-intensive two-step (reforming/Fischer–Tropsch) synthesis while creating environmental benefits. The development of inexpensive, selective, and robust catalysts that enable room temperature conversion will decide the future of this technology. Single-atom catalysts (SACs) with isolated active centers embedded in support have displayed significant promises in catalysis to drive challenging reactions. Herein, high-density Ni single atoms are developed and stabilized on carbon nitride (NiCN) via thermal condensation of preorganized Ni-coordinated melem units. The physicochemical characterization of NiCN with various analytical techniques including HAADF-STEM and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) validate the successful formation of Ni single atoms coordinated to the heptazine-constituted CN network. The presence of uniform catalytic sites improved visible absorption and carrier separation in densely populated NiCN SAC resulting in 100% selective photoconversion of (CH4) to methanol using H2O2 as an oxidant. The superior catalytic activity can be attributed to the generation of high oxidation (NiIII═O) sites and selective C─H bond cleavage to generate •CH3 radicals on Ni centers, which can combine with •OH radicals to generate CH3OH.
Recent advancements in tuning the electronic structures of transitional metal...Pawan Kumar
The smooth transition from finite non-renewables to renewable energy conversion technologies will require efficient electrocatalysts which can harness intermittent energies to store in the form of chemical bonds. The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) impedes the widespread usage of water electrolyzers to convert H2O into H2 and persists as a bottleneck, including other energy conversion devices with sluggish four H+/e− kinetics. In this context, designing highly active and stable catalysts capable of driving a lower overpotential in the OER to produce continuous hydrogen (H2) is a primary demanded. This chapter discussed the mechanism of the OER in conventional adsorbate oxygen and lattice oxygen participation in transition metal oxides (TMOs). Further, the influences of surface engineering, doping, and defects in the TMOs and understanding the electronic structure to screen electrodes towards the structure–activity relationship are highlighted. Specifically, the adsorption strength of O 2p is understood in detail as its binding ability over the surface of TMOs can be correlated directly to the OER activity. The iterative development of TMOs in terms of understanding electronic structural attributes is essential for the commercial deployment of energy conversion technologies. The comprehensive outlook of this chapter investigates thoroughly how TMOs can be used as significant materials for the OER in the near future.
Hole transport materials (HTMs) have a significant impact on the effectiveness of organic electronic devices; therefore, we present a molecular architecture of pyrazino[2,3-g]quinoxaline (PQ10)-based room-temperature organic liquid crystalline semiconductor (OLCS) as an alternative HTM. The PQ10 compound exhibits three different rectangular columnar (Colr) phases offering an impressive hole mobility of 8.8 × 10−3 cm2V−1s−1 which is found to be dexterous than most of existing polymeric hole transport materials. The charge transport mechanism is governed by the hole polarons hopping through H-aggregates of the PQ10 molecules and the hole mobility remains nearly constant throughout the mesophase range, but it decreases with increasing applied electric field. The current-voltage characteristics of the PQ10 have also been investigated in all three Colr phases and explained via the Poole-Frenkel conduction mechanism. The dielectric spectroscopy has been eventually carried out to understand the nature of dielectric permittivity and conductivity as a function of temperature and a correlation is established between the molecular architecture of the Colr phases and aforementioned physical properties. Solar cell simulation has been additionally performed to demonstrate that the PQ10 material can be a better choice as HTM for organic electronics and photovoltaic applications.
Multifunctional carbon nitride nanoarchitectures for catalysisPawan Kumar
Catalysis is at the heart of modern-day chemical and pharmaceutical industries, and there is an urgent demand to develop metal-free, high surface area, and efficient catalysts in a scalable, reproducible and economic manner. Amongst the ever-expanding two-dimensional materials family, carbon nitride (CN) has emerged as the most researched material for catalytic applications due to its unique molecular structure with tunable visible range band gap, surface defects, basic sites, and nitrogen functionalities. These properties also endow it with anchoring capability with a large number of catalytically active sites and provide opportunities for doping, hybridization, sensitization, etc. To make considerable progress in the use of CN as a highly effective catalyst for various applications, it is critical to have an in-depth understanding of its synthesis, structure and surface sites. The present review provides an overview of the recent advances in synthetic approaches of CN, its physicochemical properties, and band gap engineering, with a focus on its exclusive usage in a variety of catalytic reactions, including hydrogen evolution reactions, overall water splitting, water oxidation, CO2 reduction, nitrogen reduction reactions, pollutant degradation, and organocatalysis. While the structural design and band gap engineering of catalysts are elaborated, the surface chemistry is dealt with in detail to demonstrate efficient catalytic performances. Burning challenges in catalytic design and future outlook are elucidated.
Production of Renewable Fuels by the Photocatalytic Reduction of CO2 using Ma...Pawan Kumar
The photo-reductive performance of natural ilmenite was boosted and the production of renewable fuels from the reduction of CO2 was enhanced by doping the natural mineral with magnesium. The doping was achieved by high energy ball milling in the presence of MgO and Mg(NO3)2. The photo-reduction of CO2 in aqueous solution led to the evolution of H2, CH4, C2H4, and C2H6, and the insertion of Mg in the structure of ilmenite enabled increases of up to 1245% in the fuel production yield, reaching total production of 210.9 µmol h-1 gcat-1. Displacements of the conduction band to more negative potentials were evidenced for the samples doped with magnesium. Indirect effects such as increases in the valence band maximum, and the introduction of intermediate energy levels were also evidenced through the measurement of the crystallite size and the determination of the band structure of the materials. Mott-Schottky analyses of the samples showed the n-type nature of the semiconductor materials and enabled the estimation of the density of charge carriers, which strongly influenced the photocatalytic performance. The strong potential of the application of natural ilmenite in gas phase artificial photosynthesis was proved by the evaluation of CO2 reduction in gas conditions, which allowed the enhancement in the selectivity and significantly increased the production of CH4 as compared to aqueous solution, reaching an important yield of CH4 of 16.1 µmol h-1 gcat-1.
Nanoengineered Au-Carbon Nitride Interfaces Enhance PhotoCatalytic Pure Water...Pawan Kumar
Photocatalytic pure water splitting using solar energy is one of the promising routes to produce sustainable green hydrogen (H2). Tuning the interfacial active site density at catalytic heterojunctions and better light management are imperative to steer the structure-activity correlations to enhance the photo-efficiency of nanocomposite photocatalysts. Herein, we report the decoration of nitrogen defects-rich carbon nitride CN(T) with metallic Au nanostructures of different morphologies and sizes to investigate their influence on the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reactions (HER). The CN(T)-7-NP nano-heterostructure comprises Au nanoparticles (NPs) of ~7 nm and thiourea-derived defective CN exhibits an excellent H2 production rate of 76.8 µmol g–1 h–1 from pure water under simulated AM 1.5 solar irradiation. In contrast to large-size Au nanorods, the high activity of CN(T)-7-NP was attributed to their strong localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) mediated visible absorption and interfacial charge separation. The surface ligands used to control Au nanostructures morphology were found to play a major role in the stabilization of NPs and improve interfacial charge transport between Au NPs and CN(T). First-principles calculations revealed that defects in CN and Au-CN interfacial sites in these nanocomposites facilitate the separation of e-/h+ pairs after light excitation and provide lower energy barrier pathways for H2 production by photocatalytic water splitting.
Nanoengineered Au-Carbon Nitride Interfaces Enhance Photo-Catalytic Pure Wate...Pawan Kumar
Photocatalytic pure water splitting using solar energy is one of the promising routes to produce sustainable green hydrogen (H2). Tuning the interfacial active site density at catalytic heterojunctions and better light management are imperative to steer the structure-activity correlations to enhance the photo-efficiency of nanocomposite photocatalysts. Herein, we report the decoration of nitrogen defects-rich carbon nitride CN(T) with metallic Au nanostructures of different morphologies and sizes to investigate their influence on the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reactions (HER). The CN(T)-7-NP nano-heterostructure comprises Au nanoparticles (NPs) of ~7 nm and thiourea-derived defective CN exhibits an excellent H2 production rate of 76.8 µmol g–1 h–1 from pure water under simulated AM 1.5 solar irradiation. In contrast to large-size Au nanorods, the high activity of CN(T)-7-NP was attributed to their strong localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) mediated visible absorption and interfacial charge separation. The surface ligands used to control Au nanostructures morphology were found to play a major role in the stabilization of NPs and improve interfacial charge transport between Au NPs and CN(T). First-principles calculations revealed that defects in CN and Au-CN interfacial sites in these nanocomposites facilitate the separation of e-/h+ pairs after light excitation and provide lower energy barrier pathways for H2 production by photocatalytic water splitting.
Cooperative Copper Single Atom Catalyst in Two-dimensional Carbon Nitride for...Pawan Kumar
Renewable electricity powered carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction (eCO2R) to high-value fuels like methane (CH4) holds the potential to close the carbon cycle at meaningful scales. However, this kinetically staggered 8-electron multistep reduction still suffers from inadequate catalytic efficiency and current density. Atomic Cu-structures can boost eCO2R-to-CH4 selectivity due to enhanced intermediate binding energies (BEs) resulting from favorably shifted d-band centers. Herein, we exploit two-dimensional carbon nitride (CN) matrices, viz. Na-polyheptazine (PHI) and Li-polytriazine imides (PTI), to host Cu-N2 type single atom sites with high density (∼1.5 at%), via a facile metal ion exchange process. Optimized Cu loading in nanocrystalline Cu-PTI maximizes eCO2R-to-CH4 performance with Faradaic efficiency (FECH4) of ≈68% and a high partial current density of 348 mA cm−2 at a low potential of -0.84 V versus RHE, surpassing the state-of-the-art catalysts. Multi-Cu substituted N-appended nanopores in the CN frameworks yield thermodynamically stable quasi-dual/triple sites with large interatomic distances dictated by the pore dimensions. First-principles calculations elucidate the relative Cu-CN cooperative effects between the two matrices and how the Cu-Cu distance and local environment dictate the adsorbate BEs, density of states, and CO2-to-CH4 energy profile landscape. The 9N pores in Cu-PTI yield cooperative Cu-Cu sites that synergistically enhance the kinetics of the rate-limiting steps in the eCO2R-to-CH4 pathway.
Bioinspired multimetal electrocatalyst for selective methane oxidationPawan Kumar
Selective partial electrooxidation of methane (CH4) to liquid oxygenates has been a long-sought goal. However, the high activation energy of C–H bonds and competing oxygen evolution reaction limit product selectivity and reaction rates. Inspired by iron (IV)-oxo containing metalloenzymes’ functionality to activate the C–H bond, here we report on the design of a copper-iron-nickel catalyst for selective oxidation of CH4 to formate via a peroxide-assisted pathway. Each catalyst serves a specific role which is confirmed via electrochemical, in situ, and theoretical studies. A combination of electrochemical and in situ spectroelectrochemical studies revealed that H2O2 oxidation on nickel led to the formation of active oxygen species which trigger the formation of iron (IV) at low voltages. Density functional theory analysis helped reveal the role of iron (IV)-oxo species in reducing the activation energy barrier for CH4 deprotonation and the critical role of copper to suppress overoxidation. Our multimetal catalyst exhibits a formate faradaic efficiency of 42% at an applied potential of 0.9 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode.
The ability to recreate computational results with minimal effort and actionable metrics provides a solid foundation for scientific research and software development. When people can replicate an analysis at the touch of a button using open-source software, open data, and methods to assess and compare proposals, it significantly eases verification of results, engagement with a diverse range of contributors, and progress. However, we have yet to fully achieve this; there are still many sociotechnical frictions.
Inspired by David Donoho's vision, this talk aims to revisit the three crucial pillars of frictionless reproducibility (data sharing, code sharing, and competitive challenges) with the perspective of deep software variability.
Our observation is that multiple layers — hardware, operating systems, third-party libraries, software versions, input data, compile-time options, and parameters — are subject to variability that exacerbates frictions but is also essential for achieving robust, generalizable results and fostering innovation. I will first review the literature, providing evidence of how the complex variability interactions across these layers affect qualitative and quantitative software properties, thereby complicating the reproduction and replication of scientific studies in various fields.
I will then present some software engineering and AI techniques that can support the strategic exploration of variability spaces. These include the use of abstractions and models (e.g., feature models), sampling strategies (e.g., uniform, random), cost-effective measurements (e.g., incremental build of software configurations), and dimensionality reduction methods (e.g., transfer learning, feature selection, software debloating).
I will finally argue that deep variability is both the problem and solution of frictionless reproducibility, calling the software science community to develop new methods and tools to manage variability and foster reproducibility in software systems.
Exposé invité Journées Nationales du GDR GPL 2024
Richard's aventures in two entangled wonderlandsRichard Gill
Since the loophole-free Bell experiments of 2020 and the Nobel prizes in physics of 2022, critics of Bell's work have retreated to the fortress of super-determinism. Now, super-determinism is a derogatory word - it just means "determinism". Palmer, Hance and Hossenfelder argue that quantum mechanics and determinism are not incompatible, using a sophisticated mathematical construction based on a subtle thinning of allowed states and measurements in quantum mechanics, such that what is left appears to make Bell's argument fail, without altering the empirical predictions of quantum mechanics. I think however that it is a smoke screen, and the slogan "lost in math" comes to my mind. I will discuss some other recent disproofs of Bell's theorem using the language of causality based on causal graphs. Causal thinking is also central to law and justice. I will mention surprising connections to my work on serial killer nurse cases, in particular the Dutch case of Lucia de Berk and the current UK case of Lucy Letby.
Earliest Galaxies in the JADES Origins Field: Luminosity Function and Cosmic ...Sérgio Sacani
We characterize the earliest galaxy population in the JADES Origins Field (JOF), the deepest
imaging field observed with JWST. We make use of the ancillary Hubble optical images (5 filters
spanning 0.4−0.9µm) and novel JWST images with 14 filters spanning 0.8−5µm, including 7 mediumband filters, and reaching total exposure times of up to 46 hours per filter. We combine all our data
at > 2.3µm to construct an ultradeep image, reaching as deep as ≈ 31.4 AB mag in the stack and
30.3-31.0 AB mag (5σ, r = 0.1” circular aperture) in individual filters. We measure photometric
redshifts and use robust selection criteria to identify a sample of eight galaxy candidates at redshifts
z = 11.5 − 15. These objects show compact half-light radii of R1/2 ∼ 50 − 200pc, stellar masses of
M⋆ ∼ 107−108M⊙, and star-formation rates of SFR ∼ 0.1−1 M⊙ yr−1
. Our search finds no candidates
at 15 < z < 20, placing upper limits at these redshifts. We develop a forward modeling approach to
infer the properties of the evolving luminosity function without binning in redshift or luminosity that
marginalizes over the photometric redshift uncertainty of our candidate galaxies and incorporates the
impact of non-detections. We find a z = 12 luminosity function in good agreement with prior results,
and that the luminosity function normalization and UV luminosity density decline by a factor of ∼ 2.5
from z = 12 to z = 14. We discuss the possible implications of our results in the context of theoretical
models for evolution of the dark matter halo mass function.
The use of Nauplii and metanauplii artemia in aquaculture (brine shrimp).pptxMAGOTI ERNEST
Although Artemia has been known to man for centuries, its use as a food for the culture of larval organisms apparently began only in the 1930s, when several investigators found that it made an excellent food for newly hatched fish larvae (Litvinenko et al., 2023). As aquaculture developed in the 1960s and ‘70s, the use of Artemia also became more widespread, due both to its convenience and to its nutritional value for larval organisms (Arenas-Pardo et al., 2024). The fact that Artemia dormant cysts can be stored for long periods in cans, and then used as an off-the-shelf food requiring only 24 h of incubation makes them the most convenient, least labor-intensive, live food available for aquaculture (Sorgeloos & Roubach, 2021). The nutritional value of Artemia, especially for marine organisms, is not constant, but varies both geographically and temporally. During the last decade, however, both the causes of Artemia nutritional variability and methods to improve poorquality Artemia have been identified (Loufi et al., 2024).
Brine shrimp (Artemia spp.) are used in marine aquaculture worldwide. Annually, more than 2,000 metric tons of dry cysts are used for cultivation of fish, crustacean, and shellfish larva. Brine shrimp are important to aquaculture because newly hatched brine shrimp nauplii (larvae) provide a food source for many fish fry (Mozanzadeh et al., 2021). Culture and harvesting of brine shrimp eggs represents another aspect of the aquaculture industry. Nauplii and metanauplii of Artemia, commonly known as brine shrimp, play a crucial role in aquaculture due to their nutritional value and suitability as live feed for many aquatic species, particularly in larval stages (Sorgeloos & Roubach, 2021).
Nutraceutical market, scope and growth: Herbal drug technologyLokesh Patil
As consumer awareness of health and wellness rises, the nutraceutical market—which includes goods like functional meals, drinks, and dietary supplements that provide health advantages beyond basic nutrition—is growing significantly. As healthcare expenses rise, the population ages, and people want natural and preventative health solutions more and more, this industry is increasing quickly. Further driving market expansion are product formulation innovations and the use of cutting-edge technology for customized nutrition. With its worldwide reach, the nutraceutical industry is expected to keep growing and provide significant chances for research and investment in a number of categories, including vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and herbal supplements.
Salas, V. (2024) "John of St. Thomas (Poinsot) on the Science of Sacred Theol...Studia Poinsotiana
I Introduction
II Subalternation and Theology
III Theology and Dogmatic Declarations
IV The Mixed Principles of Theology
V Virtual Revelation: The Unity of Theology
VI Theology as a Natural Science
VII Theology’s Certitude
VIII Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
All the contents are fully attributable to the author, Doctor Victor Salas. Should you wish to get this text republished, get in touch with the author or the editorial committee of the Studia Poinsotiana. Insofar as possible, we will be happy to broker your contact.
Observation of Io’s Resurfacing via Plume Deposition Using Ground-based Adapt...Sérgio Sacani
Since volcanic activity was first discovered on Io from Voyager images in 1979, changes
on Io’s surface have been monitored from both spacecraft and ground-based telescopes.
Here, we present the highest spatial resolution images of Io ever obtained from a groundbased telescope. These images, acquired by the SHARK-VIS instrument on the Large
Binocular Telescope, show evidence of a major resurfacing event on Io’s trailing hemisphere. When compared to the most recent spacecraft images, the SHARK-VIS images
show that a plume deposit from a powerful eruption at Pillan Patera has covered part
of the long-lived Pele plume deposit. Although this type of resurfacing event may be common on Io, few have been detected due to the rarity of spacecraft visits and the previously low spatial resolution available from Earth-based telescopes. The SHARK-VIS instrument ushers in a new era of high resolution imaging of Io’s surface using adaptive
optics at visible wavelengths.
Phenomics assisted breeding in crop improvementIshaGoswami9
As the population is increasing and will reach about 9 billion upto 2050. Also due to climate change, it is difficult to meet the food requirement of such a large population. Facing the challenges presented by resource shortages, climate
change, and increasing global population, crop yield and quality need to be improved in a sustainable way over the coming decades. Genetic improvement by breeding is the best way to increase crop productivity. With the rapid progression of functional
genomics, an increasing number of crop genomes have been sequenced and dozens of genes influencing key agronomic traits have been identified. However, current genome sequence information has not been adequately exploited for understanding
the complex characteristics of multiple gene, owing to a lack of crop phenotypic data. Efficient, automatic, and accurate technologies and platforms that can capture phenotypic data that can
be linked to genomics information for crop improvement at all growth stages have become as important as genotyping. Thus,
high-throughput phenotyping has become the major bottleneck restricting crop breeding. Plant phenomics has been defined as the high-throughput, accurate acquisition and analysis of multi-dimensional phenotypes
during crop growing stages at the organism level, including the cell, tissue, organ, individual plant, plot, and field levels. With the rapid development of novel sensors, imaging technology,
and analysis methods, numerous infrastructure platforms have been developed for phenotyping.
What is greenhouse gasses and how many gasses are there to affect the Earth.moosaasad1975
What are greenhouse gasses how they affect the earth and its environment what is the future of the environment and earth how the weather and the climate effects.
2. the most popular approach to fabricate high-density M−Nx−C
SACs.15
Wu et al. demonstrated the synthesis of high-density
Co (≈15.3%) M−Nx−C catalysts using a Co-based zeolitic
organic framework (ZIF-67) which exhibits an oxygen
reduction reaction (ORR) performance of ≈12.164 A
mgCo
−1
at 0.8 V (10.5 times higher than Pt/C).16
Despite
higher metal loading, agglomeration and nanoparticle (NP)
formation are often reported in this synthesis approach, which
limit the availability of single atomic sites. Due to the low
thermal stability of ligands, the metal centers tend to release
prematurely, leading to high mobility and agglomeration.17−19
Furthermore, the lack of functional groups for condensation
with carbonaceous/nitrogenous frameworks also accelerates
nanoparticle (NP) formation. Despite higher metal loading,
the use of expensive organic ligands and acid etching to
remove nanocluster/nanoparticulate limits their scalability.
Recently, Xia et al. trapped various metals (Ir, Pt, Ni, etc.) in
NH2-functionalized graphene quantum dots (GQDs−NH2).
The subsequent thermal annealing of the freeze-dried mixture
of M-GQDs-NH2 and urea led to an exceptionally high single-
atom (SA) loading (i.e., Ir-40 wt % or 3.8 at %) and N content
(27.8 at %).20
These observations suggest that the concurrent
presence of metal coordination sites and functional groups is
essential for the growth of the carbon framework to achieve
high SA concentrations. Based on these observations, we
hypothesize that metal ions trapped in a stable flat molecule
with plenty of functional groups can provide numerous fusion
sites to afford higher metal content M−Nx−C SACs.
Herein, we report on a synthesis approach that enables
densely populated Co SAC (10.6 wt %, 3.18 at %) embedded
in N-rich carbonaceous scaffold by condensation of cobalt
phthalocyanine tetramers (CoPc) and melem moieties
(CoMM). The planar CoPc and melem (C6N7) core fusion
in CoMM allows N content to exceed ∼52 at %, which is
dominated by pyridinic nitrogen. The C−N matrix in CoMM
reveals a ∼1:1 C−N stoichiometry with periodic C and N
arrangement, originating from the direct fusion of heptazine
(C6N7) units. Such high N content with precise atomic
arrangement is seldom reported in a graphenic network and
only predicted using DFT models.21,22
CoMM displayed a
nanoporous structure with a high specific surface area (SBET-
186 m2
g−1
; Cdl of 8.71 mF cm−2
). Under optimized
conditions, CoMM exhibits enhanced OER (η10 at 351 mV;
mass activity of 2209 mA mgCo
−1
at 1.65 V) performance with
>300 h stability. The high concentration of Co embedded in
N-rich porous carbon frameworks and enhanced conjugation
degrees synergistically facilitate better OER performance.
■ RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Synthesis and Characterization of SA Co−N4 (Pyr-
idinic) and Metallic Co Nanoparticles Embedded in
Carbonaceous Structures. To demonstrate the role of high-
temperature thermal condensation in the commonly reported
synthesis approach, we started the synthesis with two
precursors, i.e., melamine and melem (see the Supporting
Information for experimental details) (Figure 1a,b).23,24
The
material prepared using melamine was labeled as CoCML
while using melem was referred to as CoCMM. SEM images
and elemental mapping of CoCML and CoCMM displayed
long carbon-rich nanotubes with metallic Co NPs entrapped at
the tip (Figures S1−S2). The high-resolution transmission
electron microscopy (HR-TEM) images of CoCMM exhibited
Figure 1. Schematic diagram of the synthesis of (a) nanocluster CoCML and CoCMM using thermal condensation (800 °C) of melamine and
melem, respectively. (b) Co−N4-pyridinic SACs using thermal condensation of cobalt phthalocyanine tetramer (CoPc) with melem (CoMM) and
CoPc with melamine (CoML). (c) HR-TEM images of CoCMM showing Co entrapped carbonaceous nanotubular structure; inset showing FFT
of the image. (d) HR-TEM image of CoMM showing the porous structure. (e) HR-TEM image of CoML. (f) HR-TEM of CoMM showing lattice
fringes and d-spacing. AC-HAADF STEM images of CoMM at (g) 5 nm and (h) 2 nm scale bar; white arrow and circles displaying bright spots as
cobalt single atoms. Inset in (h) is showing the line scan showing Z-contrast. (i) EELS spectrum of CoMM from the complete area in image k. (j)
EELS spectrum of a small square marked in the image k. (l−p) EELS mapping for Co, C, N, and O and RGB composite of C, N, and Co.
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3. dense metallic Co NPs encased in the crystalline graphitic
network (Figures 1c and S3). Well-defined lattice fringes with
0.37 nm d-spacing for stacked carbon and 0.225 nm for
metallic cobalt were observed along with two sharp diffraction
rings, demonstrating Co-promoted graphitization in CoCMM.
Similar nanostructural features were observed for the CoCML
except less ordered carbon stacking, suggesting that planar
melem promotes better graphitization in CoCMM (Figure S4).
The degradation of nitrogenous precursors at high temper-
atures reduces unbound Co2+
species to metallic Co(0) which
form nanoclusters due to high surface energy and serve as the
catalyst for the graphitization of amorphous carbon.25
Interestingly, when the cobalt phthalocyanine hexadecacar-
boxylic acid tetramer (CoPc) (Scheme S1, Figure S6, and
Table S1 in SI) was used as a preconfined source of Co,
isolated Co−N4 SA sites embedded in the C−N framework
were achieved (Figure 1b). The Co−N4 SACs prepared using
CoPc and melamine were denoted as CoML while the sample
prepared using CoPc and melem was referred to as CoMM.
We also prepared a control sample using glucose, melamine,
and CoPc denoted as CoGML (Figure S5). The CoMM
synthesized using CoPc and melem demonstrates a highly
porous structure (SBET-186 m2
g−1
) with well-distributed Co in
the C−N matrix (Figures 1d and S7−8, Table S2). In contrast,
CoML fabricated using CoPc and melamine exhibited a
nonporous graphenic structure (SBET of 37.81 m2
g−1
),
implying different condensation mechanisms in melem and
melamine-derived SACs (Figures 1e and S9, Table S2). A
condensation mechanism that directs to different morpholo-
gies is presented in Scheme S2. The HR-TEM images of
CoMM show graphenic fragments (10−20 nm) entangled
together (Figures S10−11). Despite the absence of the
nongraphenic structure of CoMM, it demonstrates well-
resolved lattice fringes with an interplanar distance of 0.36
nm (Figure 1f). Constrastingly, CoML sheets were mostly
amorphous in nature (Figure S12). These findings imply that
condensation of planar melem results in better graphitization
compared to melamine.
The exceptionally high Co content of CoMM (3.18 at %XPS,
10.6 wt %ICP‑OES) and CoML (2.54 at %XPS, 11.13 wt %ICP‑OES)
raised the question of whether Co was present in the
nanoparticulate or nanocluster form (Table S3−4). However,
the absence of any agglomeration feature in TEM and STEM
mapping convinces us to search for the possibility of atomic
distribution. We employed aberration-corrected high-angle
annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy
(AC-HAADF-STEM) to elucidate the ultrafine morphological
attributes of CoMM and CoML, which exhibited Co SAs with
sharp Z contrasts distributed on the C−N scaffold, and no
clusters were observed (Figures 1g,h and S10−11 and S13).
Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) mapping of CoMM
and CoML at high magnification reveal the uniform
distribution of Co and N without any evidence of clustering
which implicates that Co is present at the atomic scale. The
intense Co and N’s EELS signals corroborate densely
populated Co−N4 sites (Figures 1i, S10−11 and S13).
Fascinatingly, the EELS spectrum of small pixels of the annular
dark field (ADF) image portrayed distinctly visible signals of
Figure 2. (a) Raman and (b) XRD pattern of CoMM, CoML, CoGML, CoCML, and CoCMM (Bottom to top). Synchrotron-based WAXS 2D
images of (c) CoMM and (d) CoCML, calculated Q value of (e) CoMM and (f) CoCML. (g) C 1s and (h) N1s XPS spectra of CoMM, CoML,
CoGML, CoCML, and CoCMM (Bottom to top). Npyr. stands for pyridinic Ns, while Npyrr. stands for pyrrolic Ns. (i) N K-edge and (j) C K-edge
NEXAFS spectra of CN, CoPc, CoGML, CoML, and CoMM (Bottom to top).
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4. Co and N validating the presence of dense Co in the C−N
network (Figure 1j). Nevertheless, quantification using EELS
showed a high Co content (CoMM-6.4 ± 0.2 and CoML-3.91
± 0.13 at %); however, after 15 min of continuous beam
exposure, we observed damage and clustering, as provided in
Table S3 and Figures S14−15. To maintain precision, EELS
quantification is not accounted and inductively coupled
plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) which is
representative of bulk materials was used as a standard for
subsequent studies. The comparison of the relative peak
intensity of C K-edge and N K-edge π* and σ* transition of
CoMM and CoML demonstrate that CoMM possesses a high
conjugation degree (sp2
character) which might be introduced
due to lateral fusion of planar structures (Figure S16 and
Section 4.0 in SI).26
Solid-state electron paramagnetic
resonance (EPR) spectra of CoMM and CoML do not reveal
any signal of ferromagnetic cobalt NPs/clusters at g value
≈2.870. Despite the ferromagnetic nature of single-atom Co2+
sites, the absence of any detectable signal was because of their
short relaxation time which is in close agreement with previous
reports on Co−Nx−C SACs.27
Furthermore, the absence of a
broad EPR signal at ≈2.000 g value for CoMM compared to
CoML suggests fast relaxation in the ordered π conjugated
network while sp3
defects in CoML delayed the relaxation time
(Figure S17 and Section 4.4 in the SI).
The absence of any Co metal-/oxide-related peaks in Raman
spectra of CoMM, CoML, and CoGML is ascribed to ultrafine
Co distribution (Figure 2a). In contrast, Raman spectra of our
control samples (i.e., Co-embedded nanotubular CoCML and
CoCMM) displayed sharp vibrational peaks for metallic Co
and well-separated D and G bands for the carbonaceous
shells.28
To know the chemical nature of the C−N constituted
framework in CoMM and CoML, Raman spectra of carbon
black (CB), reduced graphene oxide (RGO), and nitrogen-
doped reduced graphene oxide (NRGO) were also measured
(Figure S18a and Section 4.5 of the SI). The absence of a 2D
band like in NRGO and the presence of broad D and G bands
like in CN reported previously suggest the N-rich structure of
CoMM and CoML with a periodic arrangement of N atoms.29
Previous studies also manifested that high-temperature treat-
ment of CN generates C6N7 (heptazine) units.30
The
exceptionally high pyridinic N content in XPS and the
presence of residual C−N and C6N7 signals in FTIR spectra
also indicated that the C−N scaffold of CoMM and CoML was
created by the direct fusion of C6N7 moieties and CoPc (Table
S4 and Figure S18b; Section 4.6 in the SI). Moreover, XRD
pattern of CoCML and CoCMM displayed (111), (200), and
(220) peaks of the metallic α-Co with a face-centered cubic
(fcc) structure (Figure 2b).23,24
The intense (002) peak of
stacked graphitic carbon in CoCML and CoCMM insinuates
high crystallinity due to better graphitization, in line with HR-
TEM results. Interestingly, CoMM and CoML do not show
any diffraction peak associated with melem and Co-related
species, reinforcing complete condensation of melem and
CoPc with atomic Co distribution (Figure S18c and Section
4.7 of SI). CoGML also does not show any nanoparticulated
dispersion, and crystalline features due to a high degree of
glucose condensation resulted in a dilution of Co sites.
Synchrotron-based wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS)
allows better spectral resolution and detection limits of
crystalline materials on a subnanometric scale. The use of
relatively high-energy monochromatic radiation (0.8202 vs
1.5418 Å for CuKα radiation) enables deducing the nano-
crystalline attributes and localized crystalline features of the
materials (Figure 2c−f).31
The WAXS 2D map of the CoMM
illustrates two broad (002) and (001) diffraction rings at Q
values 1.846 and 3.070 Å−1
with no further features of any Co/
species, corroborating the absence of nanoscale clustering
(Figure 2c,e). In contrast, CoCML delineates many sharp
diffraction rings for metallic α-Co and an intense (002) peak of
graphitized carbons (Figure 2d,f). The calculated d-spacing of
materials was found in the order of CoMM (3.37 Å) <
CoCML = CoCMM (3.44 Å) < CoML (3.47 Å) < CoGML
(3.64 Å) (Figure S19 and Section 4.8 in the SI). The smallest
d-spacing in CoMM, which is close to CN (3.27 Å),
emphasizes the partial preservation of the N-rich structure
and better graphitization. Regardless of a similar N content,
CoML disclosed a relatively high d-spacing, indicating the
presence of abundant sp3
defects compared to CoMM which is
aligned with the EELS results.
The elemental composition and type of carbons and
nitrogens for each sample are given in Table S4−5. Albeit
the use of identical N-rich melem/melamine precursors during
synthesis, CoML and CoMM showed an exceptionally high N
content (∼53 at %) compared to CoCML (3.94 at %) and
CoCMM (2.63 at %), supporting direct fusion of C6N7
moieties with CoPc at elevated temperatures. The calculated
C and N at % of CoMM was 44.69 and 52.13, respectively,
which was very close to the theoretical C and N contents of
C6N7 moieties (C-42.63 and N-57.64 at %), confirming fused
C6N7 scaffold in CoMM (Figures S20 and S21). Further
evidence of intact C6N7 nucleus comes from the overlayed C
1s XPS spectra of CoMM and CoML which displayed high N−
C�N/C−N (C−Npyridinic) peak contribution matching with
reported XPS of CN (Figure 2g and Section 4.9 of SI).32
The
relatively high sp2
C−C contribution illustrates the removal of
bridging Ns during the fusion of C6N7 moieties (C−N-0.75 in
CN and C−N-0.86 in C6N7). The high C−N�C pyridinic
contribution in N1s spectra of CoMM and CoML also
supports the fusion of heptazine (C6N7) units during the
annealing step (Figure 2h). Despite the dominated pyridinic N
contribution, the observance of pyrrolic Ns recommends some
fraction of C6N7 units structurally reorganized during carbon-
ization. Other samples including CoGML, CoCML, and
CoCMM show small N−C�N carbon contribution and
high Npyrrolic contribution. This substantiates that carbonization
for these materials proceeds through the breaking of
melamine/melem moieties followed by graphitization, thus
losing significant N content. The Co2p XPS spectra of CoMM
and CoML suggest 2+ oxidation state with a broad satellite
feature originating from the Co−N contribution in agreement
with the previously reported literature (Figure S21c).33
Interestingly, the XPS spectra of the sample prepared by
thermal annealing of CoPc and melem at 600 °C (Co-Mel-
600) showed C, N, and O spectra intermediates of CN and
CoMM without any trace of Co, suggesting that condensation
begins after 600 °C (Figure S22 and Section 4.10 in the SI).
The N K-edge near edge X-ray absorption fine structure
(NEXAFS) spectra of CoMM and CoML exhibited a strong
π*C−N�C resonance peak along with σ*C−N and σ*C−N�C
features matching closely with CN, revealing partial retainment
of C6N7 signatures (Figure 2i).34
Intriguingly, the π*N−C3
resonance peak originated from the bridging tertiary nitrogen
in CN was absent in CoMM and CoML, substantiating that
condensation of C6N7 moieties proceeds through the removal
of bridging nitrogen. The CoGML and CoCMM samples
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5. displayed distinct sp2
π*C−N (only for CoGML), π*N(pyridinic),
and π*N(pyrrolic) peaks due to N doping in the carbon scaffold
(Figure S23 and Section 4.11 of the SI). Like CN, the C K-
edge NEXAFS of CoMM and CoML showed an intense
π*N−C�N transition peak and only a trace of π*C�C resonance
peak was observed which signifies the presence of periodic C−
N arrangements (Figure 2j).35
To understand the chemical state of Co sites, Co L2,3-edge
NEXAFS spectra were collected using synchrotron-based soft
X-ray radiation. The CoPc L2,3-edge NEXAFS spectra
exhibited characteristics Co L3 and L2 edges of the Co2+
state at 780.4 and 794.7 eV due to 2p3/2, 2p1/2 → 3d transition
(Figure 3a and Section 4.12 of SI).36
The splitting of Co L3-
edges and the appearance of a peak at relatively higher energy
demonstrate weak Co−O ligation due to agglomerated μ-oxo
state and O/−OH coordination with moisture.37
The
appearance of Co L3 and Co L2 edges without any observable
splitting in CoMM, CoML, and CoGML unveils the absence
of any O coordination, and the CoPc skeleton was destroyed
during the annealing step. The appearance of Co L3 and Co L2
peaks at a relatively low energy corroborates the efficient
electronic transfer from N to Co in a conjugated graphenic
system compared to the 18π ring system of phthalocyanine.
A clearer insight into the Co oxidation state and
coordination environment was attained by X-ray absorption
near-edge structure (XANES) spectra (Figures 3b,c, S24 and
Section 4.13 of the SI). The Co K-edge XANES spectra of
CoPc exhibited a characteristic 1s → 3d transition pre-edge
signal at ∼7707 eV originating from 3d + 4p mixing in the
noncentrosymmetric environment (Figure S24).38
The intense
rising edge and white line transition at ∼7713 and ∼7724 eV
attributed to 1s → 4pz and 1s → 4px,y transition, revealing the
square planer coordination of Co2+
.39
The XANES spectra of
CoMM and CoML showed a sharp 1s → 4p transition edge
closer to the CoO inferring the 2+ oxidation state (Figure
3c).40
The absence of any pre-edge feature and sharp rising
edge are related to a centrosymmetric square planer structure
of the cobalt centers. The absence of any CoPc clone features
and the appearance of an intense white line in CoMM indicate
the fusion of the CoPc macrocyclic ring followed by the
formation of square planar N-coordinated Co SA sites in the
graphenic structure.41
The broad and nonspecific XANES
Figure 3. (a) Synchrotron-based soft-X-ray spectra for Co L-edge of Co(II) nitrate, CoPc, CoGML, CoML, and CoMM. (b) XANES spectra of
CoML, cobalt acetate, CoMM, metallic Co, CoO, and Co3O4. (c) Enlarged XANES spectra of image b. (d) FT-EXAFS spectra of Co Ac. CoML
and CoMM. Dots experimental data, Lines-fitted data. (e) DFT simulated models show the distance between neighboring Co−Co (in Co metal
and Co dual atom catalyst) and Co−C atoms to correlate with EXAFS results. (f) WT map of (i) CoMM, (ii) CoML, (iii) Co foil, and (iv) Co
acetate. Background subtracted CO-DRIFTS time profile spectra of (g) CoMM (h) CoCMM obtained at room temperature.
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6. profile observed for the CoGML reveals mixed oxidation state
Co sites which were also evidenced from Co L-edge NEXAFS
spectra (Figure S24). Interestingly, the CoCMM prepared
using metal salt displayed a Co K-edge that matches with
metallic Co, validating encased metallic cobalt in the carbon
scaffold (Figure S24).
To illustrate the atomic coordination environment of Co
sites in the materials, Fourier-transform extended X-ray
absorption fine structure (FT-EXAFS) spectra were acquired
(Figure 3d). The EXAFS of CoMM displayed a sharp first
coordination shell at 1.472 Å that originated from the Co−N
scattering, which is aligned with Co L-edges in NEXAFS
spectra. Additionally, a second coordination shell at 2.377 Å
with a shoulder peak at 2.978 Å appeared due to the Co−N−C
scattering. It should be noted that, due to high Co
concentrations, the Co−N−C second shell scattering was
intense which agreed well with previously reported high metal-
containing SACs.42,43
To further examine the origin of the
second coordination shell and whether Co was present in the
pyridinic or pyrrolic cavity, the obtained bond lengths were
compared using different models (Figure 3e). It can be seen
from the model that the metallic Co−Co (2.489 Å) and Co-C1
pyrrolic (3.260 Å) distance was significantly higher than our
experimental value, excluding the possibility of any metallic
and pyrrolic contribution. Some reports also demonstrate the
origin of second coordination shells from dual atomic sites44,45
however, the calculated Co−Co distance in the dual-site model
was just 2.278 Å, corroborating the absence of any such
interactions. These observations indicate the presence of
isolated Co coordinated to the pyridinic N framework.
However, we also observed relatively small pyrrolic Ns
contribution in XPS; thus, pure Co−Npyridinic structures cannot
be claimed, and signals will be an average contribution of each
entity. EXAFS data fitting of CoMM for both first and second
coordination shells demonstrated Co−N and Co−C coordi-
nation numbers (CNs) of 3.99 (±0.04) and 3.87 (±0.08) with
a bond length of 2.01 and 2.62 Å, respectively (Table S6). The
second shell bond length closely matched with the pyridinic
model, validating the Co−N4C4 moieties embedded in the
graphenic structure. As expected, CoML also demonstrated
identical features, except Co−C1 scattering was slightly less
intense (CN-3.41 ± 0.09), suggesting the presence of few
defect states aligned with EELS and EPR observations.
To further clarify the neighbor structure around Co atoms,
wavelet transform (WT) EXAFS spectra of CoMM, CoML, Co
foil, and Co acetate were calculated. As shown in Figure 3f,
cobalt foil shows an obvious sharp zone in K = 8.16 Å−1
and R
= 2.09 Å that represents Co−Co metal bonds. Compared to
the standard Co foil samples, CoMM, CoML, and Co acetate
do not display similar sharp zones in the same position, which
indicates that these three samples do not contain a Co−Co
metal bond. Generally, in the lower position of K space and R
space, this sharp zone is assigned as the first shell of Co−N.
The sharp zone in the high position of K space and R space
stems from the second shell scattering.46
Moreover, CoMM
and CoML display a sharp zone at 12 Å−1
in the high K space
position, and their R space position in this zone was about 2.39
Å. Therefore, this sharp zone can be considered as the second
shell Co−N−C scattering in these single-atom catalysts, which
is consistent with the reported studies.42
To probe the uniform isolated site distribution, diffuse
reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS)
profiles were recorded as a function of time. The DRIFTS
spectra of CO-unprobed samples indicate close similarity of
CoGML/CoCMM surfaces while CoMM/CoML demonstrate
bands like carbon nitride which was also observed in FTIR and
Figure 4. Electrocatalytic OER performance of Co-based electrodes (CP: carbon paper). (a) OER LSV study at 5 mV S−1
. (b) Tafel slopes. (c)
TOF at 1.65 V. (d) Mass activity. (e) Cdl values from ΔJ vs ν in a non-Faradaic region. (f) Comparison of OER activities (@10 mA cm−2
) of
CoMM with other catalysts. (g) Long-term stability of CoMM for 300 h at 5 mA cm−2
.
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7. Raman spectra (Figure S25). The observed similarities in
vibrational spectra originated from the precursors which
provide a specific C−N backbone. The CO-DRIFTS spectra
of all Co samples exhibited two board bands at 2115 and 2174
cm−1
attributed to the residual CO species adsorbed on the
support matrix (Figures 3g,h and S25). However, DRIFTS
spectra of CoMM and CoML in the lower frequency region
displayed three isolated peaks at 2063, 2056, and 2047 cm−1
,
respectively, which might originate from the weak interaction
of CO with the isolated Co atom grafted on the N−C scaffold
(Figures 3g and S25).47
A closer look reveals that with the
course of CO purging, the overlap peak intensity centered
around 2065−2045 cm−1
diminished, which implies the
complete saturation of Co SA sites by the CO probe molecule,
leading to a gradual reduction of the peak intensity (Figures 3g
and S25).48
These observations suggest that upon CO
adsorption, all the distributed Co sites were saturated after
entailing with CO-probe molecules. The saturated sites leave
no single atomic sites available to further accommodate CO
adsorption, indicating the presence of dispersed and isolated
Co-atom sites on the catalyst. On the other hand, CO-DRIFTS
spectra of CoGML and CoCMM were significantly different
from the CoMM and CoML catalysts and did not show any
similarity with Co−N surface characterization. Since the metal
content in CoGML was significantly low, major signals can be
expected to arise from the carbonaceous scaffold (Figure S25).
In the case of CoCMM, metallic Co was embedded in
graphitized carbon nanotubes; therefore, Co sites remain
unexposed to bind with CO molecules and do not show any
appreciable change in DRIFTS spectra.
Electrocatalytic OER (1.0 M KOH) Studies. Electro-
catalytic OER studies were carried out in O2-saturated 1.0 M
KOH. When OER was evaluated from linear sweep
voltammetry (LSV), CoMM offered the lowest η10 values of
351 mV as compared to CoML (395 mV), CoCMM (446
mV), and benchmark Ir/C (494 mV) catalysts (Figure 4a).
Kinetic parameters from the Tafel slope (log j vs η) exhibit the
lowest value for CoMM (84 mV/dec) (Figures 4b and S26).
Evidently, CoMM SACs undergo OER with facile kinetics
compared to other Co counterparts due to maximum site
availability. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)
spectra at 393 mV show low Rct (charge transfer resistance) for
CoMM (13 Ω) compared to benchmark Ir/C (54 Ω), CoML
(146 Ω), and Pt/C (418 Ω), which is aligned with the
polarization and Tafel results (Figure S27).49
CoMM exhibited
a very high turnover frequency (TOF) of 0.37 O2 per Co site
per second, at 420 mV, showcasing its high intrinsic activity
compared to CoML (0.15 O2 per Co site per second) (Figure
4c). The mass activity was found to be significantly high in
CoMM (2209 mA mgCo
−1
) (Figure 4d) and its superior OER
performance is also reflected in terms of j vs η, as depicted in
Figure S28. We further measured double-layer capacitance
(Cdl) to evaluate the electrochemical surface area (ECSA) of
Co SACs (Figure S29a−e). We found a Cdl of 8.71 mF cm−2
for CoMM, almost double that of CoML (4.49 mF cm−2
),
resulting in ECSA values of 218 and 112 real/cm2
, respectively,
which is consistent with N2 isotherm results (Figures 4e and
S6). Specific activities from ECSA normalization show
enhanced OER activity of CoMM compared to CoML and a
similar trend was observed in mass activity and TOF values
(Figure S30a−c).50
The comparison of CoMM’s activity with
Figure 5. (a) Schematics of operando XAS analysis of CoMM: XANES spectra at OCV and 1.773 V vs RHE. (b) Chemical state change of CoMM
during OER showing the regeneration of the active sites. (c) OER free energy profile of pyridinic-nitrogen−cobalt (representing CoMM and
CoML) and pyrrolic-nitrogen−cobalt single-atom models. Cobalt, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms are marked as blue, brown, gray,
red, and pink, respectively. Orange highlight represents the RDSs with the values of the relevant energy barriers labeled. (d) PDOS on the Co atom
for both pyridinic-nitrogen−cobalt and pyrrolic-nitrogen−cobalt single-atom models. Electron density difference for *OH and *O intermediates on
the pyridinic model. (e) Top view and (f) side view of *OH. (g) Top view and (h) side view of *O.
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8. related M−Nx−C, hydroxides, and layered double hydroxides
(LDHs) denotes the role of populated Co atoms and their
influence on OER (Figure 4f). It is worth mentioning that
high-density N carbon/graphene-based electrocatalysts (>10%
loading) derived from metal−organic frameworks (MOFs),
metal-implanted quantum dots, and multiple-step annealing
are only explored for ORR and electrochemical CO2 reduction
reaction (eCO2RR) (Figure S31 and Table S7). The
impedance measured at OCP and (0.5 to 0.7 V) vs Ag/AgCl
display semicircle arc was shrunk with rising potentials (Figure
S32). This implies that the Co−N4 coordination in SACs as
well as the pyridinic scaffold with strong π−π* delocalization
ameliorates O-adsorption/desorption kinetics.51
A closer look
at Figure S32a−e conveys that CoMM requires a lesser
potential drive for the O-containing intermediates compared to
Ir/C and CoML catalysts.
The electrochemical stability of electrodes for long-term
operation conditions was analyzed via chronopotentiometric
study in alkaline (OER) electrolytes. Initially, the stability of
CoMM and CoML was analyzed at 10 mA cm−2
for 16 h
which showed negligible degradation in activity for OER
(Figure S33).52
Figure 4g displays long-term chronopotenti-
ometry of CoMM at 5 mA cm−2
which showed negligible
potential drop even up to 300 h of continuous electrolysis.
Similarly, CoML appears to have constant stability and
extended stability for 200 h at 5 mA cm−2
during OER
(Figure S34). We executed post-OER EIS analysis of CoMM
and compared it with other Co-counterparts. Considering
post-OER EIS of the CoMM catalyst, the change in Rct was
significantly small, implying high-scale activity and stability of
CoMM for OER (Figure S35a). A similar trend was observed
in CoML as well; however, Rct was higher, as depicted in
Figure S35b.7
The ICP-OES analysis of the electrolyte after
OER at 5, 10 mA cm−2
for 16 h and 500 CV cycles at 100 mV
s−1
using the CoMM electrode does not show any trace of Co,
corroborating that Co SA species were stably ligated to N-rich
carbonaceous framework (Table S8 and Section 4.14 in SI).
Furthermore, XPS analysis of the CoMM electrode after OER
reveals the absence of any significant changes in C 1s and N 1s
spectra; however, Co 2p spectra displayed the evolution of
Co3+
species (CoOOH), suggesting that hypervalent Co3+
participates in OER (Figure S36 and Section 4.15 in the SI).
As expected, post-OER Raman analysis does not display any
CoOOH signals due to the atomic distribution of CoOOH
species in the carbonaceous framework (Figure S37 and
Section 4.16 in the SI). From the overall OER results, CoMM
was found to deliver the best activity and stability, proving that
its high atomic Co% and π−π* delocalization electron density
play a significant role in the noteworthy performance
compared to other catalysts.11
To ensure that the generated
current was purely electrocatalytic and not due to degradation
of the carbonaceous scaffold, we collected the gaseous samples
which show O2 as a prime component and do not show any
trace of CO and CO2, validating the stable nature of the
catalysts (Figure S38)
Operando XAS Analysis and DFT Studies. We
conducted operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS)
analysis to elucidate the dynamic role of active sites in CoMM
by comparing the real-time change in the Co chemical state
between OCP and 1.773 V vs RHE in the OER region (Figures
5a and S39). The Co K-edge spectra at OCP demonstrate a
sharp rising edge due to 1s → 4p transition while 1s to 3d
dipole-forbidden transitions were almost absent, demonstrating
a high plane D4h/S4 symmetry and a square planar Co−N4
structure.53
The rising edge and white line intensity of CoMM
was identical to ex-situ measurements (Figure 3c), demon-
strating that the Co2+
square planar structure of CoMM
remains unaltered in the KOH electrolyte. When the potential
bias is applied, Co2+
is slightly oxidized to Co2+δ+
due to the
oxy-hydroxide formation, which is evident from the positive
shift of the 1s → 4p peak. Furthermore, the emergence of a
strong pre-edge feature is attributed to the forbidden 1s → 3d
transition of unfilled 3d orbitals when O is coordinated to the
Co edge sites. This pre-edge feature manifests distortion of the
centrosymmetric structure due to Co−O bonding. Upon
reversing the potential to OCP, the XANES spectrum reverts
back to the initial state, indicating the regeneration of the
active site for another −OH adsorption (Figure 5b). From the
operando XAS analysis, certainly, the pyridinic-nitrogen−
cobalt sites in the CoMM are highly pronounced toward
OER with superior activity and regenerability. As the nature of
size and spacing strongly influence the OER activity, we
analyzed the spacing between Co−Co single atoms (dCo−Co)
by employing high-magnification HAADF images. As pictured
in Figure S40, the spacing between two neighboring Co−Co
atoms was calculated to be ∼3.85 Å, revealing the densely
populated Co sites in CoMM. To further validate the obtained
spacing, we calculated dCo−Co using at % XPS and Brunauer−
Emmett−Teller (BET) surface area which showed ∼3.85 Å
dCo−Co, indicating vicinal Co decoration (Table S9).54
Previously, Jin et al. demonstrated that the distance between
two neighboring Fe−Fe atoms in graphenic scaffold directly
affects ORR performance as the dFe−Fe falls below 1.8 nm due
to the remarkable decrease in the magnetic moment and facile
M3d−O2p interaction.55
In this context, here, densely populated
CoMM with smaller dCo−Co and feasible, eg filling improves
OER activity. From the overall electrocatalytic and in-situ
structural studies, CoMM has outperformed others in terms of
dense Co sites, optimum dCo−Co, and abundant pyridinic
structures.
To evaluate whether pyridinic sites are ideal to afford the
highest OER performance, we intended to compare them with
pyrrolic sites as well. To compare pyridinic CoMM/CoML
with potentially synthesizable pyrrolic-nitrogen−cobalt single-
atom catalysts, we carried out the following DFT studies. As
depicted in Figure 5c, the M-OH adsorption is more favorable
in the pyridinic structure compared to the pyrrolic structure.
From the M-OOH formation which is a rate-determining step
(RDS), the pyrrolic-nitrogen−cobalt (2.024 eV) demonstrates
a comparable energy barrier compared to pyridinic-nitrogen−
cobalt (2.191 eV). The reaction mechanisms as well as the
reaction intermediates for both SA models are illustrated in
Figures S41−42, while the energy values of different
adsorption systems are summarized in Table S10. These
observations suggest that pyrrolic-nitrogen−cobalt sites (if
synthesizable) might deliver a slightly better OER than
pyridinic-nitrogen−cobalt sites. However, the synthesized
pyrrolic-nitrogen-rich catalysts (CoGML, CoCML, and
CoCMM) contain either a substantially lower Co content or
metallic Co NPs, thus displaying inferior performance. To
verify this, the projected density of states (PDOS) on Co in
pyrrolic and pyridinic-nitrogen−cobalt SA models was also
constructed (Figure 5d). PDOS indicates that the pyrrolic one
possesses a d-band center closer to the Fermi level, leading to
stronger bonding between the oxygenated adsorbates and Co
compared to the pyridinic model.56
Bader charge analysis and
Journal of the American Chemical Society pubs.acs.org/JACS Article
https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c00537
J. Am. Chem. Soc. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
H
9. the charge density difference plots for the *OH and *O
intermediates at the RDS (Figures 5e−h and S43−44)
demonstrate that the pyrrolic structure enhances electron
transfer from cobalt to oxygen for *OH. However, the electron
transfer for *O was similar in both pyridinic and pyrrolic
models. A similar trend was also observed in the charge density
difference plots, where the electron transfer from cobalt to
oxygen is larger (i.e., the cyan and yellow regions are more
separate) for *OH on the pyrrolic structure (Figure S44a,b)
compared with the pyridinic structure (Figure 5e,f), while the
charge density difference plots remain similar for *O in both
structures. Therefore, our DFT results demonstrate compara-
ble performance in both pyridinic and pyrrolic Co SACs and
posit feasibility of slight improvements for the pyrrolic
structure.
■ CONCLUSIONS
In summary, this work describes an improved synthesis
protocol of high-density Co SA sites (10.6 wt %) in pyridinic
N-rich graphenic networks using planar CoPc and melem
monomers. The direct fusion of melem’s C6N7 units and CoPc
yielded Co SA sites stabilized in a N-rich conjugated
carbonaceous scaffold, actuating better charge transport during
electrocatalysis. The synchrotron-based WAXS eliminates the
occurrence of any subnanometric clustering while the fitting of
scattering data confirms pyridinic Co−N4 entities embedded
on the carbonaceous scaffold. The isolated Co center promotes
highly efficient and stable (>300 h) electrocatalytic OER. With
synergistic metal−support interactions, the catalysts can reach
a mass activity/TOF as high as 2209 mA mgCo
−1
at 1.65 V/
0.37 s−1
. Operando XANES analysis probed the facile
formation of an electron-deficient Co−O intermediate state.
Bader charge analysis, density of states, and DFT studies reveal
that Co−N4 SACs are potential candidates for the OER in
terms of lower free energy changes and favorable electronic
transport. These findings may inspire research in the rational
design of high-concentration OER SA electrocatalysts to
replace noble metal-based catalysts. Beyond electrocatalysis,
the extension of the devised synthetic protocol will also enable
fabrication of other high-density metallic SACs to catalyze
state-of-the-art reactions at the industrial scale.
■ ASSOCIATED CONTENT
*
sı Supporting Information
The Supporting Information is available free of charge at
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.3c00537.
Experimental details (materials and characterization);
synthesis; FE-SEM, HR-TEM, AC-HAADF STEM,
EELS, WAXS, XPS, XRD, Raman, and FTIR spectros-
copy; N2 adsorption−desorption isotherm; soft X-ray,
XANES, EXAFS, EPR, and CO-DRIFT spectroscopy;
electrochemical measurements (LSV, Tafel, ECSA, EIS,
and chronopotentiometry); GC chromatograms; oper-
ando XANES setup; and DFT analysis (PDF)
■ AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Authors
Pawan Kumar − Department of Chemical and Petroleum
Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N
1N4, Canada; orcid.org/0000-0003-2804-9298;
Email: pawan.kumar@ucalgary.ca
Jinguang Hu − Department of Chemical and Petroleum
Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N
1N4, Canada; orcid.org/0000-0001-8033-7102;
Email: jinguang.hu@ucalgary.ca
Md Golam Kibria − Department of Chemical and Petroleum
Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N
1N4, Canada; orcid.org/0000-0003-3105-5576;
Email: md.kibria@ucalgary.ca
Authors
Karthick Kannimuthu − Department of Chemical and
Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary,
Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
Ali Shayesteh Zeraati − Department of Chemical and
Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary,
Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
Soumyabrata Roy − Department of Materials Science and
NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77030,
United States; orcid.org/0000-0003-3540-1341
Xiao Wang − Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill
University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C5, Canada; Present
Address: Department of Chemical Engineering,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge,
Massachusetts 02139, United States (X.W.); orcid.org/
0000-0003-1624-8230
Xiyang Wang − Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics
Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology,
Materials Interface Foundry, University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada; orcid.org/0000-
0002-7591-6676
Subhajyoti Samanta − Department of Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem,
Pennsylvania 18015, United States; Present
Address: Department of Chemical Sciences (DCS), Tata
Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai
400005, India (S.S.)
Kristen A. Miller − Department of Materials Science and
NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77030,
United States; orcid.org/0000-0002-5694-3169
Maria Molina − Department of Chemical and Petroleum
Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N
1N4, Canada; Department of Chemistry, University of
Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
Dhwanil Trivedi − Department of Chemical and Petroleum
Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N
1N4, Canada
Jehad Abed − Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S
3G4, Canada; orcid.org/0000-0003-1387-2740
M. Astrid Campos Mata − Department of Materials Science
and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas
77030, United States
Hasan Al-Mahayni − Department of Chemical Engineering,
McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C5, Canada
Jonas Baltrusaitis − Department of Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem,
Pennsylvania 18015, United States; orcid.org/0000-
0001-5634-955X
George Shimizu − Department of Chemistry, University of
Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada; orcid.org/
0000-0003-3697-9890
Yimin A. Wu − Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics
Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology,
Journal of the American Chemical Society pubs.acs.org/JACS Article
https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c00537
J. Am. Chem. Soc. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
I
10. Materials Interface Foundry, University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada; orcid.org/0000-
0002-3807-8431
Ali Seifitokaldani − Department of Chemical Engineering,
McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C5, Canada;
orcid.org/0000-0002-7169-1537
Edward H. Sargent − Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S
3G4, Canada; orcid.org/0000-0003-0396-6495
Pulickel M. Ajayan − Department of Materials Science and
NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77030,
United States; orcid.org/0000-0001-8323-7860
Complete contact information is available at:
https://pubs.acs.org/10.1021/jacs.3c00537
Author Contributions
○
K.K. and A.S.Z. have contributed equally.
Notes
The authors declare no competing financial interest.
■ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to thank the University of Calgary’s
CFREF fund for financial assistance. We are also thankful to
Drs. Natalie Hamada and Brian Langelier at the CCEM,
McMaster University for technical support in imaging and
EELS. The authors would like to thank Canadian Light Source
(CLS), Saskatchewan, for providing beamline access (Project:
35G12344). Drs. Ning Chen, Adam F. G. Leontowich, Beatriz
Diaz-Moreno, Jay Dynes, Tom Regier, and Zachary Arthur are
kindly acknowledged for their help in the soft/hard X-ray
analysis and WAXS measurements. Singapore synchrotron
facility is acknowledged for the soft-X-ray analysis. We are also
thankful to Drs. Maryam Razi and Ted Roberts for allowing to
use the CPE RITS shared facility for the ICP-OES analysis. Dr.
Ramaswami Sammynaiken and Mr. Eli Wiens, Saskatchewan
Structural Sciences Centre, University of Saskatchewan,
Canada, are acknowledged for allowing to use the EPR facility.
This work by J.B. was supported as part of UNCAGE-ME, an
Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S.
Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy
Sciences under Award No. DE-SC0012577. We would also
acknowledge the support by Calcul Quebec, Compute Canada,
and the Digital Research Alliance of Canada for the
computations carried out in this study. A.S. would like to
acknowledge the support from the Canada Research Chair
(950-23288), NSERC Discovery Grant (RGPIN-2020-04960),
and FRQNT New Researchers Fund (2021-NC-283234).
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