Gao-Ren Li

Herein, we report a strategy to enhance the π-back-donation capability of Fe ₁ anchored on N-doped carbon by employing ZnSe as an electron donor for ORR. The prepared Fe ₁ -NC@ZnSe exhibits a high half-wave potential of 0.93 V in 0.1 M KOH.

High-performance CuO/SiO ₂ catalyst was fabricated for CO ₂ electroreduction to ethylene. Oxygen vacancies in catalyst can strengthen *CO adsorption, optimize CO dimerization barrier, and thus promote C–C coupling toward multi-carbon products.

This design-oriented review surveys acidic eCO ₂ RR to C ₂ ⁺ products via catalyst design, interfacial microenvironment regulation, and device engineering, highlighting challenges and opportunities for stable, scalable CO ₂ reduction in acidic media.

Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NO ₃ ⁻ RR) for ammonia synthesis is extremely compatible with the concept of green development as it enables both low carbon emission and low energy consumption ammonia (NH ₃ ) production, as well as the treatment of pollution in wastewater. However, the unavoidable competing reactions present in the NO ₃ ⁻ RR process and adsorption limitations of the reactants on the surface hinder the effective activation of nitrate and affect the efficient NH ₃ synthesis. Herein, the high‐performance V _P ‐ CoP/Co(OH) ₂ heterojunction catalysts for enhancing NO ₃ ⁻ RR competition in the NO ₃ ⁻ to NH ₃ conversion process was skillfully constructed by successfully growing Co(OH) ₂ nanosheets on P vacancy‐rich CoP via an electrochemical in situ reconfiguration strategy. The optimized V _P ‐CoP/Co(OH) ₂ exhibits excellent electrocatalytic performance of NO ₃ ⁻ RR at −0.1 V vs. RHE, corresponding to an NH ₃ Faraday efficiency of 96.60% and an NH ₃ yield of 0.091 mmol h ⁻¹ cm ⁻² , with a favorable stability. Combination of experimental studies and theoretical calculations demonstrates that P vacancies modify the coordination environment of the Co sites, which in turn modulates the electronic structure and accelerates the charge transfer rate. Heterojunctions, on the other hand, lead to a reconfiguration of the electronic structure at the interface, inducing a further accumulation of charge at the Co active sites. The synergy of both further activates the electronic states around the Co sites, which causes the d‐band center moving toward the Fermi energy level, further enhancing the adsorption of NO ₃ ⁻ and promoting the reduction of NO ₃ ⁻ . This work focuses on modulating the electronic structure of the Co active sites to enhance its NO ₃ ⁻ RR electrocatalytic performance, thus delivering a viable pathway for NO ₃ ⁻ to NH ₃ high‐efficiency conversion.

In recent years, zinc‐air battery (ZAB) has received great attention because of their high energy density, low manufacturing cost, environmental friendliness, and high safety. The main obstacle to the widespread use of ZAB is the design and preparation of low‐priced and high‐performance electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, the paired Fe single‐atoms with Se, N‐atom coordination supported on N, S‐codoped carbon (FeN _x Se _y @SNC) are designed and synthesized as catalyst for ZABs. The physical and chemical characterizations indicate the existence of paired Fe single‐atoms. The FeN _x Se _y @SNC exhibits exceptional ORR catalytic activity with a half‐wave potential ( E _1/2 ) of up to 0.92 V _RHE and an onset potential ( E _onset ) of 1.057 V _RHE and a overpotential of 346 mV for OER at 10 mA cm ⁻² . The FeN _x Se _y @SNC‐based ZAB shows a high peak power density of 307 mW cm ⁻² at 475 mA cm ⁻² , a high specific energy density of 760.9 mAh g ⁻¹ at 10 mA cm ⁻² , and superior long‐term durability. DFT reveal that the asymmetric Fe─Se─Fe bridging bonds and S‐atom coordination in the Fe ₂ N ₅ SeS allow precise control of Fe active sites, and can well modulate the electronic properties of Fe sites, optimize the adsorption energies of oxygen intermediates and improve catalytic performance.

Although platinum (Pt) is an excellent electrocatalyst, its high price hinders its widespread application. So, developing a clean and efficient noble metal-free electrocatalyst is urgent for electrochemical energy conversion. Recently, researchers have focused on polyaniline (PANI)-based catalysts to replace noble metal catalysts for targeted >2e⁻ product reactions crucial for electrochemical energy conversion. This review introduces the importance of PANI, especially the catalytic performance of PANI-based catalysts in different electrochemical reactions, including the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR), etc. Because of its unique redox properties, high conductivity, high stability, ease of synthesis, and low cost, PANI can serve as an effective support for catalysts to enhance their catalytic performance. Then, based on our understanding of the catalytic mechanism, we discuss regulatory strategies for improving catalytic performance by enhancing the intrinsic activity of active sites and increasing the active surface area through the use of PANI. Finally, in response to the shortcomings of PANI composite catalysts in each catalytic reaction, we have identified the key issues and challenges for their future development.

This review clearly elucidates the lineage of the development of NO₃⁻RR from the theoretical mechanism to practical reactions and deepens the understanding of NO₃⁻RR, pointing out the direction for the advanced design of NO₃⁻RR electrocatalysts.

Our study highlights that the Cr-doped NiSe ₂ as catalyst for UOR that replaces OER for water splitting shows excellent catalytic performance, i.e. , efficient hydrogen production at a current density of 10 mA cm ⁻² with a cell voltage of only 1.42 V.