A bis-diphosphine nickel complex with tert-butyl functionalized pendant amines [Ni(P(Cy)(2)N(t-Bu)(2))(2)](2+) has been synthesized. It is a highly active electrocatalyst for the oxidation of hydrogen in the presence of base. The turnover rate of 50 s(-1) under 1.0 atm H(2) at a potential of -0.77 V vs. the ferrocene couple is 5 times faster than the rate reported heretofore for any other synth...

A major impediment to the commercialization of fuel cell technology is the low activity of platinum electrocatalyst used for oxygen reduction. Pt has been alloyed with transition metals like Ni, Co etc, which show higher activity, compared to pure Pt. However, Pt remains, an expensive metal of low abundance, and hence, finding a non-noble-metal alternative is of interest. The overall objective ...

The ability to simultaneously observe surface and bulk changes at the nanometerscale is much desired in materials research. We describe a simultaneous in-situ SEM/ STEM study of the Pt/C electrocatalyst for polymer electrolyte fuel cells in a gaseous atmosphere, which was carried out using a Hitachi HF 3300 60-300 kV cold-FEG TEM equipped with SEM and STEM imaging capability. A gas injection-he...

Density functional theory calculations are performed on 38 and 79 metal atom truncated octahedron clusters to study oxygen dissociation as a model for the initial stage of the oxygen reduction reaction. Pure platinum and alloyed platinum-titanium core-shell systems are investigated. It is found that barrierless oxygen dissociation occurs on the (111) facet of the pure platinum clusters. A barri...

3D and porous reduced graphene oxide (rGO) catalysts have been prepared with sp3-hybridized 1,4-diaminobutane (sp3-DABu, rGO-sp3-rGO) and sp2-hybridized 1,4-diaminobenzene (sp2-DABe, rGO-sp2-rGO) through a covalent amidation and have employed as a metal-free electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline media. Both compounds have used as a junction between functionalized rGO l...

Here we report simultaneous screening of bimetallic electrocatalyst candidates for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) using bipolar electrochemistry. The analysis is carried out by dispensing different bimetallic precursor compositions onto the cathodic poles of an array of bipolar electrodes (BPEs) and then heating them in a reducing atmosphere to yield the catalyst candidates. Because BPEs d...

The development of synthetic systems for the conversion of solar energy into chemical fuels is a research goal that continues to attract growing interest owing to its potential to provide renewable and storable energy in the form of a 'solar fuel'. Dye-sensitised photocatalysis (DSP) with molecular catalysts is a relatively new approach to convert sunlight into a fuel such as H2 and is based on...

Developing efficient, low-cost, and stable carbon-based catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) to replace the expensive platinum-based electrocatalysts remains a major challenge that hamper the practical application of fuel cells. Here, we report that N, Fe, and S co-doped nanoporous carbon material, derived via a facile one-step pyrolysis of sewage sludge, the major byproduct of wastewa...

BACKGROUND Electro-oxidation of methanol in acidic solution was investigated on a Pt/SnO2 based electrocatalyst obtained by the sol-gel method. Pt/SnO2 systems were prepared by one pot synthesis using a sol-gel method and tin (IV) acetate as a precursor of SnO2 and water solution of hexachloroplatinum acid as a source of metallic phase. RESULTS The described method, thanks to its simplicity a...

Development of efficient, affordable electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction and the oxygen reduction reaction is critical for rechargeable metal-air batteries. Here we present lithium cobalt oxide, synthesized at 400 °C (designated as LT-LiCoO2) that adopts a lithiated spinel structure, as an inexpensive, efficient electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction. The catalytic act...