No abstract

Recently, research on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) serving as a new type of proton conductive material has resulted in many exciting achievements. However, direct observation of a well-established proton-transfer mechanism still remains challenging in MOFs and other crystalline compounds, let alone other conductive materials. Herein we report the solvothermal synthesis of a new proton-conducting MOF, (MeNH)[Eu(L)] (HL = 5-(phosphonomethyl)isophthalic acid). The compound consists of a layered anionic framework [Eu(L)] and interlayer-embedded counter cations (MeNH), which interact with adjacent uncoordinated O atoms of phosphonate groups to form strongly (N-H···O) hydrogen-bonded chains aligned parallel to the c-axis. Facile proton transfer along these chains endows the compound with single-crystal anhydrous conductivity of 1.25 × 10 S·cm at 150 °C, and water-assisted proton conductivity for a compacted pellet of microcrystalline crystals attains 3.76 × 10 S·cm at 100 °C and 98% relative humidity (RH). Proton dynamics (vibrating and transfer) within N-H···O chains of the compound are directly observed using a combination of anisotropic conductivity measurements and control experiments using large single-crystals and pelletized samples, in situ variable-temperature characterization techniques including powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD), diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectrum (DRIFTS), and variable-temperature photoluminescence. In particular, a scarce single-crystal to single-crystal (SCSC) transformation accompanied by proton transfer between an anionic structure (MeNH)[Eu(L)] and an identical neutral framework [Eu(HL)] has been identified.

Single-site catalysts feature high catalytic activity but their facile construction and durable utilization are highly challenging. Herein, we report a simple impregnation-adsorption method to construct platinum single-site catalysts by synergic micropore trapping and nitrogen anchoring on hierarchical nitrogen-doped carbon nanocages. The optimal catalyst exhibits a record-high electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance with low overpotential, high mass activity and long stability, much superior to the platinum-based catalysts to date. Theoretical simulations and experiments reveal that the micropores with edge-nitrogen-dopants favor the formation of isolated platinum atoms by the micropore trapping and nitrogen anchoring of [PtCl 6 ] 2- , followed by the spontaneous dechlorination. The platinum-nitrogen bonds are more stable than the platinum-carbon ones in the presence of adsorbed hydrogen atoms, leading to the superior hydrogen evolution stability of platinum single-atoms on nitrogen-doped carbon. This method has been successfully applied to construct the single-site catalysts of other precious metals such as palladium, gold and iridium.

Monolayer-protected atomically precise silver clusters display low photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield (QY) and susceptibility under ambient conditions, and their chiroptical activities also remain underdeveloped. Here, we report enantiomers of an octahedral Ag6 cluster prepared via one-step synthesis using designed chiral ligands at ambient temperature. These clusters exhibit a highest PLQY (300 K) >95.0% and retain their structural integrity and emission up to 150°C in air. Atomically precise structural determination combined with photophysical and computational analysis revealed that thermally activated delayed fluorescence, observed in silver cluster systems, is responsible for the high PLQY, which combines chirality in excited states to generate strong circularly polarized luminescence. These unprecedented findings open up horizons of investigation of monolayer-protected silver clusters for future luminescence applications.

A series of novel ordered hierarchically micro-and mesoporous Fe−N x -embedded graphitic architectures (Fe−N−GC) are directly prepared by the simple pyrolysis of the different nitrogen heterocyclic compounds and iron chlorides in the confined mesochannels of SBA-15. Among these porous Fe−N−GC materials, the sample prepared by heating 2,2-bipyridine and Fe chelates at 900 °C shows the more positive ORR onset potential and half-wave potential (E 1/2) values than commercial Pt−C catalysts in 0.1 M KOH, which illustrate that it is one of the most-promising nonprecious metal catalysts (NPMCs) among the reported NMPCs in alkaline medium. Moreover, unlike nitrogen-doped carbons and Co 3 O 4 /carbon composites, high ORR current density (5.2 mA cm −2 , 0.6 V) over this Fe−N−GC electrode with catalyst loading of 0.6 mg cm −2 can be also obtained in 0.1 M HClO 4 acidic solution, which is about 0.6 mA cm −2 larger than that over the electrode of commercial Pt/C with 20 μg Pt cm −2 loading. In addition, the effective embedding of active moieties in the graphitic frameworks and a direct four-electron reduction pathway in ORR contributes to its high durability in both alkaline and acidic media. Its excellent ORR activity should be ascribed to the optimized balance between active site density and capability for mass and charge transport. Such hierarchically porous Fe−N x −graphitic materials hold great promise for the practical utilization in cathode catalyst layers of proton exchange membrane fuel cells.

Silver cluster-assembled materials (SCAMs), by virtue of their tunable structure, accessible surface area and excellent stability, hold great promise as highly efficient catalysts. Herein, we report a new SCAM [Ag12(S t Bu)6(CF3COO)3(TPyP)] n (denoted as Ag12TPyP) composed of a Ag12 chalcogenolate cluster core stabilized by porphyrinic ligands. Ag12TPyP showed superior sulfur mustard simulant (2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide, CEES) degradation efficiency and achieved a half lifetime (t 1/2) of 1.5 min with 100% selectivity. The experimental results demonstrated that synergistic effects between the silver cluster and photosensitizer ligand promote the efficiency of the generation of singlet oxygen (1O2), which accelerates the decontamination rate. Additionally, benefiting from strong affinity between the silver cluster and CEES, Ag12TPyP exhibits a CEES uptake of 74.2 mg g–1. This work demonstrates that SCAMs offer a new route to the rational design of novel materials for the detoxification of mustard gas.

Previous density-functional theory (DFT) calculations show that sub-nanometric Cu clusters (i.e., 13 atoms) favorably generate CH 4 from the CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR), but experimental evidence is lacking. Herein, a facile impregnation-calcination route towards Cu clusters, having a diameter of about 1.0 nm with about 10 atoms, was developed by double confinement of carbon defects and micropores. These Cu clusters enable high selectivity for the CO 2 RR with a maximum Faraday efficiency of 81.7 % for CH 4. Calculations and experimental results show that the Cu clusters enhance the adsorption of *H and *CO intermediates, thus promoting generation of CH 4 rather than H 2 and CO. The strong interactions between the Cu clusters and defective carbon optimize the electronic structure of the Cu clusters for selectivity and stability towards generation of CH 4. Provided here is the first experimental evidence that sub-nanometric Cu clusters facilitate the production of CH 4 from the CO 2 RR.

The improved interface compatibility and proton conduction of hybrid membranes of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and chitosan (CS) are obtained by tuning the functional sulfonic substituent group and guest acids of MOFs.