Exploring Bi₂Te₃ Nanoplates as Versatile Catalysts for Electrochemical Reduction of Small Molecules

Abstract

The electroreduction of small molecules to high value‐added chemicals is considered as a promising way toward the capture and utilization of atmospheric small molecules. Discovering cheap and efficient electrocatalysts with simultaneously high activity, selectivity, durability, and even universality is desirable yet challenging. Herein, it is demonstrated that Bi2Te3 nanoplates (NPs), cheap and noble‐metal‐free electrocatalysts, can be adopted as highly universal and robust electrocatalysts, which can efficiently reduce small molecules (O2, CO2, and N2) into targeted products simultaneously. They can achieve excellent activity, selectivity and durability for the oxygen reduction reaction with almost 100% H2O2 selectivity, the CO2 reduction reaction with up to 90% Faradaic efficiency (FE) of HCOOH, and the nitrogen reduction reaction with 7.9% FE of NH3. After electrochemical activation, an obvious Te dissolution happens on the Bi2Te3 NPs, creating lots of Te vacancies in the activated Bi2Te3 NPs. Theoretical calculations reveal that the Te vacancies can modulate the electronic structures of Bi and Te. Such a highly electroactive surface with a strong preference in supplying electrons for the universal reduction reactions improves the electrocatalytic performance of Bi2Te3. The work demonstrates a new class of cheap and versatile catalysts for the electrochemical reduction of small molecules with potential practical applications.

Recent Progress of Ultrathin 2D Pd‐Based Nanomaterials for Fuel Cell Electrocatalysis

“…This indicates that the ORR presents a complex mechanism and undesirable side reactions, which results in a high activation energy and overpotential, and ultimately, a low electrocatalytic performance of working devices. [ 111–114 ] Therefore, a deeper understanding of the ORR mechanism is very important. The complete electrochemical ORR involves four coupled proton and electron transfers, which result in several reaction pathways: 1)the direct four‐electron electroreduction of OH − ions or H 2 O (in basic or acidic solution, respectively), 2)a two‐electron reaction pathway for the electroreduction of O 2 to H 2 O 2 , 3)a combination of four and two‐electron transfer reduction reactions, 4)an associative mechanism involving the adsorption of O 2 and direct proton/electron transfer to O 2 and OOH group, which leads to the formation of atomic O and OH groups, 5)a dissociative mechanism, which includes the cleavage of OO bonds of O 2 and the hydrogenation of atomic O and OH groups to H 2 O. …”

Gd-doped CuBi2O4/CuO heterojunction film photocathodes for photoelectrochemical H2O2 production through oxygen reduction

“…Considering that various Cu-based materials such as complexes [36], compounds [37], and alloys have been widely used to electrocatalytic ORR [38], while there are few Bi-based electrocatalysts for ORR [39], we speculated that Cu is more likely the active site, instead of Bi, for ORR in ternary CBO. In order to prove the role of Cu site in the heterojunction, KSCN poisoning test was operated.…”

Organic Electrochemistry: Molecular Syntheses with Potential

“…Electrochemical conversion of small molecules has indeed thrived within recent years; however, there have been limited efforts to further utilize them in organic synthesis. 130 Introducing CO 2 as a C1 synthon provides a greener alternative for organic synthesis in conjunction with electrochemical methods. The global outlook for chemical synthesis has been reaching out far for more renewable methodologies and chemical sources, and we expect more advances to be made in this direction toward efficient conversion of CO 2 and N 2 to useful synthetic materials.…”