Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation02:13

Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation

12.6K
Alkenes undergo reduction by the addition of molecular hydrogen to give alkanes. Because the process generally occurs in the presence of a transition-metal catalyst, the reaction is called catalytic hydrogenation.
Metals like palladium, platinum, and nickel are commonly used in their solid forms — fine powder on an inert surface. As these catalysts remain insoluble in the reaction mixture, they are referred to as heterogeneous catalysts.
The hydrogenation process takes place on the...
12.6K
Acid-Catalyzed Hydration of Alkenes02:45

Acid-Catalyzed Hydration of Alkenes

15.2K
Alkenes react with water in the presence of an acid to form an alcohol. In the absence of acid, hydration of alkenes does not occur at a significant rate, and the acid is not consumed in the reaction. Therefore, alkene hydration is an acid-catalyzed reaction.
15.2K
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation02:17

Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation

3.5K
Catalytic hydrogenation of alkenes is a transition-metal catalyzed reduction of the double bond using molecular hydrogen to give alkanes. The mode of hydrogen addition follows syn stereochemistry.
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...
3.5K
Esters to Carboxylic Acids: Acid-Catalyzed Hydrolysis01:13

Esters to Carboxylic Acids: Acid-Catalyzed Hydrolysis

3.2K
Hydrolysis of esters under acidic conditions proceeds through a nucleophilic acyl substitution. In the presence of excess water, the reaction proceeds in a reversible manner, forming carboxylic acids and alcohols.
During hydrolysis, the ester is first activated towards nucleophilic attack through the protonation of the carboxyl oxygen atom by the acid catalyst. The protonation makes the ester carbonyl carbon more electrophilic. In the next step, water acts as a nucleophile and adds to the...
3.2K
Leveling Effect01:29

Leveling Effect

941
In acid-base chemistry, the leveling effect refers to the limitation imposed by the solvent on the strength of acids and bases in solution. When a base stronger than the solvent's conjugate base is used, it deprotonates the solvent until the base is entirely consumed, making it ineffective against weaker acids. Conversely, an acid stronger than the solvent's conjugate acid protonates the solvent until the acid is depleted, rendering it ineffective against weaker bases. Essentially, the...
941
Acid Halides to Carboxylic Acids: Hydrolysis01:01

Acid Halides to Carboxylic Acids: Hydrolysis

2.9K
Hydrolysis of acid halides is a nucleophilic acyl substitution reaction in which acid halides react with water to give carboxylic acids. The reaction occurs readily and does not require acid or a base catalyst.
As shown below, the mechanism involves a nucleophilic attack by water at the carbonyl carbon to form a tetrahedral intermediate. This is followed by the reformation of the carbon–oxygen π bond along with the departure of a halide ion. A final proton transfer step yields carboxylic...
2.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The role of AI-assisted drug repurposing in neurological disorders: a systematic review of validation strategies, challenges and opportunities.

Journal of nanobiotechnology·2026
Same author

[Corrigendum] Effect of SDF‑1/CXCR4 axis on the migration of transplanted bone mesenchymal stem cells mobilized by erythropoietin toward lesion sites following spinal cord injury.

International journal of molecular medicine·2026
Same author

Genomic Insights into the Transmission Dynamics and Virulence of Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in the ICU: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Journal of global antimicrobial resistance·2026
Same author

Nano-Antenna Reactors With Spatially Coordinated Microenvironments Enable Atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> Photoreduction to C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>6</sub>.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2026
Same author

A Comparison Between Two Different Directions of Landmark-Guided Femoral Vein Puncture: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial.

Anesthesiology research and practice·2026
Same author

Net Carbon Sink Potential of Porous Vegetated Concrete: A Life-Cycle Assessment.

Materials (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 26, 2025

A Simple, Low-cost, and Robust System to Measure the Volume of Hydrogen Evolved by Chemical Reactions with Aqueous Solutions
06:32

A Simple, Low-cost, and Robust System to Measure the Volume of Hydrogen Evolved by Chemical Reactions with Aqueous Solutions

Published on: August 17, 2016

19.8K

Engineering a local acid-like environment in alkaline medium for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction.

Hao Tan1, Bing Tang1, Ying Lu1

  • 1National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230029, P. R. China.

Nature Communications
|April 20, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Researchers engineered a local acid-like environment in alkaline solution using platinum nanoparticles on magnesium oxide nanosheets. This strategy significantly boosted hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance, demonstrating a novel approach to catalyst design.

More Related Videos

Hydrogen Production and Utilization in a Membrane Reactor
10:00

Hydrogen Production and Utilization in a Membrane Reactor

Published on: March 10, 2023

2.6K
Self-standing Electrochemical Set-up to Enrich Anode-respiring Bacteria On-site
05:29

Self-standing Electrochemical Set-up to Enrich Anode-respiring Bacteria On-site

Published on: July 24, 2018

7.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 26, 2025

A Simple, Low-cost, and Robust System to Measure the Volume of Hydrogen Evolved by Chemical Reactions with Aqueous Solutions
06:32

A Simple, Low-cost, and Robust System to Measure the Volume of Hydrogen Evolved by Chemical Reactions with Aqueous Solutions

Published on: August 17, 2016

19.8K
Hydrogen Production and Utilization in a Membrane Reactor
10:00

Hydrogen Production and Utilization in a Membrane Reactor

Published on: March 10, 2023

2.6K
Self-standing Electrochemical Set-up to Enrich Anode-respiring Bacteria On-site
05:29

Self-standing Electrochemical Set-up to Enrich Anode-respiring Bacteria On-site

Published on: July 24, 2018

7.8K

Area of Science:

  • Electrochemistry
  • Materials Science
  • Catalysis

Background:

  • Tuning the local reaction environment is crucial for optimizing electrochemical catalyst performance.
  • Engineering catalysts with specific local environments remains a significant challenge in electrochemistry.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a strategy for intentionally engineering the local reaction environment to create highly active catalysts.
  • To demonstrate the creation of a local acid-like environment in an alkaline medium using platinum nanoparticles on magnesium oxide nanosheets.
  • To achieve excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performances via this engineered environment.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing platinum (Pt) nanoparticles supported on oxygen vacancy-enriched magnesium oxide (MgO) nanosheets.
  • Employing operando Raman, synchrotron radiation infrared, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy to characterize the local environment.
  • Investigating the role of oxygen vacancies and F centers in MgO for catalyst activation.

Main Results:

  • Successfully created a local acid-like environment in an alkaline medium.
  • Observed the emergence and accumulation of hydronium ion (H3O+) intermediates around Pt sites.
  • Demonstrated excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performances with the engineered catalyst.
  • Identified MgO's oxygen vacancies facilitating H2O dissociation and F centers transferring electrons to Pt, forming electron-enriched Ptδ- species.

Conclusions:

  • The engineered local acid-like environment, characterized by H3O+ accumulation around Ptδ- nanoparticles, is key to enhanced HER performance.
  • Oxygen vacancy-rich MgO and electron-enriched Ptδ- species are critical components for establishing this unique catalytic environment.
  • This approach offers a novel strategy for designing advanced electrocatalysts by precisely controlling the local reaction milieu.