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Electron Configuration of Multielectron Atoms03:26

Electron Configuration of Multielectron Atoms

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The alkali metal sodium (atomic number 11) has one more electron than the neon atom. This electron must go into the lowest-energy subshell available, the 3s orbital, giving a 1s22s22p63s1 configuration. The electrons occupying the outermost shell orbital(s) (highest value of n) are called valence electrons, and those occupying the inner shell orbitals are called core electrons. Since the core electron shells correspond to noble gas electron configurations, we can abbreviate electron...
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Alkali Metals03:06

Alkali Metals

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Group 1 elements are soft and shiny metallic solids. They are malleable, ductile, and good conductors of heat and electricity. The melting points of the alkali metals are unusually low for metals and decrease going down the group, while the density increases going down the group with the exception of potassium (Table 1).
Table 1: Properties of the alkali metals
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Redox Reactions01:24

Redox Reactions

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Oxidation-reduction or redox reactions involve the transfer of electrons from one molecule or atom to another. When an atom gains an electron, another atom must lose an electron, meaning oxidation and reduction must occur together. Since the redox occurs in pairs, the atom that gets oxidized is also called the reducing agent or reductant, and the atom that is reduced is also called the oxidizing agent or oxidant. A straightforward way to remember the definitions of oxidation and reduction is...
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Electrolysis03:00

Electrolysis

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In a galvanic cell, the electrical work is done by a redox system on its surroundings as electrons produced by the spontaneous redox reactions are transferred through an external circuit. Alternatively, an external circuit does work on a redox system by imposing a voltage sufficient to drive an otherwise nonspontaneous reaction in a process known as electrolysis. For instance, recharging a battery involves the use of an external power source to drive the spontaneous (discharge) cell reaction in...
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Oxidation of Alkenes: Syn Dihydroxylation with Potassium Permanganate02:21

Oxidation of Alkenes: Syn Dihydroxylation with Potassium Permanganate

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Alkenes can be dihydroxylated using potassium permanganate.  The method encompasses the reaction of an alkene with a cold, dilute solution of potassium permanganate under basic conditions to form a cis-diol along with a brown precipitate of manganese dioxide.
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Lewis Structures of Molecular Compounds and Polyatomic Ions02:54

Lewis Structures of Molecular Compounds and Polyatomic Ions

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To draw Lewis structures for complicated molecules and molecular ions, it is helpful to follow a step-by-step procedure as outlined:
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Updated: Jul 17, 2025

Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
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S-Block Potassium Single-atom Electrocatalyst with K-N4 Configuration Derived from K+ /Polydopamine for Efficient

Niankun Guo1, Hui Xue1, Rui Ren2

  • 1College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, P. R. China.

Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|September 8, 2023
PubMed
Summary

This study introduces the first s-block potassium single-atom catalyst (K-SAC) for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). This novel catalyst demonstrates high activity and stability, paving the way for new catalyst designs.

Keywords:
Bifunctional Active SitesOxygen ReductionS-Block Metal KS-Orbital Electron StructureSingle Atom

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Electrochemistry
  • Catalysis

Background:

  • Single-atom catalysts (SACs) typically utilize transition metals, while s-block elements are considered catalytically inactive due to their electronic structures.
  • The exploration of non-traditional elements for catalysis remains a significant challenge in materials science.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report the first s-block potassium single-atom catalyst (K-SAC) with a K-N4 configuration for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).
  • To investigate the catalytic activity, stability, and mechanism of the K-SAC in alkaline media.
  • To demonstrate the potential of s-block elements in designing advanced catalytic materials.

Main Methods:

  • Synthesis and characterization of the potassium single-atom catalyst supported on nitrogen-doped carbon (K-N-C).
  • Electrochemical evaluation of the K-N-C for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline solution.
  • Durability testing in a zinc-air battery.
  • Density functional theory (DFT) and crystal orbital Hamilton population (COHP) calculations to elucidate the catalytic mechanism.

Main Results:

  • The K-N-C catalyst achieved a high half-wave potential (E1/2) of 0.908 V for ORR with exceptional stability over 10,000 cycles.
  • The catalyst exhibited a remarkable power density of 158.1 mW cm⁻² and durability of 420 h in a Zn-air battery.
  • DFT and COHP analyses revealed bifunctional active sites (K and C) and highlighted the crucial role of potassium's s-orbitals in ORR intermediate adsorption, differing from transition metals.

Conclusions:

  • The development of the s-block K-SAC challenges the conventional view of s-block element inertness in catalysis.
  • The K-N-C catalyst shows promising performance for ORR, comparable to state-of-the-art transition metal-based SACs.
  • This work provides critical insights for the rational design and mechanistic understanding of novel s-block single-atom catalysts.