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Main group elements in electrochemical hydrogen evolution and carbon dioxide reduction.
Soumalya Sinha1, Jianbing Jimmy Jiang1
1Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, P.O. Box 210172, Cincinnati, Ohio 45221, USA. jianbing.jiang@uc.edu.
Chemical Communications (Cambridge, England)
|September 11, 2023
Summary
Main-group elements are emerging as versatile catalysts for fuel-forming reactions like hydrogen evolution and CO2 reduction. Research shows these elements can match transition metals in performance, offering new avenues for electrocatalysis.
Area of Science:
- Organometallic Chemistry
- Electrocatalysis
- Main-group element chemistry
Background:
- Main-group elements exhibit versatile reactivity in organometallic chemistry, including CO2 insertion and H2 activation.
- Electrocatalysts with main-group element active sites are underexplored for CO2 activation and H2 production.
- Recent studies indicate heavier main-group elements can achieve catalytic performance comparable to transition metals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize research on molecular electrocatalysts featuring main-group elements at active sites.
- To highlight the influence of main-group elements on reaction rates and selectivity in multi-proton/electron transfer catalysis.
- To focus on Sn- or Sb-centered macrocycles for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR).
Main Methods:
- Design and synthesis of molecular catalysts incorporating main-group elements.
- Electrocatalytic studies focusing on hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR).
- Mechanistic investigations comparing main-group and transition-metal-based electrocatalysts.
Main Results:
- Molecular Sn- or Sb-centered macrocycles demonstrate effective electrocatalytic HER, with mechanisms mirroring transition-metal catalysts.
- Main-group elements, particularly alkali and alkaline earth metals, act as co-catalysts in CO2RR, influencing product selectivity via Lewis acidity.
- Elements from groups 13, 14, and 15 are utilized as dopants in catalytic materials for HER and CO2RR.
Conclusions:
- Main-group elements are promising for developing novel molecular electrocatalysts for HER and CO2RR.
- These elements can enhance catalytic efficiency and selectivity, offering alternatives to traditional transition-metal catalysts.
- Further exploration of main-group element-based catalysts is crucial for advancing fuel-forming reaction technologies.
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