Regulating the electronic structure by P-doping cobalt-based catalyst for atomic hydrogen mediated electrocatalytic...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Environmental Chemistry

Background:

• Electrocatalytic dechlorination using atomic hydrogen (H*) is effective but hindered by inefficient H* production.
• Developing efficient non-noble metal catalysts is crucial for environmental remediation applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly active electrocatalyst for efficient atomic hydrogen (H*) generation.
• To investigate the catalytic performance of phosphorus-doped cobalt nitrogen carbon (Co-NP/C) for electrocatalytic dechlorination.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of phosphorus-doped cobalt nitrogen carbon catalyst (Co-NP/C).
• Evaluation of catalytic activity and H* generation efficiency across a wide pH range (3-11).
• Testing catalyst stability over ten cycles and assessing chloramphenicol removal efficiency.

Main Results:

• Co-NP/C exhibited high catalytic activity with a turnover frequency of 3.54 min⁻¹, significantly outperforming existing catalysts.
• Phosphorus doping enhanced H* generation by 1.52-3.77 times compared to non-doped counterparts by increasing cobalt's electron density.
• The catalyst demonstrated excellent stability and achieved near-complete removal of chloramphenicol, proving effective for other non-noble metals.

Conclusions:

• Phosphorus doping is an effective strategy to enhance cobalt-based catalysts for efficient electrocatalytic dechlorination.
• Co-NP/C offers a promising, generalizable approach for electrochemical removal of chlorinated organic pollutants.
• This work provides a new class of catalysts for environmental remediation and pollutant elimination.