Unveiling the dynamic active site of defective carbon-based electrocatalysts for hydrogen peroxide production.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 37805502.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-023-41947-7 and PMC identifier 10560253.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Active sites identification in metal-free carbon materials is crucial for developing practical electrocatalysts, but resolving precise configuration of active site remains a challenge because of the elusive dynamic structural evolution process during reactions. Here, we reveal the dynamic active site identification process of oxygen modified defective graphene. First, the defect density and types of oxygen groups were precisely manipulated on graphene, combined with electrocatalytic performance evaluation, revealing a previously overlooked positive correlation relationship between the defect density and the 2 e<sup>-</sup> oxygen reduction performance. An electrocatalytic-driven oxygen groups redistribution phenomenon was observed, which narrows the scope of potential configurations of the active site. The dynamic evolution processes are monitored via multiple in-situ technologies and theoretical spectra simulations, resolving the configuration of major active sites (carbonyl on pentagon defect) and key intermediates (*OOH), in-depth understanding the catalytic mechanism and providing a research paradigm for metal-free carbon materials.