Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• Unique imitating growth feature for PdS2 on different 2D substrates enables construction of 2D/2D heterostructures via interface engineering. • Thin and small PdS2 nanoplates with active defects are induced by PVEIB, resulting in excellent NOR electroactivity with outstanding stability and selectivity. • In situ generation of SO4^2− during preparation or at high NOR potential reduces activation energy, improving nitrate production efficiency. • Theoretical calculations confirm the crucial role of sulfate in enhancing NOR performance, offering insights for NTMD-based electrocatalyst design.
Abstract
As a green sustainable alternative technology, synthesizing nitrate by electrocatalytic nitrogen oxidation reaction (NOR) can replace the traditional energy-intensive Ostwald process. But low nitrogen fixation yields and poor selectivity due to the high bond energy of the N≡N bond and competition from the oxygen evolution reaction in the electrolyte restrict its application. On the other hand, two-dimensional (2D) PdS2 as a member in the family of group-10 novel transition metal dichalcogenides (NTMDs) presents the interesting optical and electronic properties due to its novel folded pentagonal structure, but few researches involve to its fabrication and application. Herein, unique imitating growth feature for PdS2 on different 2D substrates has been firstly discovered for constructing 2D/2D heterostructures by interface engineering. Due to the different exposed chemical groups on the substrates, PdS2 grows as the imitation to the morphologies of the substrates and presents different thickness, size, shape and the degree of oxidation, resulting in the significant difference in the NOR activity and stability of the obtained composite catalysts. Especially, the thin and small PdS2 nanoplates with more defects can be obtained by decorating poly(1-vinyl-3-ethylimidazolium bromide) on the 2D substrate, easily oxidized during the preparation process, resulting in the in situ generation of SO4^2−, which plays a crucial role in reducing the activation energy of the NOR process, leading to improved efficiency for nitrate production, verified by theoretical calculation. This research provides valuable insights for the development of novel electrocatalysts based on NTMDs for NOR and highlights the importance of interface engineering in enhancing catalytic performance.
1. Introduction
With the increase in pressure of energy crisis and environmental pollution, more and more attentions have been attracted to the development of more sustainable alternatives to replace the traditional technologies based on renewable energy and green energy conversion technology [1–3]. Electrocatalysis is considered one of the most effective approaches to alleviate energy problems by using renewable energy-generated electricity to sustainably fuels or value-added chemicals [4–7]. Exploring stable and efficient electrocatalysts is the key to improve the rate of electrocatalysis, which has important strategic significance for the development of advanced energy conversion devices.
Recently, electrocatalytic nitrogen oxidation reaction (NOR) has received extensive attentions, which involves the oxidation of N2 on the electrode surface to produce nitrates or other nitrogen oxides; therefore, it is expected to become a green sustainable alternative technology for synthesizing nitrate under mild conditions, replacing the traditional Ostwald process with high energy consumption and large amounts of carbon dioxide emission [8–10]. The selection and design of the electrocatalysts are essential to NOR, because the activity, stability and selectivity of the catalyst can directly affect the efficiency of NOR and the quality of the product. Therefore, many attentions have been focused on developing efficient, stable and sustainable electrocatalysts to improve the NOR performance [11–13].
Recently, a breakthrough of improved NOR electroactivity has been achieved in FeS2-TiO2 heterogeneous nanoparticles or Pd2+/S2−-doped TiO2 nanoparticles supported on 2-methylimidazolium functionalized polypyrrole/graphene oxide [14, 15]. Although the exact mechanism
Loading authentic research manuscript (Pages 1–5)...
Rui Zhang, Hui Mao, Ziyi Wang, Shengke Ma, Shuyao Wu, Qiong Wu, Daliang Liu, Hui Li, Yang Fu, Xiaoning Li, Tianyi Ma (2025). In Situ Generated Sulfate-Facilitated Efficient Nitrate Electrosynthesis on 2D PdS2 with Unique Imitating Growth Feature. Nano-Micro Letters. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-01803-3
Research & Educational Purpose Only:The translations, structured abstracts, analytical annotations, and data reports provided by SinoTechIntel are intended exclusively for academic research, internal corporate R&D, and educational benchmarking. They do not constitute formal engineering, chemical safety, legal, or professional advice.
Copyright & Intellectual Property Notice: Original copyright of the underlying source articles and experimental data remains with the respective authors, institutions, and original publishing journals. SinoTechIntel claims intellectual property only over its proprietary translations, analytical syntheses, and AEO structured enhancements in accordance with international fair use and academic citation principles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main innovation of this research?
The research discovers a unique imitating growth feature for PdS2 on different 2D substrates, enabling the construction of 2D/2D heterostructures via interface engineering, which significantly enhances the electrocatalytic nitrogen oxidation reaction (NOR) performance.
How does the in situ generated sulfate improve nitrate electrosynthesis?
The in situ generation of sulfate (SO4^2−) during preparation or at high NOR potential reduces the activation energy of the NOR process, thereby improving the efficiency of nitrate production, as verified by theoretical calculations.
What are the key advantages of the PdS2@PVEIB/PPy/GO catalyst?
The catalyst exhibits excellent NOR electroactivity with outstanding stability and selectivity, attributed to the thin and small PdS2 nanoplates with active defects induced by PVEIB, and the synergistic effect of sulfate generation.
Why is the nitrogen oxidation reaction (NOR) important?
NOR offers a green and sustainable alternative to the traditional energy-intensive Ostwald process for nitrate synthesis, operating under mild conditions and reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
What is the significance of the imitating growth feature?
The imitating growth feature allows PdS2 to adapt its morphology to different 2D substrates, leading to tunable thickness, size, shape, and oxidation degree, which directly influences the catalytic activity and stability of the composite catalysts.
Related Technical Papers & Translations
Direct Repair of the Crystal Structure and Coating Surface of Spent LiFePO4 Materials Enables Superfast Li-Ion Migration
The rapid accumulation of spent LiFePO4 (LFP) cathodes from retired lithium-ion batteries necessitates the development of effective and environmental-friendly recycling strategies. In this context, direct regeneration has emerged as a promising approach for reclaiming LFP cathode materials, offering a streamlined pathway to restore their electrochemical functionality. We report an integrated regeneration protocol that simultaneously repairs the degraded crystal structure and reconstructs the damaged carbon coating in spent LFP. The regenerated cathode material had superfast lithium-ion diffusion kinetics and a stable cathode–electrolyte interface, giving a remarkable rate capability with specific capacities of 122 mAh g−1 at 5C and 106 mAh g−1 at 10C (1C = 170 mA g−1). It also maintained capacities of 110.7 mAh g−1 (5C) and 84.1 mAh g−1 (10C) after 400 cycles. It could be used in harsh environments and could be stably cycled at subzero temperatures (−10 and −20 °C) and in solid-state electrolyte batteries. Life cycle assessment combined with economic evaluation using the EverBatt model reveals that this direct regeneration approach has high economic and environmental benefits.
Oxide Semiconductor for Advanced Memory Architectures: Atomic Layer Deposition, Key Requirement and Challenges
Oxide semiconductors (OSs), introduced by the Hosono group in the early 2000s, have evolved from display backplane materials to promising candidates for advanced memory and logic devices. The exceptionally low leakage current of OSs and compatibility with three-dimensional (3D) architectures have recently sparked renewed interest in their use in semiconductor applications. This review begins by exploring the unique material properties of OSs, which fundamentally originate from their distinct electronic band structure. Subsequently, we focus on atomic layer deposition (ALD), a core technique for growing excellent OS films, covering both basic and advanced processes compatible with 3D scaling. The basic surface reaction mechanisms—adsorption and reaction—and their roles in film growth are introduced. Furthermore, material design strategies, such as cation selection, crystallinity control, anion doping, and heterostructure engineering, are discussed. We also highlight challenges in memory applications, including contact resistance, hydrogen instability, and lack of p-type materials, and discuss the feasibility of ALD-grown OSs as potential solutions. Lastly, we provide an outlook on the role of ALD-grown OSs in memory technologies. This review bridges material fundamentals and device-level requirements, offering a comprehensive perspective on the potential of ALD-driven OSs for next-generation semiconductor memory devices.
Laser powder bed fusion of biodegradable Zn-4Cu alloy: Processing, microstructure and properties
Zn's natural degradability and biocompatibility make it a promising candidate for implants, however, its mechanical properties remain insufficient for bone applications. In this study, the performance of Zn was enhanced by developing Zn-Cu alloys via laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). Optimal LPBF parameters for forming stable tracks were achieved by adjusting laser power and scanning speed. Under optimized conditions of 100 W and 100 mm/s, high-density (99.58%) Zn-Cu alloys with improved hardness (68.2HV) and yield strength (160 MPa) were achieved. These improvements are attributed to solid solution strengthening, segregation strengthening, and grain refinement. The Zn-Cu alloys also demonstrated favorable degradation behavior, with a rate of 0.16 mm/year. This degradation is primarily driven by micro-galvanic corrosion between the CuZn5 phase and Zn matrix, along with refined grains and increased grain boundary density. This work demonstrates a viable strategy for fabricating Zn-based implants with enhanced structural integrity and mechanical performance via LPBF.