Unraveling the position of the NiO electrocatalyst in alcohol electrooxidation reactions

A examine led by Dr. Wei Chen, Prof. Yuqin Zou, and Prof. Shuangyin Wang (State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Superior Catalytic Engineering Analysis Middle of the Ministry of Training, Hunan College) unravels the response mechanism of the first alcohol/vicinal diol electrooxidation response on NiO, particularly for the synergy between the electrochemical and non-electrochemical steps.

The alcohol electrooxidation on NiO is an oblique electrooxidation response with the electrophilic oxygen species because the redox mediator. Subsequently, the electrochemical step is the electrochemical era of electrophilic oxygen species. The analysis workforce discovered two sorts of NiO electrocatalyst perform mechanisms, i.e., the electrophilic oxygen-mediated mechanism involving hydrogen atom switch (EOM-HAT) and the electrophilic oxygen-mediated mechanism involving C-C bond cleavage (EOM-Cleavage of C-C bond).

The synergy between EOM-HAT and the hydration of aldehyde ends in the electrooxidation of major alcohol (R-CH₂OH) to carboxylic acid (R-COOH) on NiO. However, the synergy between EOM-HAT and EOM-Cleavage of the C-C bond causes the electrooxidation of vicinal diol (R-CHOH-CH₂OH) to R-COOH and formic acid (HCOOH) on NiO.

This examine, printed within the journal Nationwide Science Assessment, highlights the synergy between the electrochemical and non-electrochemical steps within the alcohol electrooxidation response. It establishes a unified response mechanism of alcohol electrooxidation response based mostly on nickel-based electrocatalysts.