02443nas a2200313 4500008004100000022001400041245012100055210006900176260000800245490000600253520146100259653000801720653001701728653000801745653001501753653000801768653001501776100001801791700002001809700003001829700001701859700002201876700001401898700002201912700002101934700002101955700002401976856012902000 2025 eng d a2366-748600aBinder-free in situ interface reconstruction of NiMoO4 nanorods over Ni(OH)2 nanosheets for efficient urea oxidation0 aBinderfree in situ interface reconstruction of NiMoO4 nanorods o cDEC0 v93 a

Replacing the energy-intensive oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with the urea oxidation reaction (UOR) in electrochemical water splitting offers simultaneous green hydrogen production and urea-rich wastewater oxidation, enhancing energy efficiency and economic viability. In this study, a non-noble metal-based binder-free NiMoO4/Ni(OH)2/NF electrocatalyst is developed, featuring NiMoO4 nanorods anchored on Ni(OH)2 nanosheets. This unique morphology facilitates a highly active in situ reconstructed interface, delivering a current density of 134 mA cm-2 at 1.40 V (vs RHE) in 1 m KOH with 0.33 m urea, significantly outperforming its individual components. The catalyst demonstrates excellent stability over 50 h at 30 mA cm-2. When integrated into an anion exchange membrane urea electrolyser (13 cm2 area) with Pt@C/NF as the HER cathode, the system achieves 192 mA cm-2 at 1.60 V. The post-UOR studies confirm the presence of an amorphous NiMoO4-crystalline Ni(OH)2 interface, which plays a key role in enhancing the availability of the active sites to enhance the UOR performance. The improved electrochemical performance of the engineered catalyst can be ascribed to the in situ reconstructed amorphous-crystalline interface, optimal hydrophilicity, reduced charge transfer resistance, and the distinct morphology. This strategy offers a promising pathway for developing highly active electrocatalysts for energy conversion applications.

10aAEM10aelectrolyser10aOWS10atomography10aUOR10awastewater1 aKumar, Yogesh1 aBarik, Sidharth1 aKharabe, Geeta, Pandurang1 aTorris, Arun1 aSingh, Mayank, U.1 aMohan, S.1 aGalave, Chaitanya1 aTekawadia, Jyoti1 aKanawade, Rajesh1 aKurungot, Sreekumar uhttps://library.ncl.res.in/content/binder-free-situ-interface-reconstruction-nimoo4-nanorods-over-nioh2-nanosheets-efficient02473nas a2200277 4500008004100000022001400041245010900055210006900164260000800233490000700241520149100248653001801739653003001757653003301787653002501820653002101845653004501866653003401911100003001945700002001975700001701995700001602012700001802028700002402046856012502070 2025 eng d a1613-681000aDefect-rich CoFe-alloy with engineered carbon support for high-performance rechargeable Zn-air batteries0 aDefectrich CoFealloy with engineered carbon support for highperf cSEP0 v213 a

Defect-rich CoFe-alloy with engineered carbon support is synthesized as a bifunctional cathode, coupled with a modified electrode fabrication technique, for rechargeable zinc-air batteries (RZABs). The CoFe(2:1)/N-rGCNT-catalyst is synthesized by annealing graphene oxide (GO), cobalt and iron acetate, and melamine, leading to the in situ formation of CoFe alloy-encapsulated CNTs. This resulted in a unique layer-separated Fe-rich skin@CoFe alloy decorated nitrogen-doped graphene (NGr) with CoFe-encapsulated CNTs. The interplay of line defects, enhanced conductivity, and electronic modulation underpins electrocatalyst's performance. Electrochemical analysis revealed an onset potential of 955 mV vs RHE, a half-wave potential of 835 mV vs RHE for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and an overpotential of 340 mV for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), yielding a Delta E of 0.73 V, comparable to the reported catalysts. The 3D X-ray microtomography simulations suggest improved air permeability of CoFe(2:1)/N-rGCNT facilitates easier gas diffusion, contributing in better device performance. The RZAB with CoFe(2:1)/N-rGCNT-cathode exhibited a peak power density of 171.3 mW cm(-)2, surpassing 140.8 mW cm(-)2 obtained from a cell based on Pt/C-cathode. The Co/N-rGCNT-based battery achieved a stable discharge profile at 10 mA cm(-)2 with a specific capacity of 650 mAh g(-)(1)Zn, and in rechargeable mode, achieved 140 h of high-rate charge-discharge cycling capability.

10a3D tomography10aN-doping10aalloy encapsulated structure10adevice demonstration10agrain boundaries10aoxygen reduction and evolution reactions10arechargeable zinc-air battery1 aKharabe, Geeta, Pandurang1 aBarik, Sidharth1 aTorris, Arun1 aMaria, Anit1 aKumar, Yogesh1 aKurungot, Sreekumar uhttps://library.ncl.res.in/content/defect-rich-cofe-alloy-engineered-carbon-support-high-performance-rechargeable-zn-air02589nas a2200325 4500008004100000022001400041245014000055210006900195260000800264490000700272520142200279653002001701653001901721653002801740653002801768653003001796653003901826653001601865653001801881653005001899100002201949700002401971700002701995700002402022700001802046700002602064700001802090700002402108856013102132 2025 eng d a1613-681000aHot injection assisted electronically modulated twin and grain boundary rich sub-2 nm pt3co alloy resistant to phosphate ion for PEMFCs0 aHot injection assisted electronically modulated twin and grain b cMAY0 v213 a

Modulation of the electronic d-band center, structural defects (line defects), and particle size of Pt3Co alloy electrocatalyst have huge significance in elevating its electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction activity. Deviating from traditional high-temperature strategies, the current work focuses on ripening these benefits by implying a simple economically viable hot-injection-assisted modified polyol process. A conclusive control over decrementing particle size starting from 2.7 to 1.3 nm, an increasing degree of strain (twin boundary), and shifting of the d-band center away from the Fermi level are obtained via varying the temperature to which the solution is injected. The catalyst prepared via the injection at 200 degrees C (Pt3Co(1.3 t,g-b)/fVC-200) has delivered an electrochemical surface area of 84 m(2) g(Pt)(-1) with the onset and half-wave potentials of 0.980 and 0.858 V, respectively, versus RHE and a limiting current of -6.0 mA cm(-2) with stability till 20k cycles. In the high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell Pt3Co(1.3 t,g-b)/fVC-200-based cell has outperformed Pt/C rendering 600 mWcm(-2) under H-2-Air compared to 529 mWcm(-2) of Pt/C with 20% lower Pt loading and double the stability due to enhanced resistance toward phosphoric acid for accelerated voltage cycling. A similar enhancement is seen while employing the catalyst for low-temperature fuel cells.

10aelectrocatalyst10agrain boundary10ahot injection synthesis10amodified polyol process10aoxygen reduction reaction10aproton exchange membrane fuel cell10aPt3Co alloy10atwin boundary10avalance band X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy1 aSingh, Mayank, U.1 aJadhav, Swapnil, D.1 aShivankar, Bhavana, R.1 aPandikassala, Ajmal1 aKumar, Yogesh1 aKrishnamurty, Sailaja1 aVinod, C., P.1 aKurungot, Sreekumar uhttps://library.ncl.res.in/content/hot-injection-assisted-electronically-modulated-twin-and-grain-boundary-rich-sub-2-nm-pt3co02408nas a2200277 4500008004100000022001400041245016800055210006900223260000800292490000600300520146300306653000801769653001801777653001701795653000801812653000801820100001801828700002001846700002401866700003001890700002301920700002101943700001701964700002401981856012502005 2025 eng d a2366-748600aSelf-supported super-hydrophilic interconnected nanospikes and particles of MoS2-Ni3S2/NF with optimum d-band center for anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer0 aSelfsupported superhydrophilic interconnected nanospikes and par cMAR0 v93 a

There is an imperative need for highly efficient electrocatalysts for cost-effective hydrogen production. Herein, a self-supported, hybrid composite as a bifunctional electrocatalyst is introduced. This is achieved by in situ growth of MoS2-Ni3S2 on nickel foam (NF), designated as MoS2-Ni3S2/NF, synthesized by a facile one-step hydrothermal synthesis method. MoS2-Ni3S2/NF exhibits low overpotentials of only 187 and 146 mV for OER and HER, respectively, to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm-2 in 1 M KOH. The practical application of the designed bifunctional electrocatalyst is verified by constructing the MoS2-Ni3S2/NF || MoS2-Ni3S2/NF symmetrical membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of 4 cm2 working area for the anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer. The system shows continuous electrolysis for the monitored 48 h duration. For OER, an optimum d-band center of -1.66 eV for the heterostructure is calculated from the Density Functional Theory (DFT) studies. The factors like the unique structure of the electrocatalyst, enhanced hydrophilicity, improved electrochemically accessible number of sites (ECASs), and optimum d-band center, are expected to be the primary contributors to the system's improved performance. Thus, the present finding unveils a straightforward synthesis approach for creating a stable electrocatalyst for advancing commercial water electrolysis in the realm of renewable electrochemical energy conversion.

10aAEM10ad-band center10aelectrolyzer10aHER10aOER1 aKumar, Yogesh1 aBarik, Sidharth1 aSamudre, Nikhil, S.1 aKharabe, Geeta, Pandurang1 aChauhan, Inderjeet1 aManna, Narugopal1 aBhat, Suresh1 aKurungot, Sreekumar uhttps://library.ncl.res.in/content/self-supported-super-hydrophilic-interconnected-nanospikes-and-particles-mos2-ni3s2nf