Projects per year
Abstract
In order to use H2 as a clean source of electricity, prohibitively rare and expensive precious metal electrocatalysts, such as Pt, are often used to overcome the large oxidative voltage required to convert H2 into 2 H+ and 2 e−. Herein, we report a metal-free approach to catalyze the oxidation of H2 by combining the ability of frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) to heterolytically cleave H2 with the in situ electrochemical oxidation of the resulting borohydride. The use of the NHC-stabilized borenium cation [(IiPr2)(BC8H14)]+ (IiPr2=C3H2(NiPr)2, NHC=N-heterocyclic carbene) as the Lewis acidic component of the FLP is shown to decrease the voltage required for H2 oxidation by 910 mV at inexpensive carbon electrodes, a significant energy saving equivalent to 175.6 kJ mol−1. The NHC–borenium Lewis acid also offers improved catalyst recyclability and chemical stability compared to B(C6F5)3, the paradigm Lewis acid originally used to pioneer our combined electrochemical/frustrated Lewis pair approach.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 9922–9925 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Angewandte Chemie-International Edition |
Volume | 53 |
Issue number | 37 |
Early online date | 18 Jul 2014 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 8 Sept 2014 |
Keywords
- borenium cations
- electrocatalysis
- frustrated Lewis pairs
- hydrogen
- oxidation
Projects
- 1 Finished
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(PiHOMER) Pioneering Heterogeneous Organometallic-Mediated Electrocatalytic Reactions
Wildgoose, G. & Blagg, R.
1/08/12 → 31/07/17
Project: Research
Research output
- 23 Citations (Scopus)
- 1 Article
-
A combined "electrochemical-frustrated Lewis pair" approach to hydrogen activation: surface catalytic effects at platinum electrodes
Lawrence, E. J., Blagg, R. J., Hughes, D. L., Ashley, A. E. & Wildgoose, G. G., 7 Jan 2015, In: Chemistry - A European Journal. 21, 2, p. 900-906 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile15 Citations (Scopus)15 Downloads (Pure)
Prizes
-
Best Young Energy Storage Scientist Award 2015
Wildgoose, Gregory (Recipient), 2015
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)