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Jonas C. Peters

Bio: Jonas C. Peters is an academic researcher from California Institute of Technology. The author has contributed to research in topics: Catalysis & Ligand. The author has an hindex of 79, co-authored 231 publications receiving 23468 citations. Previous affiliations of Jonas C. Peters include Massachusetts Institute of Technology.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report a protocol for evaluating the activity, stability, and Faradaic efficiency of electrodeposited oxygen-evolving electrocatalysts for water oxidation.
Abstract: Objective evaluation of the activity of electrocatalysts for water oxidation is of fundamental importance for the development of promising energy conversion technologies including integrated solar water-splitting devices, water electrolyzers, and Li-air batteries. However, current methods employed to evaluate oxygen-evolving catalysts are not standardized, making it difficult to compare the activity and stability of these materials. We report a protocol for evaluating the activity, stability, and Faradaic efficiency of electrodeposited oxygen-evolving electrocatalysts. In particular, we focus on methods for determining electrochemically active surface area and measuring electrocatalytic activity and stability under conditions relevant to an integrated solar water-splitting device. Our primary figure of merit is the overpotential required to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm–2 per geometric area, approximately the current density expected for a 10% efficient solar-to-fuels conversion device. Utilizing ...

4,808 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A standard protocol is used as a primary screen for evaluating the activity, short-term (2 h) stability, and electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) of 18 and 26 electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER and OER) under conditions relevant to an integrated solar water-splitting device in aqueous acidic or alkaline solution.
Abstract: Objective comparisons of electrocatalyst activity and stability using standard methods under identical conditions are necessary to evaluate the viability of existing electrocatalysts for integration into solar-fuel devices as well as to help inform the development of new catalytic systems. Herein, we use a standard protocol as a primary screen for evaluating the activity, short-term (2 h) stability, and electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) of 18 electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and 26 electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) under conditions relevant to an integrated solar water-splitting device in aqueous acidic or alkaline solution. Our primary figure of merit is the overpotential necessary to achieve a magnitude current density of 10 mA cm–2 per geometric area, the approximate current density expected for a 10% efficient solar-to-fuels conversion device under 1 sun illumination. The specific activity per ECSA of each material is also reported. Among HER...

2,877 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
05 Sep 2013-Nature
TL;DR: Results indicate that a single iron site may be capable of stabilizing the various NxHy intermediates generated during catalytic NH3 formation, and propose that the interstitial carbon atom recently assigned in the nitrogenase cofactor may have a similar role, perhaps by enabling a singleIron site to mediate the enzymatic catalysis through a flexible iron–carbon interaction.
Abstract: Threefold symmetric Fe phosphine complexes have been used to model the structural and functional aspects of biological N2 fixation by nitrogenases. Low-valent bridging Fe-S-Fe complexes in the formal oxidation states Fe(II)Fe(II), Fe(II)/Fe(I), and Fe(I)/Fe(I) have been synthesized which display rich spectroscopic and magnetic behavior. A series of cationic tris-phosphine borane (TPB) ligated Fe complexes have been synthesized and been shown to bind a variety of nitrogenous ligands including N2H4, NH3, and NH2 - . These complexes are all high spin S = 3/2 and display EPR and magnetic characteristics typical of this spin state. Furthermore, a sequential protonation and reduction sequence of a terminal amide results in loss of NH3 and uptake of N2. These stoichiometric transformations represent the final steps in potential N2 fixation schemes. Treatment of an anionic FeN2 complex with excess acid also results in the formation of some NH3, suggesting the possibility of a catalytic cycle for the conversion of N2 to NH3 mediated by Fe. Indeed, use of excess acid and reductant results in the formation of seven equivalents of NH3 per Fe center, demonstrating Fe mediated catalytic N2 fixation with acids and protons for the first time. Numerous control experiments indicate that this catalysis is likely being mediated by a molecular species. A number of other phosphine ligated Fe complexes have also been tested for catalysis and suggest that a hemi-labile Fe-B interaction may be critical for catalysis. Additionally, various conditions for the catalysis have been investigated. These studies further support the assignment of a molecular species and delineate some of the conditions required for catalysis. Finally, combined spectroscopic studies have been performed on a putative intermediate for catalysis. These studies converge on an assignment of this new species as a hydrazido(2-) complex. Such species have been known on group 6 metals for some time, but this represents the first characterization of this ligand on Fe. Further spectroscopic studies suggest that this species is present in catalytic mixtures, which suggests that the first steps of a distal mechanism for N2 fixation are feasible in this system.

751 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Electrochemical analysis of the (tpy)2 Ir(LL') complexes shows that the reduction potentials are largely unaffected by variation in the ancillary ligand, whereas the oxidation potentials vary over a much wider range (as much as 400 mV between two different LL' ligands).
Abstract: The synthesis and photophysical characterization of a series of (N,C2‘-(2-para-tolylpyridyl))2Ir(LL‘) [(tpy)2Ir(LL‘)] (LL‘ = 2,4-pentanedionato (acac), bis(pyrazolyl)borate ligands and their analogues, diphosphine chelates and tert-butylisocyanide (CN-t-Bu)) are reported. A smaller series of [(dfppy)2Ir(LL‘)] (dfppy = N,C2‘-2-(4‘,6‘-difluorophenyl)pyridyl) complexes were also examined along with two previously reported compounds, (ppy)2Ir(CN)2- and (ppy)2Ir(NCS)2- (ppy = N,C2‘-2-phenylpyridyl). The (tpy)2Ir(PPh2CH2)2BPh2 and [(tpy)2Ir(CN-t-Bu)2](CF3SO3) complexes have been structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography. The Ir−Caryl bond lengths in (tpy)2Ir(CN-t-Bu)2+ (2.047(5) and 2.072(5) A) and (tpy)2Ir(PPh2CH2)2BPh2 (2.047(9) and 2.057(9) A) are longer than their counterparts in (tpy)2Ir(acac) (1.982(6) and 1.985(7) A). Density functional theory calculations carried out on (ppy)2Ir(CN-Me)2+ show that the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) consists of a mixture of phenyl-π and Ir-d orbitals...

647 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Digital simulations of the electrochemical data were used to study the mechanism of H2 evolution catalysis, and these studies are discussed.
Abstract: Cobalt complexes supported by diglyoxime ligands of the type Co(dmgBF2)2(CH3CN)2 and Co(dpgBF2)2(CH3CN)2 (where dmgBF2 is difluoroboryl-dimethylglyoxime and dpgBF2 is difluoroboryl-diphenylglyoxime), as well as cobalt complexes with [14]-tetraene-N4 (Tim) ligands of the type [Co(TimR)X2]n+ (R = methyl or phenyl, X = Br or CH3CN; n = 1 with X = Br and n = 3 with X = CH3CN), have been observed to evolve H2 electrocatalytically at potentials between −0.55 V and −0.20 V vs SCE in CH3CN. The complexes with more positive Co(II/I) redox potentials exhibited lower activity for H2 production. For the complexes Co(dmgBF2)2(CH3CN)2, Co(dpgBF2)2(CH3CN)2, [Co(TimMe)Br2]Br, and [Co(TimMe)(CH3CN)2](BPh4)3, bulk electrolysis confirmed the catalytic nature of the process, with turnover numbers in excess of 5 and essentially quantitative faradaic yields for H2 production. In contrast, the complexes [Co(TimPh/Me)Br2]Br and [Co(TimPh/Me)(CH3CN)2](BPh4)3 were less stable, and bulk electrolysis only produced faradaic yields fo...

604 citations


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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Solar energy is by far the largest exploitable resource, providing more energy in 1 hour to the earth than all of the energy consumed by humans in an entire year, and if solar energy is to be a major primary energy source, it must be stored and dispatched on demand to the end user.
Abstract: Global energy consumption is projected to increase, even in the face of substantial declines in energy intensity, at least 2-fold by midcentury relative to the present because of population and economic growth. This demand could be met, in principle, from fossil energy resources, particularly coal. However, the cumulative nature of CO2 emissions in the atmosphere demands that holding atmospheric CO2 levels to even twice their preanthropogenic values by midcentury will require invention, development, and deployment of schemes for carbon-neutral energy production on a scale commensurate with, or larger than, the entire present-day energy supply from all sources combined. Among renewable energy resources, solar energy is by far the largest exploitable resource, providing more energy in 1 hour to the earth than all of the energy consumed by humans in an entire year. In view of the intermittency of insolation, if solar energy is to be a major primary energy source, it must be stored and dispatched on demand to the end user. An especially attractive approach is to store solar-converted energy in the form of chemical bonds, i.e., in a photosynthetic process at a year-round average efficiency significantly higher than current plants or algae, to reduce land-area requirements. Scientific challenges involved with this process include schemes to capture and convert solar energy and then store the energy in the form of chemical bonds, producing oxygen from water and a reduced fuel such as hydrogen, methane, methanol, or other hydrocarbon species.

7,076 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
13 Jan 2017-Science
TL;DR: A unified theoretical framework highlights the need for catalyst design strategies that selectively stabilize distinct reaction intermediates relative to each other, and opens up opportunities and approaches to develop higher-performance electrocatalysts for a wide range of reactions.
Abstract: BACKGROUND With a rising global population, increasing energy demands, and impending climate change, major concerns have been raised over the security of our energy future. Developing sustainable, fossil-free pathways to produce fuels and chemicals of global importance could play a major role in reducing carbon dioxide emissions while providing the feedstocks needed to make the products we use on a daily basis. One prospective goal is to develop electrochemical conversion processes that can convert molecules in the atmosphere (e.g., water, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen) into higher-value products (e.g., hydrogen, hydrocarbons, oxygenates, and ammonia) by coupling to renewable energy. Electrocatalysts play a key role in these energy conversion technologies because they increase the rate, efficiency, and selectivity of the chemical transformations involved. Today’s electrocatalysts, however, are inadequate. The grand challenge is to develop advanced electrocatalysts with the enhanced performance needed to enable widespread penetration of clean energy technologies. ADVANCES Over the past decade, substantial progress has been made in understanding several key electrochemical transformations, particularly those that involve water, hydrogen, and oxygen. The combination of theoretical and experimental studies working in concert has proven to be a successful strategy in this respect, yielding a framework to understand catalytic trends that can ultimately provide rational guidance toward the development of improved catalysts. Catalyst design strategies that aim to increase the number of active sites and/or increase the intrinsic activity of each active site have been successfully developed. The field of hydrogen evolution, for example, has seen important breakthroughs over the years in the development of highly active non–precious metal catalysts in acid. Notable advancements have also been made in the design of oxygen reduction and evolution catalysts, although there remains substantial room for improvement. The combination of theory and experiment elucidates the remaining challenges in developing further improved catalysts, often involving scaling relations among reactive intermediates. This understanding serves as an initial platform to design strategies to circumvent technical obstacles, opening up opportunities and approaches to develop higher-performance electrocatalysts for a wide range of reactions. OUTLOOK A systematic framework of combining theory and experiment in electrocatalysis helps to uncover broader governing principles that can be used to understand a wide variety of electrochemical transformations. These principles can be applied to other emerging and promising clean energy reactions, including hydrogen peroxide production, carbon dioxide reduction, and nitrogen reduction, among others. Although current paradigms for catalyst development have been helpful to date, a number of challenges need to be successfully addressed in order to achieve major breakthroughs. One important frontier, for example, is the development of both experimental and computational methods that can rapidly elucidate reaction mechanisms on broad classes of materials and in a wide range of operating conditions (e.g., pH, solvent, electrolyte). Such efforts would build on current frameworks for understanding catalysis to provide the deeper insights needed to fine-tune catalyst properties in an optimal manner. The long-term goal is to continue improving the activity and selectivity of these catalysts in order to realize the prospects of using renewable energy to provide the fuels and chemicals that we need for a sustainable energy future.

7,062 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This review highlights the recent research efforts toward the synthesis of noble metal-free electrocatalysts, especially at the nanoscale, and their catalytic properties for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and summarizes some important examples showing that non-Pt HER electrocatsalysts could serve as efficient cocatalysts for promoting direct solar-to-hydrogen conversion in both photochemical and photoelectrochemical water splitting systems, when combined with suitable semiconductor photocatalyst.
Abstract: Sustainable hydrogen production is an essential prerequisite of a future hydrogen economy. Water electrolysis driven by renewable resource-derived electricity and direct solar-to-hydrogen conversion based on photochemical and photoelectrochemical water splitting are promising pathways for sustainable hydrogen production. All these techniques require, among many things, highly active noble metal-free hydrogen evolution catalysts to make the water splitting process more energy-efficient and economical. In this review, we highlight the recent research efforts toward the synthesis of noble metal-free electrocatalysts, especially at the nanoscale, and their catalytic properties for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). We review several important kinds of heterogeneous non-precious metal electrocatalysts, including metal sulfides, metal selenides, metal carbides, metal nitrides, metal phosphides, and heteroatom-doped nanocarbons. In the discussion, emphasis is given to the synthetic methods of these HER electrocatalysts, the strategies of performance improvement, and the structure/composition-catalytic activity relationship. We also summarize some important examples showing that non-Pt HER electrocatalysts could serve as efficient cocatalysts for promoting direct solar-to-hydrogen conversion in both photochemical and photoelectrochemical water splitting systems, when combined with suitable semiconductor photocatalysts.

4,351 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The new local density functional, called M06-L, is designed to capture the main dependence of the exchange-correlation energy on local spin density, spin density gradient, and spin kinetic energy density, and it is parametrized to satisfy the uniform-electron-gas limit.
Abstract: We present a new local density functional, called M06-L, for main-group and transition element thermochemistry, thermochemical kinetics, and noncovalent interactions. The functional is designed to capture the main dependence of the exchange-correlation energy on local spin density, spin density gradient, and spin kinetic energy density, and it is parametrized to satisfy the uniform-electron-gas limit and to have good performance for both main-group chemistry and transition metal chemistry. The M06-L functional and 14 other functionals have been comparatively assessed against 22 energetic databases. Among the tested functionals, which include the popular B3LYP, BLYP, and BP86 functionals as well as our previous M05 functional, the M06-L functional gives the best overall performance for a combination of main-group thermochemistry, thermochemical kinetics, and organometallic, inorganometallic, biological, and noncovalent interactions. It also does very well for predicting geometries and vibrational frequencies. Because of the computational advantages of local functionals, the present functional should be very useful for many applications in chemistry, especially for simulations on moderate-sized and large systems and when long time scales must be addressed. © 2006 American Institute of Physics. DOI: 10.1063/1.2370993

4,154 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This review acquaints some materials for performing OER activity, in which the metal oxide materials build the basis of OER mechanism while non-oxide materials exhibit greatly promising performance toward overall water-splitting.
Abstract: There is still an ongoing effort to search for sustainable, clean and highly efficient energy generation to satisfy the energy needs of modern society. Among various advanced technologies, electrocatalysis for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) plays a key role and numerous new electrocatalysts have been developed to improve the efficiency of gas evolution. Along the way, enormous effort has been devoted to finding high-performance electrocatalysts, which has also stimulated the invention of new techniques to investigate the properties of materials or the fundamental mechanism of the OER. This accumulated knowledge not only establishes the foundation of the mechanism of the OER, but also points out the important criteria for a good electrocatalyst based on a variety of studies. Even though it may be difficult to include all cases, the aim of this review is to inspect the current progress and offer a comprehensive insight toward the OER. This review begins with examining the theoretical principles of electrode kinetics and some measurement criteria for achieving a fair evaluation among the catalysts. The second part of this review acquaints some materials for performing OER activity, in which the metal oxide materials build the basis of OER mechanism while non-oxide materials exhibit greatly promising performance toward overall water-splitting. Attention of this review is also paid to in situ approaches to electrocatalytic behavior during OER, and this information is crucial and can provide efficient strategies to design perfect electrocatalysts for OER. Finally, the OER mechanism from the perspective of both recent experimental and theoretical investigations is discussed, as well as probable strategies for improving OER performance with regards to future developments.

3,976 citations