Due to the high power density, quick start-up, high efficiency and environmental benignity, proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have long been the research focus in clean energy technique. Membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is the core component of a PEMFC, it responds to the conversion of chemical energy to electricity. However, the high consumption of Pt-based electrocatalyst and poor durability has hindered the wide commercial application of PEMFCs.
　　Researchers from the Fuel Cell System & Engineering Group in Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics led by Prof. SHAO Zhigang made new progress in electrode materials with ultralow Pt loading for PEMFCs. Researchers assembled open-walled PtCo bimetallic nanotube arrays into catalyst-coated membrane (CCM) electrode for the first time.
　　DICP Researchers Construct Nanostructured Ultrathin Catalyst Layer for PEMFCs with improved Efficiency and Durability (Image by ZENG Yachao)
　　Beneficial from the novel architecture, the open-walled PtCo nanotubes, which constitute the nanostructured ultrathin catalyst layer, can be fully involved in the electrochemical reactions with both of the interior and exterior surfaces exposed to the reactants. The construction can significantly improve the mass transport and catalyst utilization. A facile decal method is employed to assemble the PtCo nanotubes arrays into catalyst layer. A removal of polymer electrolyte binder and carbon supports contributes to the durability of MEA. A mass specific power density of 14.38 kW·gPt-1 has been achieved by the nanostructured MEA with a cathode Pt loading of 52.7 μg·cm-2, which is 1.7 fold higher than that of the conventional Pt/C-based MEA. Durability test manifests that the nanostructured MEA is far more stable than the conventional MEA. The work paved a new approach to the structural design of novel MEA.
　　The research work is recently published in Nano Energy.The work is financially supported by National Basic Research Program of China and National Natural Science Foundation of China. (Text and Image by ZENG Yachao and YU Hongmei)
　　Dr. LU Xinyi
　　Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
　　457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, China,
　　Tel: 86-411-84379201
　　E-mail: luxinyi@dicp.ac.cn 
　　

　　Due to the high power density, quick start-up, high efficiency and environmental benignity, proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have long been the research focus in clean energy technique. Membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is the core component of a PEMFC, it responds to the conversion of chemical energy to electricity. However, the high consumption of Pt-based electrocatalyst and poor durability has hindered the wide commercial application of PEMFCs.
　　Researchers from the Fuel Cell System & Engineering Group in Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics led by Prof. SHAO Zhigang made new progress in electrode materials with ultralow Pt loading for PEMFCs. Researchers assembled open-walled PtCo bimetallic nanotube arrays into catalyst-coated membrane (CCM) electrode for the first time.
　　DICP Researchers Construct Nanostructured Ultrathin Catalyst Layer for PEMFCs with improved Efficiency and Durability (Image by ZENG Yachao)
　　Beneficial from the novel architecture, the open-walled PtCo nanotubes, which constitute the nanostructured ultrathin catalyst layer, can be fully involved in the electrochemical reactions with both of the interior and exterior surfaces exposed to the reactants. The construction can significantly improve the mass transport and catalyst utilization. A facile decal method is employed to assemble the PtCo nanotubes arrays into catalyst layer. A removal of polymer electrolyte binder and carbon supports contributes to the durability of MEA. A mass specific power density of 14.38 kW·gPt-1 has been achieved by the nanostructured MEA with a cathode Pt loading of 52.7 μg·cm-2, which is 1.7 fold higher than that of the conventional Pt/C-based MEA. Durability test manifests that the nanostructured MEA is far more stable than the conventional MEA. The work paved a new approach to the structural design of novel MEA.
　　The research work is recently published in Nano Energy.The work is financially supported by National Basic Research Program of China and National Natural Science Foundation of China. (Text and Image by ZENG Yachao and YU Hongmei)
　　Dr. LU Xinyi
　　Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
　　457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, China,
　　Tel: 86-411-84379201
　　E-mail: luxinyi@dicp.ac.cn 
　　

　　To find a suitable material to store hydrogen under moderate temperature and hydrogen pressure is a key roadblock towards the commercialization of hydrogen powered fuel cell vehicles. In the recent years, many hydrides of light elements (HLEs) have attracted considerable attention for use as on-board hydrogen storage materials due to their high volumetric and gravimetric hydrogen densities.
　　However, their application is limited by severe hydrogenation/de-hydrogenation kinetic barriers and poor intrinsic thermodynamics. Although several approaches have been reported to improve the material thermodynamic and kinetic properties, a material, which can fully satisfy the requirements such as fully reversible and operating near ambient temperature set by the automotive industry, was not found yet.
　　Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) group led by Prof. CHEN Ping demonstrates that the synergy among LiBH4, Mg(NH2)2 and LiH, three of the most-investigated HLEs, can lead to a fully reversible hydrogenation and dehydrogenation cycle at temperatures below 373 K. The measured dehydrogenation enthalpy of this intriguing material is only 24 kJ(mol-H2)-1, which theoretically allows to de-hydrogenate the material at 273 K and 3.2 bar H2. Furthermore, experimentally it was shown that full H2 absorption can be achieved at 326 K and de-hydrogenation at 371 K, the lowest operating temperatures for hydrides of light elements as reported before.
　　The Pressure-Composition-Temperature desorption curves of +LiBH4 and Pristine (Image by WANG Han)
　　The DICP researchers attribute the exceptional material properties to a possible “solvent” like behavior of LiBH4 in stabilizing the intermediates and products of the hydrogenation/de-hydrogenation cycle. Such an understanding of the role of LiBH4 can devise design and development of multi-component HLEs systems in which one or multiple components may serve as a medium to modulate the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of hydrogenation and dehydrogenation.
　　This work was published on Advanced Energy Materials (DOI: 10.1002/aenm.201602456). This work is financially supported National Science Funds for Distinguished Young Scholars, the Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (2011-iChEM), CAS-Helmholtz JRG Project and National Natural Science Foundation of China. (Text and Image by WANG Han)
　　Dr. LU Xinyi
　　Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
　　457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, China,
　　Tel: 86-411-84379201
　　E-mail: luxinyi@dicp.ac.cn 

　　To find a suitable material to store hydrogen under moderate temperature and hydrogen pressure is a key roadblock towards the commercialization of hydrogen powered fuel cell vehicles. In the recent years, many hydrides of light elements (HLEs) have attracted considerable attention for use as on-board hydrogen storage materials due to their high volumetric and gravimetric hydrogen densities.
　　However, their application is limited by severe hydrogenation/de-hydrogenation kinetic barriers and poor intrinsic thermodynamics. Although several approaches have been reported to improve the material thermodynamic and kinetic properties, a material, which can fully satisfy the requirements such as fully reversible and operating near ambient temperature set by the automotive industry, was not found yet.
　　Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) group led by Prof. CHEN Ping demonstrates that the synergy among LiBH4, Mg(NH2)2 and LiH, three of the most-investigated HLEs, can lead to a fully reversible hydrogenation and dehydrogenation cycle at temperatures below 373 K. The measured dehydrogenation enthalpy of this intriguing material is only 24 kJ(mol-H2)-1, which theoretically allows to de-hydrogenate the material at 273 K and 3.2 bar H2. Furthermore, experimentally it was shown that full H2 absorption can be achieved at 326 K and de-hydrogenation at 371 K, the lowest operating temperatures for hydrides of light elements as reported before.
　　The Pressure-Composition-Temperature desorption curves of +LiBH4 and Pristine (Image by WANG Han)
　　The DICP researchers attribute the exceptional material properties to a possible “solvent” like behavior of LiBH4 in stabilizing the intermediates and products of the hydrogenation/de-hydrogenation cycle. Such an understanding of the role of LiBH4 can devise design and development of multi-component HLEs systems in which one or multiple components may serve as a medium to modulate the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of hydrogenation and dehydrogenation.
　　This work was published on Advanced Energy Materials (DOI: 10.1002/aenm.201602456). This work is financially supported National Science Funds for Distinguished Young Scholars, the Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (2011-iChEM), CAS-Helmholtz JRG Project and National Natural Science Foundation of China. (Text and Image by WANG Han)
　　Dr. LU Xinyi
　　Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
　　457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, China,
　　Tel: 86-411-84379201
　　E-mail: luxinyi@dicp.ac.cn 

　　Ortho-Quinone methides (o-QMs) are important intermediates in organic synthesis and materials chemistry as well as biological processes. However, the asymmetric reactions with o-QMs generated in situ are unexplored.
　　The Molecular Modeling and Design Group from Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP), Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a highly efficient protocol for the preparation of optically active benzylic sulfones and 4-substituted chromans. This work has been published recently as a communication in Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. (DOI:10.1002/anie.201700250)
　　The Molecular Modeling and Design Group has been working on developing new heterogeneous methodolgies for a long time (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2002, 21; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2007, 6861), especially on the water-oil biphases system which has been widely used in a series of asymmetric catalytic reactions (Chem. Eur. J., 2004, 2277; J. Catal., 2007, 360; Green Chem., 2011, 1983; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2012, 13159). In the previous work, this group realized the first conjugate addition of trityl thiol to in situ generated o-QMs. It was catalyzed by a chiral organic base with excellent enantioselectivities by using the advantage of water-oil biphases catalytic system. It consist of spatial separation between the organic-base catalyst, reactants in the organic phase, and the inorganic base in the aqueous phase, thus to suppress the racemic background reaction.
　　Different reaction pathways of 2-sulfonylalkyl phenols with allenic esters via o-QM intermediates: DKR versus [4+2] cycloaddition. (Image by LIU Yan and CHEN Ping)
　　In this work, it was found the strong base Et3N can precede the racemization of the o-QMs precursor. So that it can afford the possibility for the design of dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) involving the high reactive intermediates. This group reported the first DKR involving o-QMs intermediates. In the presence of Et3N and cinchonine-derived nucleophilic catalyst, the DKR of 2-sulfonylalkyl phenols with allenic esters afforded chiral benzylic sulfones with good to excellent enantioselectivities (85-95% ee). Furthermore, using 2-(Tosylmethyl) sesamols or 2-(Tosylmethyl) naphthols which can generate stable o-QMs as the substrates, a formal [4+2] cycloaddition was achieved, delivering 4-aryl- or alkyl-substituted chromans with excellent enantioselectivities (88-97% ee). This work also provided a new strategy to design new asymmetric reactions involving o-QMs.
　　The first author of this work is PhD candidate CHEN Ping, co-supervised by Prof. LIU Yan and Prof. LI Can. The research work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. (Text and Image by LIU Yan and CHEN Ping)
　　Dr. LU Xinyi
　　Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
　　457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, China,
　　Tel: 86-411-84379201
　　E-mail: luxinyi@dicp.ac.cn 

　　Ortho-Quinone methides (o-QMs) are important intermediates in organic synthesis and materials chemistry as well as biological processes. However, the asymmetric reactions with o-QMs generated in situ are unexplored.
　　The Molecular Modeling and Design Group from Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP), Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a highly efficient protocol for the preparation of optically active benzylic sulfones and 4-substituted chromans. This work has been published recently as a communication in Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. (DOI:10.1002/anie.201700250)
　　The Molecular Modeling and Design Group has been working on developing new heterogeneous methodolgies for a long time (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2002, 21; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2007, 6861), especially on the water-oil biphases system which has been widely used in a series of asymmetric catalytic reactions (Chem. Eur. J., 2004, 2277; J. Catal., 2007, 360; Green Chem., 2011, 1983; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2012, 13159). In the previous work, this group realized the first conjugate addition of trityl thiol to in situ generated o-QMs. It was catalyzed by a chiral organic base with excellent enantioselectivities by using the advantage of water-oil biphases catalytic system. It consist of spatial separation between the organic-base catalyst, reactants in the organic phase, and the inorganic base in the aqueous phase, thus to suppress the racemic background reaction.
　　Different reaction pathways of 2-sulfonylalkyl phenols with allenic esters via o-QM intermediates: DKR versus [4+2] cycloaddition. (Image by LIU Yan and CHEN Ping)
　　In this work, it was found the strong base Et3N can precede the racemization of the o-QMs precursor. So that it can afford the possibility for the design of dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) involving the high reactive intermediates. This group reported the first DKR involving o-QMs intermediates. In the presence of Et3N and cinchonine-derived nucleophilic catalyst, the DKR of 2-sulfonylalkyl phenols with allenic esters afforded chiral benzylic sulfones with good to excellent enantioselectivities (85-95% ee). Furthermore, using 2-(Tosylmethyl) sesamols or 2-(Tosylmethyl) naphthols which can generate stable o-QMs as the substrates, a formal [4+2] cycloaddition was achieved, delivering 4-aryl- or alkyl-substituted chromans with excellent enantioselectivities (88-97% ee). This work also provided a new strategy to design new asymmetric reactions involving o-QMs.
　　The first author of this work is PhD candidate CHEN Ping, co-supervised by Prof. LIU Yan and Prof. LI Can. The research work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. (Text and Image by LIU Yan and CHEN Ping)
　　Dr. LU Xinyi
　　Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
　　457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, China,
　　Tel: 86-411-84379201
　　E-mail: luxinyi@dicp.ac.cn