P-Doped NiMn<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> Hollow Tubular Nanofiber Spinel Composites for Electrocatalytic Dechlorination
Yaqi Yang, Shiying Fan, Xinyong Li, Jugong Shi, Yan Mao, Mufan Wang, Feng Tan
Abstract
Electrochemical degradation of dichloromethane (DCM) to produce chloromethane is a hopeful strategy for the remediation of chlorinated volatile organic compounds. However, developing high-efficiency electrocatalysts without a noble metal remains a challenge. Here, we successfully constructed P-doped NiMn 2 O 4 hollow tubular nanofibers (P x -NM-HTNFs) by the combination of an electrostatic spinning technique and a chemical vapor deposition technique, which were used as efficient dechlorination electrocatalysts. Physicochemical characterization and in situ characterization demonstrated that the unique hollow tubular nanostructures and P-doped structure can effectively accelerate charge transfer, expose more active sites, and optimize the adsorption capacity of the electrocatalyst for DCM. The experimental tests revealed that the P-doped electrocatalysts exhibited a remarkable electrocatalytic dechlorination performance, achieving a chloromethane production rate of 11665.46 μmol g –1 h –1 at −3.03 V (vs Ag/AgCl/Me 4 NCl) for P 1.0 -NM-HTNFs. In addition, the transfer coefficient α of 0.3 proved that the electrochemical degradation of DCM conforms to the mechanism of synergistic dissociation electron transfer. P 1.0 -NM-HTNFs generate the adsorption atom H*, thus facilitating the dechlorination reaction. This work provides an idea for constructing manganese–spinel composite catalysts and producing chloromethane with high value added for DCM electrochemical dechlorination.