Bioinspired Electrode for the Production and Timely Separation of Nitrile and Hydrogen

Replacing electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with amine oxidation reaction is adopted to boost clean and environment-friendly energy source hydrogen (H-2) in water. However, the electrocatalytic reaction is severely restricted by the strong adsorption of product on the catalyst surface. Inspired by the cooperation of flavin adenine dinucleotide and mitochondria membrane in biological system, the catalysis-separation complex electrodes are introduced to promote the desorption of product and hinder its readsorption by applying polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-separation membrane on the one side of electrode, which is benefit for the cleanness of active sites on the catalyst surface for the continuous production and timely separation of nitrile and hydrogen. With the intermolecular force between PTFE and nitrile, the nitrile droplets can be quickly desorbed and separated from catalyst surface of anode, and the size of nitrile droplets on the catalyst surface is only 0.23% to that without PTFE. As a result, the current at 1.49 V-RHE from the catalyst with PTFE membrane is about 33 times to that of catalyst without PTFE after long-term operation. Moreover, the cathode with PTFE membrane also achieves the rapid desorption of H-2 bubbles and stable cathodic current because of the strong absorption of PTFE to H-2.