Primary studyPeripheral evidenceElectrocatalysis

Host-guest molecular interaction promoted urea electrosynthesis over a precisely designed conductive metal-organic framework

Yuan M., Chen J., Zhang H. et al. · Energy and Environmental Science · 2022 · 2084-2095

2materials
6samples
4synthesis routes
19measurements
88results
6claims and caveats

Evidence map

Open a family to keep every result attached to its sample, method and conditions.

Author interpretations and caveats

Paraphrased for this database from the authors’ stated interpretations — never quoted verbatim — and kept separate from reported measurements.

Application RelevanceSupport assessment: High

Co-PMDA-2-mbIM gives much higher urea electrosynthesis activity and selectivity than guest-free Co-PMDA under the same conditions.

Caveat: Application result is an electrode measurement on catalyst/Nafion/carbon cloth, not bare powder.

p008 (journal p2091) · Results and discussion · Fig. 4f · Linked to 5 structured results

CaveatSupport assessment: Medium

The authors ran gas purification, isotope-labelling, blank and closed-system controls to argue that detected NH3 and urea originate from N2/CO2 reduction rather than NOx/NH3 contamination.

Caveat: Contaminant controls are extensive; several entries are reported at limits of detection rather than quantified detections.

p062 · Table S3 · Table S3 · Linked to 9 structured results

Structure Property LinkSupport assessment: High

Intercalated 2-mbIM guest molecules create electron-transfer bridges and raise powder conductivity by roughly three orders of magnitude relative to guest-free Co-PMDA.

Caveat: Conductivity device geometry was not provided in the supplied text.

p002 (journal p2085) · Results and discussion · Fig. 1 · Linked to 5 structured results

Structure Property LinkSupport assessment: High

Electrophilic CoO6 and nucleophilic 2-mbIM regions promote targeted N2 and CO2 adsorption/activation and stronger TPD responses than the pristine control.

Caveat: No numerical adsorption capacities were available in the supplied text/images.

p008 (journal p2091) · Results and discussion · Fig. 4g-h and Fig. 5a · Linked to 5 structured results

Synthesis MechanismSupport assessment: Medium

DFT favours an alternating hydrogenation pathway after *NCON formation and indicates C-N coupling is more favourable than NH3-producing NRR hydrogenation.

Caveat: Mechanistic pathway is computationally supported and tied to indirect FTIR detection of *NCON.

p010 (journal p2093) · Results and discussion · Fig. 5f and Fig. S35 · Linked to 4 structured results

Transport MechanismSupport assessment: High

Host-guest electron transfer changes Co electronic/spin state from high-spin Co3+ toward intermediate-spin Co4+, reducing eg filling and enabling sigma-orbital electron acceptance from intermediates.

Caveat: Spin-state assignment combines XPS, magnetic fitting and DFT interpretation rather than a single direct measurement.

p005 (journal p2088) · Results and discussion · Fig. 3 · Linked to 12 structured results

Material identities

Names and aliases are kept exactly within the paper’s own identity model.

MaterialCompositionStructure contextSource
Co-PMDANot specifiedCobalt centres coordinated by PMDA-derived carboxylate/oxygen donors · Pyromellitic dianhydride-derived PMDA ligand; no 2-mbIM guest2D · PristinePristine MOF without guest molecules; reported as a 2D sheet-like control and shown as the Co-PMDA crystal structure in Fig. S1c.p003 (journal p2086) · Results and discussion · Fig. 2 and Fig. S1c
Co-PMDA-2-mbIMC26 H28 Co N4 O12 from CIFCobalt centres in CoO6 octahedra · Pyromellitic dianhydride-derived PMDA ligand; intercalated 2-methylbenzimidazole (2-mbIM) guest molecules3D · PristineTriclinic P -1 conductive metal-organic framework with 2D polymer layers and a 3D intercalated host-guest structure.p002 (journal p2085) · Results and discussion · Fig. 1

Sample register

Sample form, processing state and composition status define the context for measurements.

Show 6 sample records
SampleForm and roleProcessing and geometrySource
Co-PMDA-2-mbIM electrode on carbon clothresearch_0821__mat__co_pmda_2mbimElectrode · Target Sample · CompositeCatalyst ink from 3.59 mg catalyst, 30 uL Nafion, 500 uL ethanol and 470 uL water; mass loading 0.3 mg cm-2.Pretreated carbon cloth, 1 x 3 cm2p003 · Electrochemical measurements
DFT model of Co-PMDA-2-mbIMresearch_0821__mat__co_pmda_2mbimModel · Model System · ModelSpin-polarised DFT+U model with D3 and implicit solvation corrections.p006-p007 · DFT calculations · Fig. 5, Figs. S31-S35
Co-PMDA-2-mbIM powderresearch_0821__mat__co_pmda_2mbimPowder · Target Sample · Guest LoadedAs-synthesised powder washed with methanol and DI water and dried at 60 deg C for 24 h.p002 · Preparation of Co-PMDA-2-mbIM
Co-PMDA electrode on carbon clothresearch_0821__mat__co_pmdaElectrode · Pristine Control · CompositeControl catalyst electrode prepared by the same general catalyst-ink protocol.Pretreated carbon cloth, 1 x 3 cm2p003 · Electrochemical measurements
DFT model of Co-PMDAresearch_0821__mat__co_pmdaModel · Model System · ModelSpin-polarised DFT+U model used as guest-free comparator.p006-p007 · DFT calculations · Fig. 5 and Figs. S31-S35
Co-PMDA powderresearch_0821__mat__co_pmdaPowder · Pristine Control · Pristine FrameworkPrepared using the Co-PMDA-2-mbIM procedure without adding the 2-mbIM ligand.p002 · Preparation of Co-PMDA