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Abstract:

“Spin” has recently been reported as an important degree of electronic freedom to improve the performance of electrocatalysts and photocatalysts. In the first part of my talk, I would like to present the manipulation of spin-polarized electrons to boost the photocatalytic CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) efficiencies through controlling magnetic doping, chirality, and defect engineering.[1-3] The origin of enhanced photocatalytic CO₂RR efficiencies is due to the increased number of spin-polarized photoexcited carriers, resulting in prolonged carrier lifetime and suppressed charge recombination. The fundamental mechanism of controlling spin-polarized electrons in photocatalysis would be addressed. In the second part of my talk, I would like to present the manipulation of spin-polarized electrons of an electrocatalyst to promote the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Spin selection has been described as a possible way to promote electrocatalytic OER, which involves the process of forming triplet-state O₂ from singlet-state species (OH⁻ or H₂O). I would like to show our recent results of controlling spin exchange interactions and spin-selected electron transfers of electrocatalysts to enhance OER performance. [4,5] By either applying a magnetic field or controlling magnetic dopants and the chirality of electrocatalysts, the OER performances can be significantly enhanced. Several in-situ analytic techniques, such as in-situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES), were also performed to support the understanding of the fundamental mechanism. Our results suggest that manipulating the spin-polarized electrons and spin-exchange interactions of electrocatalysts and photocatalysts is an effective strategy to enhance their catalytic performances.

Reference:
[1]. Chun-Wei Chen et al, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 144,15718, (2022)
[2]. Chun-Wei Chen et al, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 146,23278, (2024)
[3]. Chun-Wei Chen et al, Journal of the American Chemical Society,147, 40347,(2025)
[4]. Chun-Wei Chen et al, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 147,13286 (2025)
[5]. Chun-Wei Chen et al, Advanced Functional Materials, 2305792, (2023)