Sea-Urchin-Like Carbon Nanospheres for Electrocatalytic Dechlorination of 1,2-Dichloroethane

The application of carbon-based materials as electrocatalysts for electrochemical dechlorination of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (Cl-VOCs) has stirring extensive concern. However, the relationship between morphology and activity toward carbon-based materials is often overlooked by researchers. Herein, a unique three-dimensional (3D) sea-urchin-like carbon nanosphere containing a hollow interior self-assembled from 1D carbon nanorods (SS-CNRs) has been successfully fabricated. It can be achieved through morphology-preserved thermal conversion of a 3D metal–organic framework (MOF) superstructure, which possesses an identical sea-urchin-like nanostructure consisting of 1D MOF nanorods (SS-MOFNRs). The as-prepared SS-CNRs can be utilized as an efficient cathode catalyst for electrocatalytic dechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) to selectively produce highly valuable ethylene. Benefiting from the peculiar sea-urchin-like morphology and the void-confinement effect induced by the hollow structure, the SS-CNRs are endowed with an abundant electrode–electrolyte contact area to accelerate the electron transfer. As a result, the as-synthesized catalyst exhibits outstanding electrocatalytic dechlorination performance of 1,2-DCA with high ethylene yield, selectivity, reusability, and stability, where the Faradaic efficiency of ethylene is up to 55% at −2.75 V (vs SCE). This work provides a promising prospect for the rational morphological engineering of carbon-based nanometer materials and the effective transformation of Cl-VOCs to value-added ethylene in a friendlier manner.