Liquid-Metal\nCatalytic Solution for Enhanced Spontaneous\nProton Coupled Electron Transfer

Gallium-based liquid metals (LMs) with near-room-temperature\nmelting\npoints have recently attracted attention due to their exceptional\nproperties. Although attempts are starting to utilize LMs to prepare\nfunctional materials, little attention has been focused on the internal-interface\nof LMs and on designing chemical reactions occurring in it. Herein,\na series of hydrogenation reactions are conducted in a Cu catalyst-incorporated\nLM to demonstrate its potential as a creative medium. Compared to\nthe effects in an aqueous system, the hydrogenation kinetics in the\nLM catalytic solution is enhanced by several tens of times. The excellent\ncatalytic performance is explained by the LM participating in a special\nelectron-donating phenomenon with the incorporated catalyst during\nreaction, which is seldom reported in a common medium. The proved\nproton coupled electron transfer (HCET) mechanism is universal in\nterms of organic pollutant hydrogenation, biological platform molecule\nregeneration, azo-dye degradation, etc. This study provides a unique\nperspective for innovative design of LM catalytic systems.