High-entropy alloy nanoparticles (HEA-NPs) promise superior catalysis, yet scalable synthesis of compositionally uniform nanoparticles remains a major challenge due to inevitable elemental segregation in conventional high-temperature melting or carbothermal shock methods. In this study, a biomass-mediated steady-state synthesis strategy was developed by integrating freeze-drying with in situ carbonization-reduction, using radish as both a structural scaffold and a green reducing/carbon source. This near-equilibrium approach effectively eliminates high-temperature processing, suppresses pre-reduction metal ion segregation, and yields strictly atomic-level uniform HEA-NPs across binary to denary compositions. The benchmark PtPdFeCoNi HEA-NPs achieved 100 mA cm-2 at only 97 mV overpotential in acidic hydrogen evolution, with 76.5% activity retention after 24 h, markedly outperforming commercial Pt/C. The steady-state method is universally applicable across 2-10 metal components while maintaining single-phase solid-solution structures. This work overcomes the long-standing bottleneck in scalable synthesis of homogeneous HEA-NPs and provides a versatile, equipment-simple platform for producing next-generation multicomponent nanocatalysts.

High-purity quartz (HPQ) is a critical raw material for semiconductors and advanced optical glass, yet a gap persists between deposit-scale geological knowledge and purification flowsheet design. This review proposes an integrated Geological Genesis-Impurity Occurrence-Purification Pathway (GIP) framework that links quantitative diagnostic indicators (Ti burden, Al partition index, inclusion topology, and textural descriptors) to tiered processing decisions. The framework employs a three-tier screening hierarchy that assesses intrinsic lattice potential, inclusion accessibility, and liberation constraints in sequence to identify the dominant processing bottleneck. Pegmatite ores with coarse, liberatable gangue are amenable to physical beneficiation followed by streamlined chemical refining, with rare-metal-poor systems being most favorable. Hydrothermal vein ores require thermal pretreatment for inclusion decrepitation followed by intensified leaching. Metamorphic quartzite ores impose liberation rather than chemical reactivity as the primary cost driver. Case-study validation demonstrates that rare-metal-poor pegmatites represent the most cost-effective feedstock, followed by metamorphic quartzites when selective comminution overcomes textural constraints; while hydrothermal vein ores incur the highest processing costs. The framework provides a structured basis for early-stage resource screening and investment prioritization.

ABSTRACT Within the industry of plate‐shaped corundum advanced refractory industry, firing temperatures are concentrated around 1900°C. Due to the interwoven structure of plate‐shaped crystals, the compressive strength of most plate‐shaped corundum exceeds 200 MPa. To reduce energy consumption, this study used γ‐Al 2 O 3 and activated modified limestone fine powder as raw materials. Sintering was conducted at 1600°C, 1650°C, and 1700°C to investigate the effects of modified limestone content and sintering temperature on the phase composition and properties of the composite material. The study revealed that with increasing reaction temperature, the bulk density and compressive strength of the composite phase material first increased and then decreased, while the apparent porosity continuously decreased. When the modified limestone content was 1.11 wt.%, the sintered product at 1650°C achieved a relatively favorable apparent porosity of 13.31%, a bulk density of 3.7 g/cm 3 , and a maximum compressive strength of 218.03 MPa. This enabled sintering at lower temperatures while maintaining properties comparable to plate‐like corundum. As the modified limestone content increased, the porosity of the product increased, while the bulk density decreased; the compressive strength generally remained high, and it is expected to be used as a lightweight, high‐temperature‐resistant thermal insulation material.

Non-noble metal electrocatalysts are central to practical water electrolysis, yet many of the most active motifs do not remain structurally stable under device-level operating windows. Here, a stability-focused and integrated perspective is adopted, in which catalytic performance is understood as the combined result of external operating conditions, such as temperature, potential-current history, electrolyte identity and pH, interfacial wetting and bubble dynamics, contamination, and dissolution, together with intrinsic structural parameters, including active-site configuration, crystal phase and facet exposure, particle size and morphology, electronic structure, lattice strain, defects, and metal-support interactions. Using representative Fe-, Co-, and Mo-based non-noble metal electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), key kinetic descriptors and evaluation metrics are first summarized, followed by an analysis of how specific external stressors trigger degradation pathways such as sintering, migration-coalescence, electrochemical Ostwald ripening, metal dissolution/redeposition, and carbon corrosion. Intrinsic design levers, including interfacial coupling, defect-dopant pairing, alloying and multimetallic synergy, and robust self-supported electrode architectures, are then discussed in terms of their ability to mitigate these processes while preserving favorable adsorption and transport properties. Particular emphasis is placed on alkaline water electrolysis, where non-noble metal electrocatalysts are currently the most developed. The review concludes with practical design rules and testing protocols for translating mechanistic insight into durable, high-efficiency HER/OER operation under device-relevant current densities.

Within the industry of plate-shaped corundum advanced refractory industry, firing temperatures are concentrated around 1900 degrees C. Due to the interwoven structure of plate-shaped crystals, the compressive strength of most plate-shaped corundum exceeds 200 MPa. To reduce energy consumption, this study used gamma-Al2O3 and activated modified limestone fine powder as raw materials. Sintering was conducted at 1600 degrees C, 1650 degrees C, and 1700 degrees C to investigate the effects of modified limestone content and sintering temperature on the phase composition and properties of the composite material. The study revealed that with increasing reaction temperature, the bulk density and compressive strength of the composite phase material first increased and then decreased, while the apparent porosity continuously decreased. When the modified limestone content was 1.11 wt.%, the sintered product at 1650 degrees C achieved a relatively favorable apparent porosity of 13.31%, a bulk density of 3.7 g/cm(3), and a maximum compressive strength of 218.03 MPa. This enabled sintering at lower temperatures while maintaining properties comparable to plate-like corundum. As the modified limestone content increased, the porosity of the product increased, while the bulk density decreased; the compressive strength generally remained high, and it is expected to be used as a lightweight, high-temperature-resistant thermal insulation material.

In this paper, Eu3+ was innovatively doped into LiGe2(PO4)3 matrix with NASICON structure by high temperature solid state method. Taking advantage of the stable rigid structure of the matrix material, a high sensitivity LiGe2(PO4)3:Eu3+ red temperature-measuring phosphor was synthesized. Under the excitation of 394 nm, the LiGe2(PO4)3:Eu3+ phosphor exhibits multi-peak linear emission between 550 and 750 nm, and the main emission peaks are located at 595 nm and 612 nm. The temperature measurement is carried out by using the different sensitivity of Eu3+ magnetic dipole transition(5D0 -> 7F1) and electric dipole transition (5D0 -> 7F2) to lattice thermal vibration. The maximum relative sensitivity and absolute sensitivity at 298K and 498K are 2.436 % K-1and 5.1694 x 10-4 K-1, respectively, which is superior to other reported Eu3+ doped temperature sensing phosphors. This work proves that LiGe2(PO4)3:Eu3+ has excellent temperature-sensitive properties and has great potential in the application of non-contact optical thermometers. These properties indicate that LiGe2(PO4)3: Eu3+ phosphors have important application value in the field of temperature sensing.

In response to the urgent demand for highly efficient and stable electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in sustainable energy applications, this study developed a class of high-performance RE-Pt@CN catalysts based on the synergistic effect of rare-earth doping and nitrogen-doped carbon supports. Using 2,2 '-bipyridine-5,5 '-dicarboxylic acid (DPDC) as a bifunctional ligand, a series of binary catalysts, including Sm-Pt@CN and various RE-Pt systems (RE = Sm, Ce, Gd, Pr, Er, Eu, and Yb), were successfully constructed on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes via a hydrothermal-carbonization reduction method. These catalysts exhibit a uniform structure and excellent stability. The Sm-Pt@CN catalyst prepared under optimal conditions (heat treatment at 800 degrees C, n (Pt):n (Sm):n (DPDC) = 1:1:3) shows uniformly dispersed nanoparticles (approximately 3.7 nm) and outstanding HER activity and stability in 0.5 M H2SO4 electrolyte: it requires an overpotential of only 88 mV to achieve a current density of 100 mAcm-2, exhibits a Tafel slope of 22.96 mVdec-1, and delivers a mass activity of 2.30 Amg-1 at an overpotential of 100 mV, significantly outperforming commercial Pt/C (eta 100 = 99.8 mV, 26.68 mVdec-1). The doping of Sm effectively enhances the metal-support interaction between platinum and the carbon carrier, inhibiting nanoparticle growth and aggregation, thereby endowing the catalyst with superior electrochemical stability. The synthesis strategy demonstrates good universality, as other rare-earth-doped platinum-based catalysts (e.g., Ce, Gd, Pr, Er, Eu, and Yb) also exhibit excellent HER performance. This work provides a new material platform and synthetic pathway for the development of highly efficient, stable, and low-platinum-loading electrocatalysts for water electrolysis.

The escalating global CO2 emissions urgently demand transformative technologies for achieving carbon neutrality. The electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (ECO2RR) serves as a bifunctional approach for managing carbon cycles and storing energy from renewable sources, yet it encounters significant hurdles such as the dominant hydrogen evolution process, a broad spectrum of resultant compounds. Consequently, oxide-derived copper (OD-Cu) catalysts have garnered significant attention for their ability to simultaneously ensure the presence of key intermediate species and regulate nearby cation levels, effectively enhancing the selectivity of ECO2RR for producing specific chemicals. This review systematically synthesizes the pivotal advances from 2020 to the present, focusing on the progress in OD-Cu catalysts, concentrating specifically on correlation between different modifications of OD-Cu catalysts and the selectivity of electrocatalytic CO2 reduction for chemicals, with particular emphasis on enhancing selectivity toward specific products including carbon monoxide, formate, methane, ethylene, ethanol, and propanol. Furthermore, prospective research directions are proposed to guide the rational design of next-generation OD-Cu catalysts with enhanced selectivity for practical ECO2RR applications. In conclusion, we delineate prospective investigative pathways that combine machine learning and multidisciplinary collaboration to steer the logical creation of durable, efficient catalysts with high Faradaic efficiency (FE) for large-scale ECO2RR implementations.

Flexible Phase Change Composite Fibers (FPCFs) have emerged as promising materials for wearable thermal management. These FPCFs integrate flexible matrices with Phase Change Materials (PCMs), endowing them with high energy storage capacity, mechanical durability, and shape stability. This review systematically categorizes FPCFs based on the fiber matrix, including polymer matrix, inorganic porous material matrix, and natural material matrix, and their respective pretreatment technologies are introduced. Fabrication techniques such as electrospinning, solution spinning, and surface modification are further explored, highlighting their impact on thermal and mechanical properties. Additionally, the current applications of FPCFs in smart textiles, electronic device cooling, and health monitoring systems are examined. Despite significant progress in FPCFs, challenges remain in optimizing thermal conductivity, improving PCM-matrix interactions, and enhancing long-term durability. Future research should focus on developing high-efficiency PCMs, integrating intelligent regulation mechanisms, and improving environmental sustainability. These advancements will establish FPCFs as key materials for next-generation wearable and energy-efficient systems.

The inorganic hydrated salt disodium hydrogen phosphate dodecahydrate (DHPD) is a promising phase change material (PCM) for large-scale solar energy storage due to its high latent heat, low cost, and operational safety. However, its practical application is hindered by poor cycling stability and weak solar absorption. This study addresses these limitations through a synergistic strategy involving porous coal gasification slag (CGS) and sodium silicate nonahydrate (SMN). CGS, a solid waste from industrial processes, was utilized as a porous matrix to encapsulate DHPD, effectively reducing leakage and enhancing cycling stability. Notably, the resulting composite phase change material (CPCM) exhibits lower latent heat degradation than traditional primary encapsulation, while maintaining a simpler preparation process than multi-level encapsulation techniques. Additionally, a Ti2O3 semiconductor photothermal agent was incorporated via mechanochemistry to enhance light absorption. The optimized CPCM demonstrates excellent performance: a low supercooling degree (0.37 degrees C), high latent heat (170.8 J/g), 75.2% loading capacity, high mechanical strength (66.79 MPa), and enhanced thermal conductivity (0.8434 W/(m & sdot;K)). It features a suitable phase change temperature (48.7 degrees C) and a photothermal conversion efficiency of 83.76%. After 100 cycles, the latent heat degradation is only 2%, demonstrating outstanding cycling stability and significant economic potential for solar energy applications.

Intermetallic compounds (IMCs) with atomically ordered crystal structures exhibit unique electrochemical catalytic properties attributed to their well-defined structure-activity correlations. However, the precise synthesis of sub-3 nm IMCs with highly active surface area remains challenging. Herein, we propose a "freeze-microwave confinement" strategy that precisely regulates crystal nucleation kinetics to widely synthesise sub-3 nm platinum-based IMCs. Significantly, the obtained sub-3 nm Pt-Fe intermetallic alloy (L12-Pt3Fe/KB) achieves overpotentials as low as 27 mV in 0.5 M H2SO4 and 35 mV in 1.0 M KOH at 10 mA cm-2, together with exceptional durability after 20 h of electrolysis. More importantly, this synthesis strategy can be further applied to various Pt-M alloys (M = Cr, Mn, Co, Ni and Zn), demonstrating widely applicable ability for controllable synthesis of sub-3 nm IMCs. This work provides a feasible strategy for constructing sub-3 nm IMCs and offer a fundamental understanding of crystal nucleation kinetics control toward exploring advanced Pt-based electrocatalysts.

The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a key half-reaction in water electrolysis. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), offer ordered pores, tunable structures, and designability. However, intrinsic conductivity, active-phase ambiguity, framework instability, and limited device-level validation hinder practical HER application. In this review, recent progress in COF-based HER electrocatalysts is critically discussed, with particular emphasis on framework construction and morphology control, active-site design and electronicstructure regulation, conductive networkdesign, heterointerface coupling, and electrode integration. Rather than simple structural classification, this review emphasizes how framework programmability translates into catalytic function. The effects of these structural design strategies on catalytic activity, charge-transfer behavior, and durability are discussed in detail. Particular attention is paid to distinctions among pristine, metalated, hybrid, and COF-derived active phases. Device-level performance in membrane and zero-gap electrolyzers is also considered. Finally, the major challenges currently facing this field are highlighted, including active-phase identification, intrinsic conductivity improvement, framework stability, scalable synthesis, and device-relevant electrode operation. This review aims to clarify the structure-function logic of COF-based HER catalysis and guide the development of mechanistically identifiable and practically relevant catalysts.

The electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (eCO2RR) has emerged as a promising technology for closing the carbon cycle and converting renewable electricity into storable chemical fuels. However, practical implementation remains constrained by the inherent thermodynamic stability of CO2 and the complexity of multi-electron transfer pathways, which pose significant challenges to achieving high selectivity and efficiency toward target products. To overcome these limitations, copper-containing bimetallic catalysts (CCBCs)—incorporating a secondary metal (X = Ag, Sn, Zn, Pd, Ga, etc.)—have emerged as a superior class of electrocatalysts. The defining feature of CCBCs is the synergistic modulation by the second metal X, which fundamentally alters reaction selectivity through multiple mechanisms. Specifically, the secondary metal X modulates CCBC's electronic structure through d-band center shifts and interfacial charge transfer, creates geometrically distinct active sites at bimetallic interfaces that promote C–C coupling, and enhances operational durability by stabilizing Cu oxidation states. These effects collectively enable precise steering of product distribution toward target chemicals. This review systematically examines recent advances in CCBCs for eCO2RR, with particular emphasis on how the identity and configuration of the secondary metal X dictates CCBC's selectivity, still analyze design strategies, structure–selectivity relationships organized by target product categories. This work uniquely emphasizes the mechanistic roles of the secondary metal in modulating CCBC's selectivity, providing a conceptual framework for rational CCBCs design. Finally, we outline future research directions encompassing advanced operando characterization, machine learning–accelerated catalyst discovery, and reactor engineering to advance technological maturation.

Internal cracks and pores critically influence ceramic properties. Conventional methods (drainage, scanning electron microscopy (SEM)) suffer limitations: drainage quantifies only open porosity, while SEM provides solely 2D sectional data. This impedes mechanistic understanding of 3D defect morphology and 4D spatiotemporal evolution. In this study, concentration-gradient cordierite-mullite refractories were fabricated and subjected to in-situ multi-stage corrosion tests via immersion rod testing. High-throughput X-ray microscopy (XRM) captured 4D microstructural evolution of cracks/pores during corrosion. A custom T3_seg segmentation workflow quantified crack-pore networks within saggars and reconstructed their time-resolved evolution across corrosion stages. Following 30-hour corrosion testing, the Part3 sample with 20% cordierite content, sintered at 1300 °C demonstrated minimal defects (11.40% crack-pore volume) while forming a 442.25 μm corrosion-resistant layer. Combined quantitative-visual analyses elucidate 4D crack-pore network evolution in ceramics, revealing enhanced corrosion resistance mechanisms.

In this study, MgO-CaO microporous refractory aggregates were successfully prepared with various apparent porosities using in situ decomposition and high-temperature sintering. These aggregates demonstrated excellent potential as the working linings of rotary cement kilns. A new microporous regulation technology was investigated, which controlled the content of the pore-forming agent in conjunction with the sintering process and parameters. Additionally, the pore-forming mechanism of magnesium hydroxide sulfate hydrate whiskers (MHSHw) during in situ decomposition was clarified. The research results showed that the aggregate achieved the optimal hydration resistance performance when approximately 4 wt% MHSHw was added. Furthermore, increasing the sintering temperature and employing a two-step sintering process could significantly enhance the mechanical strength of the aggregates while reducing their porosity. By precisely controlling the sintering process to adjust the apparent porosity of the aggregates, it was possible to attain optimal performances across a wide range of applications.

Inorganic solid-liquid phase change materials (PCMs) offer significant potential for thermal energy storage but are limited by poor shape stability, leakage, and restricted energy conversion modes. We introduce a novel carbon fiber-reinforced, partially graphitized porous carbon framework (PGC-CF) synthesized via a scalable, cost-effective foaming-assisted catalytic graphitization method - a pioneering approach for PCM composites. This 3D interconnected scaffold encapsulates decanoic acid (CA), forming the PCM (CA@PGC-CF-3) composite with 85.7 % PCM loading and a latent heat capacity of 139.5 J/g. The composite exhibits exceptional shape stability and retains 91.7 % of its latent heat after 300 thermal cycles, driven by the synergistic reinforcement of carbon fibers and a partially graphitized matrix. It achieves photothermal conversion efficiencies of 78.9-95.1 % under 75-200 mW cm(-2) solar irradiation and electrothermal efficiencies exceeding 80 % at 3 V, enabled by high thermal (0.3216 W/m & sdot;K) and electrical (similar to 26 S/cm) conductivities. Unlike costly graphene- or nanotube-based PCMs, this eco-friendly composite leverages abundant sucrose and carbon fibers, offering a scalable platform for solar energy harvesting, smart building thermal management, and electric vehicle energy storage.

The accelerating transition to clean hydrogen energy demands highly efficient and stable platinum-based electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, achieving uniform low-Pt-loading catalysts remains challenging due to weak interfacial interactions and inadequate dispersion control. Herein, we developed a synergistic interfacial coordination engineering strategy through integrating freeze-drying with transient non-equilibrium Joule heating, enabling the ultrafast synthesis of uniformly dispersed 1.84 ± 0.58 nm Pt nanoclusters on the reduced graphene oxide (i.e., Pt@rGO-T) within 20 s. Structural characterizations and theoretical calculations reveal that oxygen anchoring sites and chlorine coordination cooperatively strengthen the electron-metal-support interaction and modulate the Pt d-band center, thereby tuning the H* adsorption free energy toward a more favorable, near-thermoneutral range. Notably, this interfacial configuration may promote interfacial modulation and possible H* migration between Pt nanoclusters and the rGO support. As a result, the Pt@rGO-T delivers low overpotentials of 29.6 and 73.0 mV at 10 and 100 mA cm-2, respectively, along with a high mass activity of 6.23 A mg-1 and excellent durability over 200 h. This transient thermal engineering strategy offers a generalizable pathway for the rational design of interfaces and coordination environments in advanced noble metal-based electrocatalysts.

Addressing the inherent activity-stability trade-off and industrial application bottlenecks of ruthenium-based oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts, this study proposes a novel microwave-field-induced strategy coupling in-situ foaming and selenization of a metal-organic framework (ZIF-67). This approach successfully synthesizes a composite catalyst comprising cobalt-doped ruthenium selenide supported on nitrogen-doped porous carbon (Co-RuSe2/N-C). Leveraging the synergistic effect of microwave dielectric heating and the pyrolysis-induced foaming of Ru-ZIF-67, the strategy achieves the in-situ construction of a three-dimensional porous carbon skeleton and the precise anchoring of highly dispersed RuSe2 nanocrystals. Combined experimental characterization and theoretical calculations reveal the strong electronic synergy between cobalt dopant sites and the pyrite phase of RuSe2 modulates interfacial electron rearrangement, optimizes the adsorption free energy of reaction intermediates, and significantly enhances catalytic reaction kinetics. The resulting catalyst exhibits breakthrough performance: its OER mass activity surpasses that of commercial IrO2 by 26.2 times and maintains well performance with overpotential increases of merely 22.4 mV after 3000 cycles, which provides a new paradigm for developing efficient, stable, and low-cost practical electrocatalysts.