Aqueous zinc metal batteries (AZMBs) are considered ideal ones for next‐generation energy storage devices due to their high theoretical specific capacity and intrinsic safety. However, uncontrollable zinc dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and interface corrosion prohibit the commercialization of AZMBs. The deposition behaviors of Zn 2+ /Zn 0 on metallic Zn surface can be effectively regulated by constructing artificial interphase layers (AILs) to control desolvation and ion/atom flux. In this work, the intrinsic mechanism and interface failure of Zn 2+ electrodeposition behaviors are initially revealed, providing a theoretical basis for interface issues. To address these problems, the design strategies from carbon materials, zincophilic alloys, and inorganic/organic compound layers provide an in‐depth analysis of the relationship between material structure and performance, establishing a theoretical foundation for the development of programmable interface architecture. In light of practical application requirements, the future direction is envisioned and pioneered, aiming to promote the practical application process of AZMBs.

Aqueous zinc metal batteries (AZMBs) are regarded as the promising candidates for low-cost, sustainable, but safe energy storage systems. Unfortunately, Zn metal anodes suffer from incomplete desolvation and random dendrite formation, which is attributed to sluggish diffusion kinetics resulted from the strong ion (Zn2+)-dipole (H2O) interactions. Herein, to promote the Zn2+ desolvation and diffusion kinetics, the strategy of constructing perovskite-type ion-conductive kinetic modulators of ZnSn(OH)6 is initially designed and coated on the Zn metal anode (PIC-ZSH@Zn), regulating ion behaviors against dendrite growth and side reactions of active water. As confirmed by theoretical simulations, COMSOL, time-of-flight second-ionic mass spectroscopy, Raman and various electrochemical analyses, the abundant active sites synergistically weaken Zn2+-H2O interactions to accelerate desolvation to release free Zn2+, effectively homogenizing the Zn2+ flux distribution to preferentially nucleate and plate metallic Zn. Consequently, the as-fabricated cell maintains reversible stability of 800 h at 10 mA cm-2 with high Coulombic efficiency over 99% under low temperature of 0°C. The paired full cell with PIC-ZSH@Zn presents a high-capacity retention of nearly 80% after 1000 cycles at 1.0 A g-1 at 0°C, reinforcing the operation robustness of AZMBs under low temperature environments.

Soil saline-alkali stress severely constrains crop growth by triggering a burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and suppressing root proliferation. Although nanozymes offer considerable promise for mitigating plant stress, developing a nanozyme that simultaneously promotes root growth and scavenges ROS, while non‐invasively determining onset of its efficacy remain two critical challenges. Herein, we address both challenges by engineering a bifunctional Eu‐doped CaF₂ (Eu/CaF₂) nanozyme that exhibits red fluorescence, catalase (CAT)-like and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activities, combined with intermittent hyperspectral imaging to pinpoint the onset of its efficacy. Foliar application of the optimal 300 mg/L Eu/CaF₂ suspension significantly enhanced maize growth at saline-alkali stress. Compared with the stressed maize, total root length was restored to 154.3%, root fresh weight increased by 30.9% and shoot fresh weight increased by 24.2%. Mechanistically, the red fluorescence of Eu/CaF₂ promoted root elongation, while its CAT‐like and SOD‐like activities directly scavenged excess ROS, reducing H₂O₂ levels by 43.3% and inhibiting ·O₂- by 25.6%, thereby alleviating oxidative damage. Integrated omics analyses further revealed Eu/CaF₂ treatment restored TCA cycle flux, upregulated glutathione‐related metabolites and activated key stress signaling pathways including MAPK cascade and plant hormone signal transduction, along with secondary metabolism pathways like phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis. Employing intermittent hyperspectral imaging at discrete time points after spray, we non‐invasively determined that Eu/CaF₂ began to modulate maize physiological status as early as 36 h, as evidenced by shifts in reflectance spectra and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). This work presents a dual‐action nanozyme strategy for saline-alkali agriculture and establishes hyperspectral imaging as a non‐invasive tool for evaluating the onset of nanozyme function in plants, thereby opening new avenues for precision crop stress management.

Rechargeable aqueous multivalent metal batteries (AMMBs) are promising for next-generation safe energy storage systems owing to their high energy density and cost-effectiveness. However, strong ion-dipole interactions hinder desolvation and diffusion, resulting in large energy barriers and sluggish kinetics. To address these kinetic limitations, we develop a catalytic heterostructure comprising a porous, electron-delocalized metal-organic framework (MOF) integrated with MXene. This heterostructure is fabricated via partial self-transformation of Ti3C2Tx MXene into Ti-MOF (NH2-MOF-MXene), forming a Ti-MOF-MXene heterostructure. Acting as a kinetic promoter, it weakens electrostatic ion-dipole interactions, thereby accelerating interfacial Zn2+/Al3+ desolvation and diffusion while inhibiting dendrite formation, as confirmed by spectroscopic and electrochemical measurements. Moreover, the porous structure and electron-delocalized -NH2 polar groups effectively suppress active water formation from the solvation shell, thus inhibiting the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Consequently, symmetric Zn cells incorporating the NH2-MOF-MXene heterostructure achieve dendrite-free Zn plating with an extended lifespan of approximately 1000 h and high Coulombic efficiency under low temperatures (0 °C and -20 °C). Similarly, symmetric Al//Al cells incorporating the same heterostructure operate with reduced overpotentials and show improved stability from 100 to 220 h compared with bare Al//Al cells. These results establish an electron-delocalization pathway toward high-performance AMMBs.

Lithium metal anodes suffer from dendrite growth, unstable solid electrolyte interphase, and "dead Li" owing to high barriers and inhomogeneous Li+ desolvation/diffusion kinetics. Here, we present the suspension electrolyte endowed with atom-level catalytic inorganic particles of single atomic cobalt on defect-rich ZnO1-x nanoparticles (SACo@ZO) in a carbonate-based electrolyte, enhancing desolvation/diffusion kinetics and revitalizing dendritic Li. As systematically investigated by in situ electrochemical sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy together with theoretical simulations, the SACo@ZO-assisted suspension electrolyte decreases the potential threshold down to 20 millivolts for driving interfacial desolvation rapidly, providing uniform solvation-free Li+/Li0 flux and capability in revitalizing dendritic Li. Consequently, we achieve a smooth but dense Li plating behavior under room or low-temperature surroundings, lasting for a long life span of 1600 hours. Meanwhile, the practical Li-LiFePO4 cell with SACo@ZO reserves the capacity retention of ~100% at 0.5 C and survives for 1000 cycles under 0°C, demonstrating the feasibility of atomically catalytic suspension electrolyte for high-performance dendrite-free Li metal batteries.

Winter oilseed rape is a vital industrial crop, primarily cultivated for the production of vegetable oil, biodiesel, and industrial lubricants. Mitigation of frost damage in winter oilseed rape is critical for ensuring stable yields and quality. To address this challenge, we engineered a multifunctional light-triggered catalase like nanozyme (denoted as YTzymes) integrating catalase-like activity with yellow-light emission, specifically designed to counteract frost-induced adversity in winter oilseed rape. The dual-action mechanism of YTzymes underpins its efficacy:1) Intrinsic catalase-like activity directly scavenges excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) that accumulate rapidly in plant cells under frost stress, thereby alleviating oxidative damage to crop cells; 2) Yellow light emission from the nanozyme triggers targeted metabolic reprogramming, modulating linoleic acid metabolism (a key component of membrane lipids) to maintain integrity of cell membranes, while simultaneously enhancing the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle flux to boost energy supply and redox homeostasis. Foliar application of 600 mg/L YTzymes solution significantly promoted frost recovery in winter oilseed rape. Compared to untreated frost-stressed plants, the dry weight of shoots and roots in the nanozyme-treated group increased by 21.56% and 11.15%, respectively, accompanied by improved cell membrane integrity. Meanwhile, the reduction of Ca2 + concentration and increment of K+ concentration could further reduce the osmotic pressure of the cell, reducing the cell dehydration in freezing conditions. This light-triggered nanozyme approach offers an efficient solution to mitigate frost damage, thereby contributing to the development of sustainable crop production under changing climate conditions.

Dendrite-free Zn metal anodes with robust interface are highly desired for the practical application of aqueous zinc-metal based batteries (AZMBs), while their stability is hindered by the untoward [Zn(H2O)6]2+ desolvation and succedent deposition with dissatisfactory kinetic barriers, especially under low-temperature environment. Herein, a self-cascade catalytic strategy on accelerating interfacial desolvation and optimizing diffusion is proposed by designing an atomically dispersed Bi within the deficient LaMnO3.15 perovskite (SABi/U-LMO) layer on Zn anode. Theoretical calculations demonstrate that the d-band center and nonbonding state near the Fermi level of SABi/U-LMO alleviate the corrosion of H2O and accelerate the dissociation of Zn2+─H2O bond by promoting the rapid filling of the empty 4s orbital of the Zn2+, as revealed by electrochemical and spectroscopic results. Meanwhile, the redistribution of electric field with SABi/U-LMO realizes the delocalization and lateral growth of Zn atoms. Consequently, the cells with SABi/U-LMO render an impressive lifetime up to 5000 h at 1 mA cm-2 as well as a high Coulombic efficiency of 99.59% over 2000 cycles under 0 °C. Full cell also stabilizes the capacity retention of ∼100% after 900 cycles at 1 A g-1 under -20 °C, verifying the feasibility of self-cascade catalysis in realizing high-performance AZMBs.

To address glyphosate-contaminated natural water in agricultural science, an incrassated conductive Cu-HHTP (HHTP = 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexahydroxytriphenylene) film (named as 10CAT-1 Film) is designed as an ElectroFenton catalyst in this paper. Considering the structural requirements, the high Cu2* concentration in synthesizing process could avoid the island like Metal-organic Framework (MOF) formation leading to the defect-free conductive films. Comprehensive material characterizations and electrochemical analysis are implemented to verify the intense film to its property. Compared with the Cu-HHTP film with equal volume of Cu2 + to ethanolamine solution, the 10CAT-1 Film exhibits enhanced crystallinity perfection, reduced structural defects, and improved hydrophilicity to guarantee the unblocked electron transfer and reactant transfer efficiency. Electrochemical tests confirm superior charge transfer kinetics and high H2O2 yield via two electrons oxygen reduction reaction. This achieves 75 % glyphosate degradation within 1 h (kinetic rate: 0.022 min-1) under ambient atmosphere with air as oxygen resources (current density: 0.5 mA & sdot;cm-2, pH 7.0), maintaining 68.92 % efficiency after five cycles. Mechanistic studies reveal C-N bond cleavage as the primary degradation pathway, generating lower toxic AMPA and glyoxylic acid intermediates before mineralization. The synergistic effect of conductive MOF layering and Cu2*/Cu* cycling enables efficient *OH generation for eco-friendly scalable herbicide removal.

This study assesses the effectiveness of two hydrochar variants-humic acid-anchored hydrochar and sodium hydroxide-modified hydrochar-in enhancing biogas production from high-solids anaerobic digestion of cow manure. The purpose of humic acid modification is that its abundant oxygen-containing functional groups promote direct interspecies electron transfer and improve microbial efficiency in anaerobic digestion. Humic acid-anchored hydrochar was prepared by anchoring humic acid to hydrochar. To further optimize the electron transfer capacity and structural properties of the hydrochar, the humic acid-anchored hydrochar was subsequently treated with sodium hydroxide to produce sodium hydroxide-modified hydrochar. The alkali modification effectively removes pore impurities and enhances the redox properties of the material, thereby improving the electron exchange between microorganisms. Experiments were conducted in 500 mL anaerobic serum bottles at a total solids content of 10 %. In the control group, high ammonia nitrogen concentrations inhibited methane production, yielding only 49.54 mL/g volatile solids. In contrast, the addition of sodium hydroxide-modified hydrochar increased cumulative methane production by 80.13 %, reaching 112.38 mL/g VS. Additionally, electron transfer system activity and coenzyme F420 levels increased 94.13 % and 96.58 %, respectively. Microbial analysis revealed an enrichment of bacteria involved in direct interspecies electron transfer and an optimized community structure. Correlation analysis demonstrated a significant positive relationship between enhanced interspecies electron transfer capacity and methane production. The incorporation of modified hydrochar enabled the anaerobic digestion system to maintain high methane yields despite elevated ammonia nitrogen levels. These findings offer valuable insights for improving livestock and poultry manure management and advancing environmental protection efforts.

Global climate change, threatening both rainfall patterns and temperature fluctuations, has made the frequency of drought major challenges for crop production worldwide. Under drought stress, the photosynthetic system can be degraded, leading to insufficient utilization of light-produced electrons, a retardation of their transfer rate through electron chains, and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this work, ZIF-8, featuring coordinated unsaturated zinc sites and pi bond ligand, is applied to modulate the leaked electrons transfer track and acts as a bridge to facilitate the utilization efficiency of excess electrons under drought stress in maize growth. With seed dressing using ZIF-8, root and shoot lengths increased by 57.9% and 11.9%, respectively, while root tips increased by 44.8% compared to both the control (CK) and ZnO treatment in pot trials with the soil moisture at 35% of field capacity. We believe this research establishes ZIF-8 as a promising nanomaterial for addressing agricultural challenges in a changing climate, providing a foundational framework for the development of engineered nanomaterials to enhance plant resilience.

Root proliferation is in high demand to agricultural development, especially to the overwintering crops, the exclusive growth of root is beneficial to alleviate cold damage. Herein, the unique photosynthetically active nanozymes with bright yellow light and catalase-like activity is proposed to selectively promote crops' root growth. As a demo, we adopted the yellow light carbon dots (YCDs) nanozyme to enhance root proliferation of kale-type overwintering oilseed rape under cold stress (10 degrees C) by seed dressing. The supplemental yellow light transferred from YCDs nanozyme stimulated the up-regulation of relative amino acids related genes and biosynthesis, further facilitate root elongation. The excellent catalase-like activity of YCDs nanozyme could also effectively reduce the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels into homeostasis. As a result, the total root length and root tips of the oilseed rape increased by 124.95 % and 36.15 %, respectively, surpassing existing plant growth regulators including wood vinegar, melatonin, and even carbon dots (CDs). The exclusive enhancement of root proliferation by the selective photosynthetically active nanozymes offers a promising feasible approach for adapting crops against cold stress, significantly contribute to sustainable agriculture under the unexpected global climate change nowadays.

Rechargeable Li batteries provide a high energy density to satisfy our daily life. However, a deep understanding of electrochemical electrode/electrolyte interfaces is of crucial importance for designing electrolytes or electrode materials to achieve high-performance Li batteries. In this work, the advantages of sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy are outlined in studying the solvent adsorption manners, the static electric double layer (EDL) structures, the initialization and evolutions of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), and the catalytic regulation of interfacial Li+ desolvation dynamics. The fundamental logic to correlate the interfacial molecular information to the transformation, transfer, and diffusion of the ionic charge carriers, and thus to the battery performance, is also highlighted. The technical challenges and solutions for conducting operando SFG on battery systems are discussed, and the physical models beyond the traditional EDL theory for SFG data interpretation are prospected. Finally, efforts to push in situ SFG techniques forward in high time resolution and real-time fine-spectral feature resolution, as well as the applicability in practical rough interface morphologies and chemical heterogeneity, are further prospected.

Microbial electrolytic cell combined with anaerobic digestion faces challenges such as unstable clean energy supply and inefficient cathode performance. The integration of low-cost, durable electrodes with renewable energy can enhance the microbial electrolytic cell sustainability. In this study, a metal-organic framework- modified electrode and intermittent renewable energy sources were used in the microbial electrolytic cell to treat swine wastewater. Additionally, hydrothermal carbon composite metal-organic framework were tested to reduce cathode costs and improve biocompatibility. Results showed that with 18 h of daily power from a hybrid wind- solar system, the metal-organic framework-modified cathode achieved the highest cumulative methane production of 305.11 mL/g-chemical oxygen demand and the highest net energy recovery. Increased microbial activity during the power-on period enhanced methane output and energy efficiency, making this energy supply method ideal for microbial electrolytic cells. This approach ensures efficient use of renewable energy, improving the economic feasibility of microbial electrolytic cells for wastewater treatment. The metal-organic framework- modified cathode also promoted biofilm growth, with an average thickness of 37.6 mu m and enhanced microbial activity, likely due to its lower resistance and rapid current response.

Ternary metal oxides are acknowledged as potential electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries on account of their conspicuous electrochemical properties. Regulating internal morphology structure of materials is conducive to achieving the best electrochemical performance. Among them, two-dimensional nano-metal oxides with high specific surface areas and excellent electronic conductivity have been actively developed. In this work, utilizing pleated manganese-based nanosheets as templates, ternary spinel-structured ZnMn2O4 nanosheets were successfully synthesized using a straightforward alcohol solvothermal zinc ion-exchange routine. When cycled at 500 mA g(- 1), ZnMn2O4 nanosheets, about 1.1 mg cm(- 2) loading weight in electrode, have a specific capacity of 321.48 mAh g(- 1) at the 100th cycle, along with an impressive Coulombic efficiency of about 100%, which obviously exceeds that of MnO2. This is a great improvement on the electrochemical properties when zinc ions are introduced into manganese-based materials. Furthermore, ZnMn2O4 nanosheets, only 0.5 mg cm(- 2) loading weight in electrode, own a superior discharge capacity of 1047 mAh g(- 1) despite having undergone 200 cycles. Based on our researches, ZnMn2O4 nanosheets are identified as a high-specific-energy active material with exceptional lithium-storage performance and have potential practical value in LIBs.

Salt stress severely limits the growth and yield of wheat in saline-alkali soil. While nanozymes have shown promise in mitigating abiotic stress by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plants, their application in alleviating salt stress for wheat is still limited. This study synthesized a highly active nanozyme catalyst known as ZnPB (Zn-modified Prussian blue) to improve the yield and quality of wheat in saline soil. According to the Michaelis-Menten equation, ZnPB demonstrates exceptional peroxidase-like enzymatic activity, thereby mitigating oxidative damage caused by salt stress. Additionally, studies have shown that the ZnPB nanozyme is capable of regulating intracellular Na+ efflux and K+ retention in wheat, resulting in a decrease in proline and soluble protein levels while maintaining the integrity of macromolecules within the cell. Consequently, field experiments demonstrated that the ZnPB nanozyme increased winter wheat yield by 12.15 %, while also significantly enhancing its nutritional quality. This research offers a promising approach to improving the salinity tolerance of wheat, while also providing insights into its practical application.

Maize production plays a crucial role in ensuring global food security. However, the utilization of nanozymes in enhancing maize yield and quality has rarely been reported. In this work, for the first time, the preparation and application of carbon dot (CD) nanozymes to improve maize yield and quality are presented. The Michaelis-Menten equation demonstrates that CD nanozymes exhibit excellent enzymatic kinetic characteristics, thereby possessing catalase-like enzyme activity. The enzyme-like activity of CDs effectively mitigates oxidative damage caused by the external environment in maize. Moreover, CDs have the capability to convert solar ultraviolet light into bright blue light, enhancing the levels of essential elements such as Mg, Fe, and Zn in maize. Consequently, this promotes chlorophyll synthesis and photosynthesis. Furthermore, confocal imaging verifies that CDs can easily penetrate maize cells and subsequently regulate the endogenous antioxidant enzyme activity of maize. This leads to a reduction in peroxidation metabolites of malondialdehyde and an increase in antioxidant small molecule substances such as glutathione and ascorbic acid (VC). The combined effects mentioned above significantly increase maize yield by approximately 20% in planting experiments while also improving its nutritional quality. This study sheds light on the potential application of nanozymes in enhancing the maize yield and quality.

Understanding of interfacial Li+ solvation shell structures and dynamic evolution at the electrode/electrolyte interface is requisite for developing high-energy-density Li batteries. Herein, the reorganization of Li+ solvation shell at the sulfur/electrolyte interface along with the presence of a trace amount of lithium polysulfides is verified by in-situ sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy together with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Both the spectroelectrochemical and DFT calculation results reveal a strongly competitive anion adsorption of the polysulfide anion additive against the pristine electrolyte anion on the sulfur cathode surface, reorganizing the interfacial local solvation shell structure facilitating rapid Li ion transfer and conduction. Meanwhile, the evolution of the SFG signals along with the discharging/charging cycle exhibits improved reversibility, indicating the transformation of the inner Helmholtz plane layer into a stable molecular-layer polysulfide interphase rather than a dynamic diffusion layer. Consequently, applications in practical Li-S batteries reveal the capacity and cycling stability of the corresponding cells are significantly enhanced. Our work provides a methodology using in-situ SFG for probing solvation reorganization of charge carriers at electrochemical interfaces.

Nanostructured anode materials hold the key to advance the performance of the corresponding lithium-ion batteries as advanced electrochemical energy storage devices. Here, we designed a zinc exchange assisted phase change strategy as an acid-free and well-controlled approach to successfully synthesize a kind of rutile phase TiO2 @C (R-TiO2 @C) hollow spheres with well-defined size by using SiO2 spheres as sacrificial templates. The exchanged zinc ions in an alcohol solvothermal reaction were considered as a phase transition medium to promote the formation of a high-quality rutile TiO2 crystal through a high temperature solid-state heat way. By this way, the final morphologies of rutile phase TiO2 nanocrystals were well controlled, and the rutile TiO2 phase transformation temperature was lower than that of conventional one-step high temperature calcination way (without zinc ions exchange). Note that it successfully avoided using acids as mediums to promote the formation of rutile phase TiO2 crystal in the nano process. Meanwhile, the carbon layer formed by a hydrothermal carbonization reaction not only provided self-supporting solid-state in situ reducing medium for Zn2+ to Zn vapor but also produced conductive porous carbon coating porous and robust R-TiO2 spherical shell with nanosized subunits. The reaction process and mechanism of zinc ions induced phase transformation were discussed. Benefiting from the nanoscale morphology-regulation and hollow structure with enhanced ability of ion and electron transfer as well as electrolyte transport, the resultant R-TiO2 @C hollow spheres can significantly promote Li ions storage and deliver a high reversible specific capacity of 115.6 mAh g(-1) at 5.0 C over 1600 cycles. A typical electrochemical reaction on Li ions inserted into TiO2 crystal was simply elaborated as well. This work demonstrates its great potential for practical application in lithium-ion batteries.