The electrochemical reduction of CO2 into CO has emerged as a strategically significant technology for mitigating the environmental impacts stemming from anthropogenic global warming while enabling the conversion of CO2 into energy resources. Syngas, a critical feedstock in the petroleum industry for synthesizing fuels and chemicals, is traditionally produced via coal gasification and natural gas reforming. However, against the backdrop of the gradual exhaustion of fossil energy reserves and escalating environmental exigencies, electrochemical CO2 reduction (CO2RR) coupled with water splitting has emerged as an ideal alternative route to produce syngas with tunable CO/H2 ratios. Zn, a crustally abundant element in the Earth’s crust, emerges as a viable and cost-effective substitute for noble metal-based electrocatalysts (e.g., Au, Ag) in CO2RR. The development of cost-competitive, highly catalytically active electrocatalysts are critical prerequisites for mitigating atmospheric CO2 accumulation and enhancing the valorization of CO2RR products. Herein, through the morphology regulation of an electrodeposited Zn–based catalyst followed by solution–phase reconstruction and thermal treatment, a nanowire–structured Zn catalyst was fabricated. The catalyst exhibits remarkable performance for CO2RR, demonstrating an ultra–wide tunable CO/H2 ratio from 1.4 to 5.8 at potentials between − 0.6 and − 1.4  V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). At − 1.2  V vs. RHE, a stable CO/H2 ratio of 3 was maintained continuously for 9  h. Furthermore, the influences of the KHCO3 electrolyte concentration on the catalytic performance of the Zn–24 h/H2 catalyst was investigated. The result demonstrate that higher KHCO3 electrolyte concentrations can enhance the current density but the hydrogen evolution will be promoted, thus reduce CO selectivity. This phenomenon can be explained by the enhanced electrolyte conductivity and the increased local pH near the cathode surface, which favors the hydrogen evolution reaction over CO2 reduction and narrow the tunable range of the CO/H2 ratio. By tailoring catalyst morphology and electrolyte concentration, the syngas composition can be effectively modulated. This study offers new possibility for designing advanced catalytic system suitable for a variety of syngas–based industrial applications.

This study evaluates the performance of 118 adsorbents from five categories such as activated carbon (AC), metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), nanomaterials, clays, and polymers, in removing antibiotics from water. The first approach calculated cumulative adsorption capacity, which considers the total amount adsorbed over all reuse cycles, offering a more practical measure of efficiency. Findings revealed that adsorbents with the highest single-use capacity are not always the most effective long-term. Instead, materials with moderate capacity but strong reusability may deliver better overall performance. Among them, MOFs and polymers achieved the highest cumulative adsorption capacity, while clays and AC provided the best balance between efficiency and cost. In the second approach, a cubic polynomial regression was applied to 23 selected adsorbents to model how adsorption changes under different pH and temperature conditions. The models were highly accurate (R-2 > 0.95, MPE < 3.5 %) and showed that even adsorbents with lower uptake capacity can outperform others when conditions vary. This model can predict adsorption at all possible pH-temperature combinations within the studied range, offering valuable insights for selecting the most reliable materials for real-world water treatment.

Abstract The practical application of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) for CO 2 capture requires balancing high efficiency, cyclability, and scalable production. Herein, we report a novel MOF adsorbent, Cu 3 (ntrz) 2 (ox) 2 , which allows for low‐cost and scalable synthesis in aqueous solutions under ambient conditions. Its tailored large pocket‐like cavities interconnected by narrow pore apertures provide exceptional CO 2 adsorption capacities of 6.80 and 3.48 mmol g −1 at 1.0 bar and 0.15 bar (298 K), achieving a record‐high VPSA working capacity of 5.03 mmol g −1 within 0.05–1.0 bar. Shaped pellets retain 95% CO 2 adsorption capacity and good mechanical strength, fulfilling industrial requirements. Experimental VPSA analysis demonstrates that a 15% CO 2 gas‐stream can be enriched to 91.37% and 95.06% with productivities of 0.402 and 1.86 m 3 t −1 h −1 within 0.08–1.0 bar and 0.08–6.0 bar, outperforming zeolite 13X. The adsorption behaviors and mechanisms are elucidated via Grand Canonical Monte Carlo and dispersion‐corrected density functional theory simulations.

Abstract Photocatalytic conversion of diluted CO2 into CO offers a sustainable route to mitigate greenhouse effects while producing renewable fuels. However, industrial flue gas typically contains low CO2 concentration (∼15 vol %), with N2 as the predominant component, leading to competitive adsorption that severely limits CO2 capture and the subsequent photoreduction kinetics. Here, we report a postoxidation strategy to introduce polar sulfoxide and sulfone groups into a zirconium-based metal-organic framework material (DUT-67). The resulting DUT-67-O exhibits significantly enhanced CO2/N2 selectivity (31.14 versus 27.27 for pristine DUT-67) under diluted gas (15% CO2 in N2). In a closed system containing CO2 and water vapor without any photosensitizer or sacrificial agent, DUT-67-O achieves a CO production rate of 39.37 μmol g–1 h–1 under pure CO2, 2.35 times that of pristine DUT-67. Notably, under 15% CO2 balanced with N2, DUT-67-O still delivers a CO production rate of 28.35 μmol g–1 h–1, 3.64 times higher than DUT-67. Mechanistic studies reveal that the introduction of S═O groups narrows the band gap, enhances light absorption, promotes electron delocalization, and facilitates photogenerated charge carrier separation and migration. This work provides an effective strategy for boosting photocatalytic conversion of diluted CO2 via electronic structure modulation through sulfone functionalization.

Ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) plays an important role in the direct ethylene glycol fuel cells (DEGFC). The current drawbacks of DEGFC anode catalysts, such as low activity, high cost, susceptibility to poisoning and poor stability, remain the challenges that need to be overcome in this field. To this end, this study introduces a unique CoCuPdPtAu high-entropy alloy with hollow nanospheres structure (HEA HNs) as an efficient anode catalyst for the EGOR. This work has developed a very simple and effective method that can be used to synthesize CoCuPdPtAu HEA HNs. Cobalt nanosphere templates were prepared by reducing cobalt salts with sodium borohydride, and then CoCuPdPtAu HEA HNs were fabricated through galvanic replacement with multiple metallic salts. Benefiting from the unique morphology structure and the synergic high-entropy effect among multiple metals, the as-prepared CoCuPdPtAu HEA HNs exhibits an excellent mass activity of 11.22 A mg- 1 15.1 times and 3.8 times that of commercial Pd/C, respectively. Meanwhile, this catalyst also affords excellent stability and anti-poisoning ability for EGOR. This research not only provides a simple and cost-effective preparation method for DEGFC anode catalysts, but also offers new ideas for the design and development of various high-entropy alloys for other applications.

Non-Cu electrocatalysts are rarely reported to generate multi-carbon (C2 +) products owing to the intrinsic scaling relationships between metal surfaces and intermediate binding strengths, as well as challenges in materials design. Herein, we synthesize a series of heteroatom-doped carbon (XC)-coated nickel (Ni) catalysts (Ni@XC, where X = B, P, N, or S) to demonstrate the influence of the dopant in the carbon overlayer on the intermediate binding strength on Ni, and consequently, on product selectivity. Among them, Ni@NC achieves an impressive ethanol (C2H5OH) faradaic efficiency of 60.3%, with a C2H5OH partial current density of 102 mA cm(-2) at - 0.5 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode in a flow cell using 1 M KOH electrolyte, while maintaining stable operation over 32 h. In situ Raman and CO stripping measurements reveal that *COOH and *CO serve as key intermediates, while NC overlayers enable a moderate CO binding strength on the Ni surface. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that N dopants modulate the Ni d-band centre, thereby regulating intermediate binding strength and promoting C2H5OH formation. Delta G*COOH-*OCCO (the energy difference between *COOH and *OCCO formation) is introduced as an efficient descriptor to quantify the balance between *COOH and *CO binding strengths, providing a mechanistic explanation for the superior C2H5OH activity on Ni@NC. This work underscores the vital role of surface engineering in modulating intermediate binding strength to enhance C2H5OH production on Ni-based catalysts, offering design insights for developing C2+ products on non-Cu catalysts.

The global energy transition and the "Dual Carbon" strategy have spurred the rapid advancement of clean energy technologies. Direct ethylene glycol fuel cells (DEGFCs) exhibit remarkable industrialization potential in portable power supplies and new energy vehicles, owing to its high energy efficiency, favorable safety profile, and abundant fuel resources supply. Nevertheless, the intrinsically sluggish kinetics of ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) remains a major challenge. Besides, conventional Pt/Pd-based EGOR electrocatalysts are plagued by high price, limited activity, weak durability and facile poisoning by reaction intermediates, which restricting its industrial adoption. Alloying serves as a prevailing route for electrocatalyst modification. In this term, high-entropy alloys (HEAs) leverage entropy effect and lattice distortion to tailor active sites and adsorption affinity, thus improving selectivity and anti-poisoning ability in alcohol electrooxidation. However, HEA nanocatalysts are hindered by the rigorous synthesis, phase segregation and difficulties in forming single-phase solid solutions. Herein, with the assistance of F127 as a structure-directing agent, chain-liked dendritic structures have been constructed, which can significantly increase the number of active sites and improve electron transport efficiency. Electrochemical measurements reveal that the resultant catalyst exhibits significantly superior EGOR mass activity relative to commercial Pd/C, together with outstanding long-term stability. In addition, the as-prepared catalyst also exhibits a high selectivity of the C1 pathway, which favorable for the formate generation with a high Faradaic efficiency of 81.78%. The as-fabricated HEA electrocatalyst not only diminishes noble metal loading and elevates electrocatalytic activity, but also establishes a novel paradigm for constructing high-performance electrocatalysts toward DEGFCs.

Copper oxide (CuO), despite its visible-light absorption and *CO-favorable sites for photocatalytic CO2-to-CH4 conversion, suffers from severe charge recombination and photocorrosion. Moreover, owing to its narrow bandgap and moderate electron affinity, CuO often forms type-I heterojunctions with wide-bandgap semiconductors, funneling both electrons and holes into CuO and thereby compromising its reductive capacity. Herein, an unconventional type-I p-n heterojunction is constructed by coupling p-type CuO with n-type Zr-based MOF (NUS-8). The inherent Fermi-level offset induces a built-in electric field that bends energy bands downward in CuO and upward in NUS-8. This band alignment directs electrons into the higher conduction band of NUS-8, thus preserving strong reductivity. Whereas the holes migrate to CuO, mitigating recombination and suppressing photocorrosion. In-situ Fourier transform infrared and density functional theory calculations confirm strengthened *CO adsorption and facilitated H2O dissociation, lowering energy barriers for CH4 pathway (*CH3O -> CH4). The CuO/NUS-8 heterojunction achieves a high CH4 production of 16.30 mu mol g-1 h-1 with 81.43 % selectivity, far surpassing pure CuO (7.24 mu mol g-1 h-1) and NUS-8 (exclusively produces CO). This work provides a strategic design of type-I p-n junctions for enabling high-selectivity CO2-to-CH4 conversion.

In order to advance the practical implementation of zinc-air battery (ZAB), it is necessary to develop the low-cost and high-performance catalysts for the electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Herein, we develop a Fe3C-doped lignin-derived carbon nanotubes (Fe3C/LDCNTs) electrocatalyst, which own the potential to replace the Pt-based catalysts as a high-performance, inexpensive, green and renewable electrocatalyst for ORR in ZAB. Impressively, the as-prepared Fe3C/LDCNTs-900 demonstrates exceptional ORR catalytic performance in alkaline solution, exhibiting a high half-wave potential (E1/2 = 0.91 V vs. RHE), remarkable methanol tolerance, dominant four-electron pathway selectivity and long-term stability. The ZAB assembled with Fe3C/LDCNTs-900 as the cathode achieves a peak power density of 159.8 mW cm-2 and delivers an open-circuit voltage of 1.48 V. Moreover, the ZAB also demonstrates an exceptional charge-discharge durability, which is superior to the ZAB with commercial Pt/C (20 wt%) as the cathode. This research presents a viable approach for designing versatile carbon-based electrocatalysts for various applications and also offer an effective example to promote the renewable biomass utilization.

The rapid and efficient separation of phenylurea herbicides (PUHs) remains both critical and challenging for ensuring the safety of edible and medicinal herbs. Herein, a microporous cobalt-based metal–organic framework (PCP-IPA-F), featuring multiple synergistic binding sites and well-defined pore channels, is developed for highly selective adsorption of PUHs in complex matrices. The material exhibits high saturated adsorption capacities for PUHs ranging from 3.21 to 8.41 mg g−1. Combined molecular modeling, ATR-FTIR, and UV–Vis DRS analyses reveal that the abundant recognition sites within PCP-IPA-F, including π–π interactions, hydrogen bonding, and van der Waals forces, are responsible for its excellent selective separation performance. Furthermore, PCP-IPA-F demonstrates excellent anti-interference ability and good regeneration stability. The limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantification (LOQs) are in the ranges of 0.034–0.14 μg L−1 and 0.11–0.48 μg L−1, respectively, outperforming many previously reported methods. Finally, the proposed material was successfully applied to the determination of PUHs in peppermint, highlighting its practical applicability for complex environmental and food-related sample analysis.

Abstract The one‐step purification of C 2 H 4 from C 2 ternary hydrocarbon mixtures is demanding yet challenging, especially for low‐content C 2 H 2 and C 2 H 6 . The layer‐pillared microporous metal–organic framework, Ni(pca)(dabco), with 3D alkyl pillars regulates the pore size (5.4 Å) and controls the accessibility of oxygen atoms. The co‐modulation of binding affinity for C 2 H 2 and C 2 H 6 over C 2 H 4 enables one‐step purification of C 2 H 4 . As a result, Ni(pca)(dabco) exhibits benchmark adsorption capacity of 2.76 mmol g −1 for C 2 H 2 and 2.58 mmol g −1 for C 2 H 6 at 0.1 bar and 298 K. Dynamic breakthrough experiments demonstrate a C 2 H 4 productivity of 1.53 mmol g −1 with 99.9% purity from a C 2 H 2 /C 2 H 6 /C 2 H 4 (1/9/90) mixture in a single cycle. Furthermore, Ni(pca)(dabco) is stable and can be synthesized on a scalable scale from inexpensive chemicals. Computational simulations and in situ characterizations reveal the synergistic effect of abundant C–H groups and accessible oxygen sites within confined pores induce stronger interactions with C 2 H 2 and C 2 H 6 .

Herein, a novel and flexible self-supporting gas diffusion electrode (GDE) was fabricated, which including an electrodeposited Bi nanocomposite as a catalyst layer and MIL-101 derived porous carbon in the gas diffusion layer (GDL). Compared with the conventional fabrication of GDE electrodes, the electrodeposition approach can avoid the tedious drop-casting processes of the catalyst layer (CL). The in situ growth mode by electrodeposition can also ensure the firmly interaction between CL and current collector, thus enhancing the stability of the electrode. Meanwhile, the porous carbon derived from MIL-101 which with a high specific area is conducive for the CO2 enrichment on the electrode, thus facilitate the reaction with high current density. Owe to the special structure, the resultant catalyst showed excellent performance for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) with enhanced formic acid generation. Notably, at -1.37 V (vs. RHE), a large current density of 400 mA cm-2 and a high formate Faraday efficiency (FEformate) of 96.5 % were achieved, and the yield of formic acid reached 46.5 mmol cm-2 h-1, which is superior to most electrocatalytic catalysts for CO2RR. In addition, the FEformate value remained high (>90 %) over a wide voltage window of 800 mV, and the catalyst also maintained stable operation at industrial current density for 70 h. This work provides a new strategy for the design of GDEs with novel structure to achieve high activity and durability for different electrocatalysis.

The one-step purification of ethylene (C2H4) from ternary gas mixtures containing acetylene (C2H2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and C2H4 represents an efficient approach. It remains a significant challenge to simultaneously enhance the adsorption capacities of C2H2 and CO2. Herein, we reported a novel adsorbent, BFFOUR-TEPE-Cu, with compatible alignment of pore electro-fields. The one-connected BF4- anions provide more electronegative F atoms to reinforce the alignment of compatible electro-fields, thereby promoting the preferential adsorption of C2H2 and CO2 over C2H4. As a result, BFFOUR-TEPE-Cu exhibits a leading C2H2 capacity of 63.0 cm(3) g(-1) and C2H2/C2H4 (1/99, v/v) selectivity of 31.1 at 0.1 bar and 298 K. Computational studies reveal the favorable capture of both C2H2 and CO2 due to the compatible electron-fields. Dynamic breakthrough experiments demonstrate the exceptional capability for one-step production of high-purity C2H4 (>99.99 %) from ternary C2H2/CO2/C2H4 (1/9/90) gas mixture with a C2H4 productivity of 3.4 mol kg(-1).

High-purity acetylene (C2H2) and ethylene (C2H4) are valuable and critical chemicals, whereas the impurities with closely similar structures and properties pose significant challenges for their purifications. Inspired by biological recognition systems, adsorptive separation based on the discrimination of electrostatic potential (ESP) differences among gas molecules has emerged as a promising approach for gas-mixture separation. Compared to traditional kinetic and thermodynamic mechanisms, ESP-driven separations demonstrate advantages such as high separation selectivity, fast diffusion rate, and facile regeneration. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in the rational design of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with tailored ESP pore environments, highlighting their applications in ESP-driven separation processes for producing high-purity C2H2 and C2H4. Furthermore, we summarize and discuss the strategies for modifying MOF adsorbents and the characterization techniques employed to elucidate their underlying separation mechanisms. Lastly, this review outlines current challenges and future prospects in this field, aiming to provide valuable insights into ongoing research for achieving efficient ESP-driven separation for complex gas-mixtures in a single step.

Lithium-sulfur batteries have been recognized as one of the excellent candidates for next-generation energy storage batteries because of their high energy density and low cost and low pollution. However, lithium-sulfur batteries have been challenged by low conductivity, low sulfur utilization, poor cycle life, and the shuttle effect of polysulfides. To address these problems, we report here an independent mixed sulfur host. First, NiCoAl-layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets were uniformly grown on carbon cloth (CC) by a hydrothermal method. Then, vertical graphene (VG) was uniformly vertically grown on the composite structures to form VG@LDH/CC by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method. Graphene and LDH nanosheets forming a three-dimensional mesh structure can effectively physically block lithium polysulfides, store singlet sulfur, and improve the conductivity of the cathode. In addition, during the growth of graphene, the Ni and Co ions in the LDH nanosheets are reduced to NiCo nanoparticles, which can enhance the chemical adsorption of polysulfides, thus effectively mitigating the "shuttle effect" and improving the electrical conductivity of the material. The lithium sulfur batteries with derived sulfur anodes (VG@LDH/CC-S) exhibited excellent electrochemical properties, including excellent rate performance (780.8 mAh g-1 at 3C) and impressive cycling stability (capacity decay of about 0.0755% per cycle after 750 cycles at 0.5C).

Tetracycline (TC) and Amoxicillin (AMX) are widely used antibiotics for disease treatment. In this study, we developed a novel adsorbent by functionalizing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) with glycine (Gly) and polypyrrole (PPy). The materials were characterized using XRD, FTIR, FE-SEM, BET, and EDS analyses. Adsorption experiments were conducted under varying conditions, including initial pollutant concentration, pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and temperature. The optimal adsorption conditions were determined to be 0.005 g of adsorbent, 60 min of contact time, a temperature of 298 K, and a pH of 3. Under these conditions, the maximum adsorption capacities of MWCNT-Gly-PPy were 117.07 mg/g for TC and 102.09 mg/g for AMX. Thermodynamic analyses revealed that the adsorption process for both antibiotics was spontaneous and exothermic. The adsorption behavior was best described by the Langmuir isotherm model, while the kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order model. Cyclic adsorption-desorption experiments demonstrated the reusability of the adsorbent, with TC and AMX removal efficiencies of 81.3 % and 70.4 %, respectively, after 8 cycles. This research lays the foundation for the development of a highly efficient adsorbent, MWCNT-Gly-PPy, which demonstrates exceptional adsorption capacities and reusability for the removal of TC and AMX from contaminated water. Furthermore, the findings provide valuable insights into the adsorption mechanisms of antibiotics on functionalized MWCNTs, paving the way for the design of advanced materials for sustainable water treatment applications.

Effective separation of isomers is critical in various industrial applications, particularly in the production of high research octane number (RON) gasoline. This study introduces a novel flexible adsorbent, NCU‐542 ([Zn‐BTEC‐TEIB] [H 4 BTEC = pyromellitic acid, TEIB = 1,2,4,5‐tetra(1 H ‐imidazol‐1‐yl)benzene]), featuring self‐adaptive pore systems for the molecular sieving of di‐branched 2,3‐dimethylbutane (23DMB) and 2,2‐dimethylbutane (22DMB) isomers. The unique self‐adaptive framework of NCU‐542 selectively adsorbs 23DMB (RON = 101.7) while excluding 22DMB (RON = 91.8). Consequently, a record‐high adsorption capacity difference of 235.2 mg g −1 and an uptake ratio of 73.3 are achieved between 23DMB/22DMB. The diffusional time constant ( D ′, D / r 2 ) for 23DMB (1.03 × 10 −3 s −1 ) is 130‐fold higher than that of 22DMB (7.76 × 10 −6 s −1 ) and benchmark rigid JNU‐2 (6.5 × 10 −6 s −1 ). Furthermore, breakthrough experiments demonstrate the production of premium gasoline with a benchmark RON value of 99.2 from the equimolar mixture of n ‐hexane/2‐methylpentane/3‐methylpentane/23DMB/22DMB. Within the liquid system, 23DMB can be completely removed from 23DMB/22DMB solutions for five consecutive cycles under ambient conditions.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have demonstrated significant potential in CO2 photoreduction. Nevertheless, the intrinsic wide band gap within MOFs restricts their light absorption primarily to the ultraviolet (UV) region. Herein, we report a facile and versatile diazo method for directly incorporating benzenesulfonic acid (-PhSO3H) groups into zirconium (Zr)-based MOFs, namely NUS-8 (NUS-8-PhSO3H). The -PhSO3H group not only enhances the intrinsic pi -> pi* electronic transition but also effectively activates n -> pi* electronic transitions, thereby improving light absorption and broadening the absorption spectrum to the UV-visible region. As a result, NUS-8PhSO3H exhibits a higher CO generation rate (99.4 mu mol g-1h- 1) than that of pristine NUS-8 (53.7 mu mol g-1h- 1) with 100 % selectivity without any cocatalyst or photosensitizer. This approach is also applicable to other Zrbased MOFs to enhance CO2 photocatalytic reduction under UV-visible light. In-situ Fourier transform infrared and density functional theory calculations reveal the reaction intermediates and lower energy barrier for the rate-limiting step of *CO formation on NUS-8-PHSO3H.

Copper-based heterointerfaces are recognized as efficient active sites for electrochemical CO2 reduction reactions (CO2RR) to C2 products but suffer from instability due to the surface reconstruction under operational potentials. Herein, we report a strategy combining the Cu+/Cu2+ heterointerface and hydrophobic microenvironment via the in situ reconstruction of a cerium metal-organic framework (Ce-BDC) modified Cu foil. Through tuning the drop-casting volume, we can regulate the Cu surface evolution to achieve the optimal Cu+/Cu2+ ratio. Moreover, the remaining hydrophobic microenvironment synergistically facilitates CO2 adsorption and inhibits the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). As a result, the optimized 1.0-Ce-BDC/Cu-R catalyst achieves a remarkable C2 Faradic efficiency of 66.0% at -1.2 V vs RHE and maintains excellent stability over 13 h of continuous operation. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further elucidate the critical role of the stabilized Cu+/Cu2+ heterointerface: strengthened *CO adsorption and reduced C-C coupling energy barrier (0.39 eV vs 6.57 eV on Cu+ sites). This study provides a route to design efficient heterointerfaces for CO2 reduction to C2 products.