The repeated and significant volume changes occurring in lithium metal during charge-discharge processes exacerbate the rupture of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), which constitutes one of the key factors responsible for the diminished stability of lithium metal anodes. Regulating the mechanical flexibility of the SEI layer represents an effective strategy to mitigate the volume expansion effect. Here, a controllable Li3N/LiCl electrolyte interphase layer (SEI) on the lithium anode surface is in-situ formed with molecule 3-chloro-1,2,4-triazole. Through the moderation of Li3N's rigidity by LiCl's flexibility, after 500 cycles of the Li||Li symmetric battery, the thickness growth rate of the SEI layer at the lithium metal interface decreases from 2.1 times to 1.2 times. Under a current density of 1 mA cm- 2 and a capacity of 1 mA h cm- 2, the Li||Li symmetric battery with a Li3N/LiCl-Li anode achieves a cycle life of 750 h, while the voltage polarization remains stable at around 24 mV. The Li-S battery with Li3N/LiCl-Li anode shows a capacity decay rate of only 0.139 % after 110 cycles at 0.2C, and maintains excellent cycling performance even under high sulfur loading/low electrolyte/sulfur ratio and high current density of 1C.

This work presents the doping of high-valence metals (M = Mn, Mo, V), which expands the lattice of Co-Ni MOFs (M@Co-Ni MOFs), thereby producing porous nanosheets and promoting lattice expansion of the (110)-plane (up to 0.31 nm) of Co-Ni MOFs, which facilitates the formation of NiOOH/CoOOH active species, associated with UOR and HzOR, and in turn remarkably boosts their performance. Among the doped metals, Mn@Co-Ni MOFs exhibited the highest activity, i.e., producing 10.0 mAcm-2 at 1.28V vs. RHE for UOR and 10 mAcm- 2 at 0.18V vs. RHE for HzOR. It also exhibits low-onset potentials of 1.21V (UOR) and 0.13 V (HzOR) vs. RHE, and lowest Tafel slopes of 89.7 mVdec- 1 (UOR) and 94.2 mVdec- 1 (HzOR), outperforming Ni-based catalysts. Furthermore, water-mediated electrolysis performed for both UOR (12.2 mAcm- 2 at 1.40V) and HzOR (10.3 mAcm- 2 at 0.40V) using seawater and industrial water demonstrates the practicality of Mn@Co-Ni MOFs for green energy production and environmental safety applications.

Oxygen vacancy (OV)‐engineered catalysts show promise for lithium sulfur batteries (LSBs) by enhancing polysulfide adsorption and conversion, yet most studies focus on total OV concentration while overlooking spatial distribution effects on local catalytic activity and charge transport. This limitation hinders active site utilization and kinetic improvement. To address these issues, we report the successful synthesis of an olive‐shaped In 2 O x nanocatalyst through a straightforward urea‐assisted precursor engineering strategy. This catalyst exhibits a distinctive non‐uniformly distributed OVs, extending the current insights spatially heterogeneous distribution of OVs. Kinetic analysis demonstrates that this distribution enhances catalytic site density and facilitates optimized electron transport pathways. Capitalizing on the synergistic effects of this gradient OV distribution, LSBs incorporating In 2 O x –L deliver superior performance: an initial capacity of 1171 mAh g −1 (0.2 C), robust high‐rate capability, and extended cyclability under demanding conditions (1 C cycling; E/S = 10 µL mg −1 ). This work demonstrates the precise spatial regulation of OVs in electrocatalysts, thereby advancing design principles for next‐generation vacancy‐engineered catalytic systems.

This study focuses optimizing the process conditions for the electrocatalytic oxidation of n-butanol (nBA) (EOB) in a diaphragmless electrolytic cell using Ni(OH)2/NF as the anode, Raney nickel as the cathode, and KOH as the electrolyte. Through an orthogonal experimental design (L16(43)) incorporating three factors—potassium hydroxide concentration, n-butanol concentration, and current density—each evaluated at four levels, the comprehensive effects of these factors on n-butyric acid (nBAc) yield, Faradaic efficiency, and energy consumption per unit were systematically investigated. Range analysis revealed that current density exerts the most significant dominant influence on reaction performance, followed by n-butanol concentration and potassium hydroxide concentration. The optimal reaction conditions determined by the experiment were: KOH concentration of 1 mol·L−1, n-butanol concentration of 0.45 mol·L−1, current density of 30 mA·cm−2, and electrolysis time of 16.08 h. Validation experiments conducted under these optimized conditions achieved a butyric acid yield of 88.85% with a Faradaic efficiency of 89.13%. This study provides reliable experimental evidence and optimization strategies for the efficient and energy-saving electrocatalytic conversion of n-butanol.

With rapid advances in portable electronics and electric vehicles, demand for electrochemical energy storage systems with higher capacity and longer lifespan has grown considerably. Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have attracted substantial research interest as a promising post-lithium-ion energy storage technology, primarily because of their remarkably high theoretical specific capacity. Currently, a key challenge for Li-S batteries lies in the polysulfide shuttle phenomenon, where soluble lithium polysulfides migrate between electrodes during charge-discharge cycles. This migration compromises cycling performance and poses a major barrier to commercial viability. Building a protective layer on the sulfur cathode has emerged as a facile and effective approach to mitigate this problem. In this study, 1,3,6-hexanetrinitrile (HTN) was employed as an electrolyte additive in Li-S batteries. Through the coordination between the cyano groups in HTN and the cobalt atoms in the cathode material, HTN adsorption onto the sulfur cathode surface was promoted, forming a stable protective cathodeelectrolyte interphase that effectively suppressed the diffusion of polysulfides into the electrolyte. Benefiting from this protective structure, the HTN-modified Li-S cell maintained a capacity retention of 73.7% after 120 cycles at 0.2 C. Furthermore, no polysulfide dissolution from the cathode was detected after one week of immersion in dimethyl ether solution. These findings offer a novel electrolyte engineering approach for improving cycling stability of Li-S batteries.

Biomass valorization via electrosynthesis offers an eco-friendly route under mild conditions. Herein, propionic acid from 1-propanol was produced on nickel hydroxide electrodes (Ni(OH)2/NF) using the 1-propanol precursor in a diaphragmless electrolytic cell. Systematic optimization of key operational parameters—including current density, NaOH concentration, 1-propanol concentration, and reaction time—was carried out to maximize product efficiency. Under optimal operating conditions(0.35 M of 1-propanol, 0.5 M of NaOH, 40 mA cm-2 of current density and 5 h of reaction time), this multivariate strategy achieved a Faradaic efficiency of 94.11% and a yield of 70.42% for propionic acid. Notably, scalability was validated through gram-scale synthesis in a single batch, producing tens of grams of propionic acid and highlighting the practical viability of the diaphragmless configuration. Combined electrochemical analyses and density functional theory (DFT) calculations elucidate the reaction mechanism, revealing that Ni(OH)2/NF facilitates the dehydrogenation and oxidative coupling steps critical to selective propionic acid formation. This study not only establishes a green and efficient route for value-added chemical production from biomass-derived alcohols but also demonstrates the industrial potential of diaphragmless electrolytic systems.

Oxygen vacancy (OV)-engineered catalysts show promise for lithium sulfur batteries (LSBs) by enhancing polysulfide adsorption and conversion, yet most studies focus on total OV concentration while overlooking spatial distribution effects on local catalytic activity and charge transport. This limitation hinders active site utilization and kinetic improvement. To address these issues, we report the successful synthesis of an olive-shaped In2Ox nanocatalyst through a straightforward urea-assisted precursor engineering strategy. This catalyst exhibits a distinctive non-uniformly distributed OVs, extending the current insights spatially heterogeneous distribution of OVs. Kinetic analysis demonstrates that this distribution enhances catalytic site density and facilitates optimized electron transport pathways. Capitalizing on the synergistic effects of this gradient OV distribution, LSBs incorporating In2Ox-L deliver superior performance: an initial capacity of 1171 mAh g-1 (0.2 C), robust high-rate capability, and extended cyclability under demanding conditions (1 C cycling; E/S = 10 mu L mg-1). This work demonstrates the precise spatial regulation of OVs in electrocatalysts, thereby advancing design principles for next-generation vacancy-engineered catalytic systems.

The bubble dynamics at the electrode interface significantly affect the water splitting process at the electrode interface. However, the correlation between electrode framework, bubble dynamics and mass transfer remains poorly understood, mainly due to the difficulty in accurately counting tens of thousands of bubbles at the large-scale electrode interface. With deep learning techniques, this study investigated the dynamics of O-2 bubbles and their effects on mass transfer during water electrolysis across the plate-like (NP), mesh-like(NM), and foam-like (NF) nickel-based electrodes. The size distribution range of O-2 bubbles narrowed across all the electrodes, and the average size of the bubbles decreases for the NF electrode, conversely for the NM and NP electrodes with increasing current density, as well as converging to an average desorption size of approximately 70 mu m for all the electrodes, which could be attributed to the influence of electrode framework on bubble growth and desorption patterns (It is proved by the video, the instantaneous bubble density and the bubble volume). At lower current densities, all three electrodes exhibited the approaching values of the mass transfer overpotential ( eta(tra)) of oxygen evolution reaction. At higher current density, eta(tra) followed the pattern of NP > NM > NF, indicating that porous framework is conducive to the transport of bubbles. The results would provide a reference significance for the framework of water electrolysis electrode.

Global demand for sodium dithionite (Na2S2O4, TDS) has been steadily rising, as it is an effective flame retardant, bactericide, and bleaching agent. However, conventional manufacturing methods often involve high operational costs, excessive use of reducing agents, and significant environmental pollution, which hinder sustainable industrial production. To address these issues, this study focused on the design of efficient electrochemical reactor, optimizing reaction parameters, investigating the electrochemical reaction mechanisms, and developing high-performance carbon-based electrocatalysts. A micro-gap-flow electrochemical reaction system for the electrosynthesis of TDS was successfully developed. This system integrates traditional chemical synthesis with electrochemical reduction, enabling the efficient creation of TDS in an aqueous sodium bisulfite solution. The current efficiency of this electrical synthesis process was notably improved, increasing from 85% to over 90%. Furthermore, the energy consumption for TDS production was 0.81 kW & centerdot;h & centerdot;kg-1 when using the Cu/NC electrode. The processes and pathways of TDS electrochemical synthesis were explored using electrochemical tests and theoretical calculations. (c) 2026 The Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China, and Chemical Industry Press Co., Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

Although lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries possess an exceptional theoretical specific capacity, their practical application has long been hindered by the severe shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and sluggish redox kinetics. To address these core challenges, this study proposes an electrolyte additive strategy based on nitrogencontaining heterocyclic molecules, systematically investigating the regulatory effects of pyridine, pyrazine, and 1,3,5-triazine on LiPS interfacial chemistry. All three additives are capable of anchoring LiPSs through Li-N coordination and effectively modulating their frontier molecular orbital energy levels, thereby accelerating LiPS conversion and promoting the formation of three-dimensional (3D) Li2S deposition structures. Among them, pyrazine exhibits unique advantages due to its para-dinitrogen configuration: it not only achieves potent chemical anchoring but also reacts in situ with LiPSs to generate organosulfur intermediates, synergistically suppressing the shuttle effect and significantly enhancing sulfur utilization. Most importantly, this molecule achieves an optimal balance between coordination strength, orbital modulation capability, and interfacial stability. Consequently, the Li-S cell utilizing the pyrazine additive delivers an initial discharge capacity of 709.48 mAh g- 1 at 1C. Under practical conditions of high sulfur loading (3.0 mg cm- 2) and lean electrolyte (E/S = 13.3 mu L mg- 1), the cell maintains a high reversible capacity of 527.06 mAh g- 1 after 120 cycles at 0.2C, highlighting its superior cycling stability and potential for practical application.

Using high-valence metals typically induces lattice distortion and suppresses crystal growth in nickel-based catalysts, leading to the formation of defect-rich amorphous structures. These isotropic amorphous catalysts, characterized by a high density of accessible active sites, hold great promise for the selective oxidation of alcohols to value-added carboxylic acids under mild conditions. Herein, a defect-rich amorphous NiO phase induced high-valence Mo doped is formed via a sequential hydrothermal and air-pyrolysis strategy for the selective oxidation of 1-propanol to propionic acid. Mo doping effectively inhibits the crystallization of, inducing while simultaneously optimizing the electronic structure of the nickel centers. This structural modulation facilitates the in situ generation of the key active species, nickel oxyhydroxide (NiOOH). Consequently, the as-prepared MoOx/NiO/NF electrode achieves a remarkable Faradaic efficiency of 91.94% for propionic acid with a high production rate of 9.98 mol h−1 m−2 at 1.5 V vs. RHE. Furthermore, the catalyst exhibits superior durability, maintaining 93.68% of its initial current density after a 12-h chronoamperometric test, significantly outperforming the crystalline Ni(OH)2/NF benchmark (77.72%). This work provides a robust strategy for the rational design of high-performance amorphous electrocatalysts and advances the green synthesis of carboxylic acids via electrochemical oxidation.

Transition metal-supported nitrogen-doped carbon materials possess the advantages of high catalytic activity and large specific surface area; therefore, they are considered to be the most promising cathode catalysts for lithium-sulfur batteries. However, their practical application has been impeded by poor rate performance and cycling stability due to sluggish reaction kinetics and the polysulfide shuttling effect. Herein, bimetallic cobalt and vanadium nitride supported on porous nitrogen-doped carbon materials (Co-VN/NC) were prepared in a molten salt medium at high temperatures. The as-prepared Co-VN/NC exhibits a large specific surface area, which provides ample space for loading the metal-based compounds. Furthermore, the bimetallic compounds supported on porous N-doped carbon provide abundant active sites on the surface, which enhance the sulfur-fixing ability while accelerating the conversion of polysulfides. The discharge specific capacity of the Co-VN/NC-based Li-S battery is as high as 1170 mAh g-1 at 0.2 C, and it retains 821 mAh g-1 at 1 C. During cycling stability tests, the average decay rate per cycle is only 0.046% over 400 continuous cycles at 1 C. These electrochemical results demonstrate that the Co-VN/NC is a promising cathode material for practical application in Li-S batteries.

During charge and discharge, enhancing the Li+ transport capability of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) while simultaneously blocking electronic conduction is an effective strategy for suppressing lithium dendrite growth and mitigating volume expansion at the Li-metal anode interface. In this study, density functional theory (DFT) calculations of Gibbs free energies were used to identify 2-fluoro-3-nitropyridine (FNP), a fluorine- and oxygen-containing additive, which facilitates the formation of a LiF/Li2O-rich SEI. Upon reacting with metallic lithium, FNP facilitates the formation of an SEI layer composed of interlaced LiF crystallites, which provide high ionic conductivity, and Li2O crystallites, which offer superior electronic insulation. This architecture enables the fabrication of a highly stable Li-metal anode, denoted as LiF/Li2O-Li. The formation mechanism was verified via in situ Raman spectroscopy, while in situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed significantly suppressed volume expansion. After 500 cycles, the LiF/Li2O-Li anode thickness increased from 55 μm to 105 μm (an expansion factor of 1.9), whereas the pristine Li anode expanded from 89 μm to 198 μm (a factor of 2.2). Symmetric Li||Li cells utilizing this anode exhibited stable cycling for 600 h at a current density of 1 mA cm−2 and areal capacity of 1 mA h cm−2 respectively. Furthermore, lithium-sulfur cells employing the LiF/Li2O-Li anode demonstrated excellent stability with a capacity decay rate of only 0.201% per cycle over 120 cycles at 0.2C, maintaining superior performance even under high sulfur loading and lean electrolyte conditions.

In the construction of sustainable energy systems, the development of efficient and stable electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is of crucial significance. This study adopts an in situ oxidation-nitridation strategy to successfully construct a Ni3N/NiO heterostructured catalyst with a three-dimensional hierarchical structure. In this catalyst, NiO promotes the dissociation of water molecules, while Ni3N facilitates the generation and release of hydrogen molecules. The functional differentiation between these two materials at the interface drives the hydrogen spillover effect, synergistically accelerating the reaction rates of the basic steps in the HER. Through electrochemical testing, it is found that Ni3N/NiO/NF exhibits excellent HER performance in 1.0 M KOH solution, requiring only 58 and 98 mV overpotentials to achieve current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm-2, respectively, with a low Tafel slope of 42 mV dec-1. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) analyses confirm the enhanced capability of this heterostructure in hydrogen adsorption and desorption. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) tests reveal electron rearrangement at the interface, verifying the existence of hydrogen spillover pathways. Additionally, the superhydrophilic-superaerophobic wetting characteristics of the catalyst surface help improve the diffusion rate of reactants and the desorption efficiency of products, thereby further enhancing the overall catalytic stability.

This study developed an electrochemical synthesis method for isobutyric acid (IBAc) using renewable biomass-derived isobutanol (IBA) as a feedstock. A Ni(OH)2/NF electrocatalyst was synthesized via hydrothermal method and successfully implemented in a diaphragmless electrolytic cell for the electrocatalytic oxidation of IBA to IBAc. Process parameters were optimized through single-factor variable experiments, establishing optimal conditions: electrolyte pH of 14, current density of 40 mA/cm2, IBA concentration of 0.3 mol/L, and reaction time of 6 h. Under these conditions, the Faradaic efficiency reached 80 % with a yield of 60 %. The reaction mechanism was further investigated, confirming an indirect electrooxidation process mediated by Ni2+/Ni3+ redox couple. IBA follows an adsorption-oxidation-desorption mechanism on the electrocatalyst surface, completing IBAc synthesis through a four-electron transfer mechanism. Efficient IBAc extraction was achieved through hydrochloric acid acidification, ethyl acetate extraction, and vacuum distillation. This process provides a green synthesis pathway for IBAc production, demonstrating environmental friendliness and potential for industrial application.

In the construction of sustainable energy systems, the development of efficient and stable electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is of crucial significance. This study adopts an in-situ oxidation-nitridation...

Currently, research on the synthesis process of 1-methoxy-2-acetone (MOA) is relatively scarce in academia, leading to various deficiencies in its practical production applications. This study developed an environmentally friendly and efficient method for MOA synthesis that utilizes an undivided electrolytic cell, where 1-methoxy-2-propanol (MOP) undergoes direct electrochemical oxidation to MOA using a nickel-based catalyst (Ni(OH)2/NF) in an alkaline medium. Various electrolysis parameters, including current density, electrolyte pH, and MOP concentration, were systematically investigated and optimized. Under optimized conditions, the yield of MOA reached 77%. Through comprehensive electrochemical analysis and characterization techniques, we proposed a possible cyclic reaction pathway. This research demonstrates that the electrochemical oxidation of MOP in an undivided electrolytic cell represents a promising and sustainable approach for MOA production, establishing a theoretical foundation for the industrial application of alcohol and aldehyde electrooxidations.

This study prepares a high-performance calcium-iron/nitrogen-doped carbon (Ca-Fe/NC) catalyst using s-block calcium and d-block iron for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) reveal a strong electronic interaction between Ca and Fe, enhancing interfacial charge transfer and catalytic activity. The catalyst demonstrates excellent performance in the ORR and OER. It shows a half-wave potential of 0.87 V and an overpotential of 320 mV at 10 mA cm-2. A zinc-air battery assembled with Ca-Fe/NC exhibits only 1.3 % voltage decay after 150 h of operation. This research provides an effective approach for developing high-performance oxygen electrode materials through p-d orbital electron regulation.

Electrochemical utilization of organic electrode materials (OEMs) is highly dependent on their excess solubility in aprotic organic electrolytes leading to unsatisfactory cycling stability. In this study, a single-function conventional binder is substituted with the multifunctional one containing-SO32-,-COO-,-C---N and-NHCOgroups, which serve as a binding matrix to maintain electrode integrity and suppress the dissolution of organic materials. The noncovalent interaction between the binder and organic electrodes is responsible for their remarkably low dissolution and maintain the stability of the electrode, enhancing the cyclic stability. The 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) cathode with the poly(acrylic acid n-butyl ester-co-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid-co-acrylonitrile-co-acrylic acid)/P(BA-co-AMPS-co-AN-co-AA) (PBA) binder exhibits a high specific capacity of 126.1 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1, superior rate capability (71.3 mAh g-1 at 30 C) and outstanding cycling stability (2000 cycles at 0.5 A g-1), which rival those of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) binder-based electrodes. The concept of noncovalent interaction between the binder and organic electrodes is successfully proven by the preparation of feasible Li and Na battery cells containing perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxydiimide (PTCDI). With the discovery of more sophisticated binder materials and OEMs, the proposed strategy will lead to further performance improvements at a cell level to compete with transition metal-containing Li and Na ion batteries.