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.

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.

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.

Conventional calcination for synthesizing zeolite 4A and its composites suffers from long processing duration, high energy consumption, and cumbersome carbonization procedures. To address these limitations, an ultrafast Joule heating strategy combined with hydrothermal crystallization is employed to prepare pure zeolite 4A (UH-ZA) and integrated zeolite 4A-activated carbon composite (UH-ZAC) using hard kaolin and industrial starch as raw materials. Assisted by carbon paper wrapping, the ultrafast Joule heating treatment at 800 °C for only 30 s synchronously achieves the conversion of hard kaolin to metakaolin and the carbonization of industrial starch, which significantly accelerates precursor fabrication and improves both reaction efficiency and energy utilization, subsequent hydrothermal crystallization yields structurally stable composite structures with abundant porous structures. Adsorption results reveal that UH-ZAC possesses a Cu2+ adsorption capacity comparable to that of UH-ZA (200.48 mg/g vs. 215.10 mg/g), while exhibiting a remarkably enhanced Rhodamine B adsorption performance (33.37 mg/g vs. 1.45 mg/g). The removal of Cu2+ by both materials is dominated by chemisorption, and the superior Rhodamine B adsorption capability of UH-ZAC is attributed to the well-developed pore structure of in-situ generated activated carbon. This work provides an efficient pathway for the high-value utilization of hard kaolin and the development of advanced bifunctional adsorption materials.

To mitigate the inherent hydration susceptibility of magnesia-calcia refractories and overcome the restrictions of hydration reactions on their popularization and practical application, a facile impregnation method was adopted to fabricate a self-assembled superhydrophobic coating on the surface of MgO-CaO clinker aggregates. The effects of palmitic acid (PA), titanium dioxide (TiO2), and ethanol (EtOH) content, and impregnation duration on the hydrophobic performance of the superhydrophobic modified solution (SMS) were systematically investigated. The modified MgO-CaO clinker aggregates exhibit excellent superhydrophobicity, with a maximum water contact angle of 158.9 degrees and a low hydration rate of 0.05%. This hydration rate is 64.29% lower than that of the untreated raw aggregates (0.14%). Furthermore, the formation and hydrophobic mechanism of the self-assembled superhydrophobic coating were clarified in depth. The feasible impregnation strategy enables efficient construction of a self-assembled superhydrophobic coating. It provides a promising, scalable, and universal approach for the large-scale preparation of high-performance superhydrophobic and anti-hydration MgO-CaO refractories.

Pure zirconia (ZrO2) exhibits excellent chemical inertness but suffers from poor thermal shock resistance (TSR) due to martensitic transformations, limiting its use in harsh alkaline environments (e.g., battery calcination, biomass incineration). Conventional nano-sized stabilization is prohibitively expensive. Here, we used cost-effective industrial-grade coarse desilicated zirconia (D50 = 23.21 μm) to investigate the effects of wide-range industrial Y2O3 additions (0-100 wt%) on phase evolution, TSR, and alkali(K) corrosion resistance. Undoped and low-doped (10 wt%) ZrO2 exhibited low residual strength retentions (Rr) of less than 40.85 % after thermal shock. The coarse grains elevated the martensitic start temperature, triggering spontaneous phase transformations during cooling that exhausted toughening capacity and accelerated microcrack interconnection. Conversely, high Y2O3 doping (≥60 wt%) formed stable Y-rich phases. The resulting multiphase interfaces deflected cracks, while optimized porosity (14.45 %-22.26 %) relaxed thermal stresses, significantly increasing Rr to 64.99 %-68.86 %. Furthermore, these highly doped composites demonstrated exceptional alkali(K) corrosion resistance. The refined pore network physically blocked alkaline infiltration, and Y-rich phases thermodynamically suppressed interfacial reactivity by narrowing the optical basicity difference. Ultimately, this microstructural design effectively overcomes the inherent thermal brittleness and chemical vulnerability of coarse m-ZrO2, providing a robust strategy for localized functional reaction layers in extreme industrial environments.

Anion-exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) stands as a leading technology for producing hydrogen from intermittent renewable electricity. However, the development of cost-effective, durable non-noble metal catalysts remains a critical bottleneck hindering its large-scale deployment in alkaline environments. Herein, we tune the catalytic activity and reaction pathways of a model non-noble metal catalyst through oxygen vacancy engineering and elucidate the underlying structure-activity relationship. Experimental characterization and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the enhanced oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance of the optimal sample originates from the pronounced local distortion of NiO octahedra induced by high-concentration oxygen vacancies. This structural distortion may induce a mechanistic transition from the conventional adsorbate evolution mechanism (AEM) to the oxygen-vacancy-mediated mechanism (OVSM). Within this OVSM framework, lattice oxygen is directly involved in O–O bond formation, thereby circumventing the inherent linear scaling relation constraints in the AEM. In practical AEMWE device testing at 60 °C and 1 M KOH, the electrolytic cell with NiO450 as the anode operated continuously for 100 h at an application-oriented current density of 1 A cm−2, with a voltage fluctuation of only 8.6 mV and negligible performance decay. This work highlights the pivotal role of oxygen vacancies in mediating the trade-offs among catalyst structure, intrinsic activity, and long-term stability, and offers valuable guidance for the rational design of highly robust non-noble nickel-based oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalysts.

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.

Nanozyme efficiency is fundamentally constrained by interfacial electron transfer (ET) bottlenecks, yet most strategies overlook the rational design of ET pathways. Herein, a ternary NiMo6@MIL-100(Fe)/g-C3N4 nanozyme featuring a hierarchical three-level ET cascade was reported: TMB substrates are preconcentrated onto g-C3N4 via π–π stacking (Level I); electrons transfer from g-C3N4 to Fe3+ nodes of MIL-100(Fe) through interfacial FeOC bonds (Level II); and finally cascade into the encapsulated NiMo6 cluster for H2O2 activation and •OH generation (Level III). This design yields higher activity than binary (1.8-fold) and pristine counterparts (5.8-fold), with a 24.2-fold enhancement in catalytic efficiency for TMB. By leveraging glutathione (GSH) as a specific electron cascade interceptor, a colorimetric assay achieves a detection limit of 0.36 μM with excellent selectivity over structurally similar thiols. Beyond sensing, the same cascade efficiently depletes GSH and induces intracellular ROS bursts in HepG2 cells, disrupting tumor redox homeostasis and highlighting its therapeutic potential and establishing a mechanism-driven paradigm for biosensing and cancer therapy.

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 sensitization of semiconductors with organic photosensitizers represents an effective strategy for broadening their light absorption range, and increasing attention has been paid to the development of organic photosensitizers with a response to near-infrared (NIR) light. Notably, the influence of the photothermal effect induced by NIR on the performance of sensitized semiconductor systems, especially on the generation and separation of charge carriers, remains unclear. Herein, we construct a bis-tetraminobenzoquinone (TAQ)-sensitized TiO2 system via a facile in situ solvothermal method to enable the light absorption of the composite up to ca. 1600 nm. Under visible-NIR light irradiation, the optimal TiO2/TAQ demonstrates a hydrogen evolution activity of 11.25 mu mol g-1 h-1, confirming that the photogenerated electrons produced by TAQ can transfer to TiO2 for proton reduction. Notably, upon excluding NIR light, the TiO2/TAQ composite exhibits enhanced hydrogen evolution performance (up to 26.44 mu mol g-1 h-1). Thermal images reveal that TAQ generates a significant photothermal effect under visible-NIR light. The temperature-controlled experiments and characterizations suggest that while elevated temperature helps to suppress charge carrier recombination and reduce charge-transfer resistance in the TiO2/TAQ-sensitized system, it simultaneously hinders the generation of charge carriers in TAQ. Such double-edged effects ultimately diminish the photocatalytic activity of TiO2/TAQ under visible-NIR light as compared to visible light irradiation. This work provides new insights into the generation and transfer of charge carriers from the photosensitizer under NIR light and offers guidance for the future development of highly efficient organic-inorganic sensitization systems.

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.