Comprehensive Summary The selective electrooxidation of methanol to formate is a kinetically complex process involving multiple intermediates ( e.g ., *CH 3 O, *CHO, *OH), whose adsorption energies are difficult to regulate simultaneously. Here, we report a conceptually new electric‐field‐directed relay catalysis strategy based on a Ni 4 Mo/MoO 2 Mott‐Schottky heterojunction. Using a combination of UPS, XPS, and XAFS, we demonstrate that the built‐in electric field (BIEF) drives directional electron transfer from metallic Ni 4 Mo to semiconducting MoO 2 , creating spatially separated electron‐deficient Ni sites and electron‐rich MoO 2 interfaces. Operando FTIR and Raman spectroscopy directly visualize the dynamic evolution of intermediates, revealing a relay mechanism: Ni sites promote *CH 3 O adsorption and C–H/O–H bond cleavage, while MoO 2 enhances *OH supply to accelerate *CHO oxidation. DFT calculations confirm that this BIEF‐mediated spatial decoupling lowers the energy barrier of the potential‐determining step (*CHO → *HCOOH) from 1.96 eV (Ni 4 Mo) to only 0.76 eV. Consequently, the obtained catalyst achieves a peak current density of 345.2 mA·cm –2 with >97% Faradaic efficiency for formate. This work establishes a new paradigm for designing heterojunction electrocatalysts that leverage interfacial electric fields to orchestrate multi‐step reaction pathways with high selectivity.

Pore-confinement influence of hollow mesoporous carbon spheres on the size and electronic structure of ultrafine Pt for enhanced electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution and ethylene glycol oxidation.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have garnered increased attention for their use in extensive energy storage, attributed to the accessibility and cost-effectiveness of sodium sources. However, creating anodes for these batteries has been challenging. The study delves into and clarifies the advantages of using a cypress hard carbon anode material in sodium-ion batteries, created through a simple carbonization process. The results reveal that the temperatures at which hard carbon substances undergo pickling and carbonization significantly influence the electrochemical efficiency of anodes. At 1500 ℃, carbonized cypress wood is capable of achieving an exceptionally high Initial Coulombic Efficiency (ICE) of 91.09

Abstract Electrochemical two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e− ORR) for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production in acidic media holds great practical promise but remains bottlenecked by the scarcity of non-precious metal catalysts and severe mass transport limitations. Building on our previous identification of the inherent ORR-active nature of Cr-Nx moieties, herein, we report a flower-like single-atom Cr-N-C catalyst (F-CrNC) through rational morphological engineering. The well-defined three-dimensional open architecture maximizes active site exposure and shortens mass-transfer distances, thereby accelerating O2 supply and, crucially, the outward diffusion of H2O2 to mitigate side reactions. Driven by this morphological superiority, F-CrNC exhibits impressive apparent activity and selectivity, achieving a H2O2 productivity of 7.45 mol gcat−1 h−1 (at 100 mA) with over 80% Faradaic efficiency in a flow cell. This work highlights the decisive role of nanoscale structure design in translating intrinsic catalytic potential into real-device performance for H2O2 electrosynthesis.

Optimizing the surface-interface structure and electronic interactions of palladium-based materials is crucial for accelerating the electro-oxidation of liquid fuels; However, the sluggish kinetics and complicated oxidation process still pose formidable challenges for their application in fuel cells. Herein, we fabricated defect-rich Pd2Pb3Zn4 (D-Pd2Pb3Zn4) intermetallic compound featuring nanonetwork structure. Notably, the introduction of plumbum (Pb) element promotes the generation of an ordered palladium-based alloy, whereas the leaching of zinc (Zn) element is crucial for the creation of defects. This catalyst features a highly open structure, strong electronic effect, and sufficient active sites, demonstrating remarkable electrocatalytic activity and excellent durability for ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) in alkaline electrolyte. Impressively, the mass activity of the D-Pd2Pb3Zn4/C electrocatalytic EGOR is as high as 11.9 A mgPd(-1), which is 1.2 and 9.0-fold higher than that of the Pd2Pb3Zn4/C (9.86 A mgPd(-1)) and Pd/C (1.32 A mgPd(-1)) catalysts, respectively. Kinetic and thermodynamic analyses reveal that the D-Pd2Pb3Zn4/C catalyst is superior to the Pd2Pb3Zn4/C catalyst in terms of facilitating mass transfer, reducing the electrochemical activation energy, enhancing electronic conductivity, accelerating charge transfer, improving the resistance to CO poisoning, and maintaining satisfactory long-term stability. Meanwhile, in-situ fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum confirmed that the D-Pd2Pb3Zn4/C enhances the selectivity toward C1 products from ethylene glycol oxidation as compared to the Pd2Pb3Zn4/C catalyst, with an optimal selectivity of 42.7% that underscores its superior C-C bond cleavage ability. This study not only provides an effective synthetic strategy for preparing Pd-based nanomaterials with defective and ordered structures, but also has important guiding significance for optimizing EGOR via the C1 pathway.

Reasonable design and efficient synthesis of multifunctional electrocatalysts are crucial for promoting energy conversion, green manufacturing, and pollutant resourcing.

Achieving highly efficient C–C bond cleavage to follow the C1 pathway remains a critical challenge for the anodic alcohol oxidation reaction in direct alcohol fuel cells.

Hydrogen production through electrolysis of water is limited by the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER), whereas substituting the OER with recyclable electrochemical sulfion oxidation reaction (SOR) offers a sustainable strategy. However, insufficient understanding of the SOR mechanism still hinders the development of efficient and stable catalysts. Here, nickel cobalt sulfide (S-NiCo) nanoneedle array has been used as efficient electrocatalyst for alkaline OER and SOR, whereas trace Ru nanocluster on S-NiCo substrate (Ru@S-NiCo) could efficiently electrocatalyze the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction. The S-NiCo catalyst with heterointerface exhibits an OER overpotential (η) of 270 mV at 100 mA/cm2, and in situ electrochemical Raman measurement confirms that the real active species is the oxyhydroxide (Ni/Co–OOH). In particular, SOR displays an ultralow potential of 0.27 V at 100 mA/cm2 and operates stably for 100 h. Theoretical calculations uncover that the truly active species of Ni3S2 and Co9S8 synergistically oxidize sulfion stepwise to short-chain polysulfides and S8. In addition, the electrocatalytic coupling is compared to the traditional water splitting. This work provides a new insight for design hydrogen production system assembled with Ru@S-NiCo and S-NiCo, which substantially reduces the cell voltage by 1.146 V at 100 mA/cm2 and saves over 70.5% of power consumption by enabling efficient and durable multipurpose catalysts, thus realizing energy-efficient hydrogen generation and environmentally friendly sulfion recycling.

The electrochemical conversion of CO2 into ethanol, a valuable liquid fuel, remains a great challenge due to the difficulty in steering complex reaction pathways and stabilizing critical oxygenated intermediates on copper-based catalysts. While rare-earth element doping can enhance C2+ production, it typically favors ethylene. Here, we demonstrate that doping lanthanum into Cu2O creates a highly active and stable catalyst for selective CO2-to-ethanol electroreduction. Spectroscopic results combined with electrochemical and theoretical analyses reveal that the incorporated La3+ acts as a potent electron donor, lowering the work function and upshifting the band center of Cu to strengthen CO2/CO adsorption. Simultaneously, the large La3+ ions induce lattice strain to form asymmetric Cu(La)-Cu sites, which uniquely stabilize the *OCCHO intermediate from OCCO configuration. This dual electronic and geometric modulation promotes asymmetric CC coupling with CO bond retention, thereby diverting the pathway from ethylene toward ethanol. The optimized La-Cu2O catalyst achieves high Faradaic efficiency of 43.2% for ethanol and 67.38% for C₂₊ products, with a C2/C1 ratio >10, and exhibits enhanced operational stability by suppressing Cu+ reduction. This work establishes La doping as a distinct strategy for designing CO2RR catalysts targeting multi‑carbon oxygenates.

Hollow Fe0-Fe3O4-C/BC, a composite high-performance electrode, is constructed by immobilizing a Fe0-Fe3O4-C heterostructure onto a biochar (BC) matrix derived from agricultural straw waste. The material exhibits excellent electrocatalytic performance towards the degradation of ceftriaxone sodium. The hollow Fe0-Fe3O4-C/BC exhibits a hierarchically porous architecture, achieved through the integration of hollow Fe0-Fe3O4-C microspheres within a porous BC scaffold. The incorporation of nanoscale zero-valent iron introduces abundant catalytic sites, which cooperatively optimizes site accessibility and mass-transfer efficiency. During the electrocatalytic process, Fe0 facilitates the Fe2+/Fe3+ redox cycling, which not only promotes the in situ generation of H2O2 but also accelerates the production and regeneration of hydroxyl radicals and superoxide radicals. Concurrently, the three-dimensional BC scaffold functions as a nanoreactor, substantially enhancing electron-transfer pathways and synergizing with the catalytic system to elevate the overall performance from good to excellent. Evaluation via the electrocatalytic degradation of ceftriaxone sodium in aqueous solution demonstrates that the cathode material achieves a degradation efficiency of 99.58%. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy reveals a remarkably low charge-transfer resistance of 2.25 Omega. After 30 consecutive cycles, the removal efficiency remains at 95.21%, indicating outstanding cycling stability. Moreover, by modulating the dominant radical pathway under different pH conditions, the material maintains highly efficient degradation across a broad pH range.

Precisely constructing efficient and durable catalysts for liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) is essential for large-scale hydrogen storage and transport. In this work, we present a salt-templated synthesis of ultrathin ruthenium phosphide nanosheets enriched with phosphorus vacancy (U-RuPv). The catalyst exhibits remarkable catalytic performance for N-ethylcarbazole (NEC) hydrogenation, achieving complete NEC conversion and a 98.11% yield of 12H-NEC within 1.0 h at 180 °C and 7 MPa H2. The enhanced activity arises from abundant phosphorus vacancies on ultrathin RuP nanosheets, which modulate the electron configuration of adjacent Ru atoms, generating electron-rich Ruσ+ (0<σ<3) active sites that promote efficient hydrogen activation and spillover. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that these vacancies induce local charge redistribution and a downward shift in the d-band center, facilitating hydrogen desorption and NEC activation. This work highlights a dual-engineering approach combining ultrathin nanoarchitectures and defect chemistry to advance LOHCs catalytic performance, offering new insights for catalyst design in hydrogen storage applications.

Electrochemical seawater splitting is typically hindered by the corrosive effect of chloride ions (Cl-) on catalytic active sites during the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, a self-protecting Fe@NiAl electrocatalyst mediated by aluminate ions (Al(OH)4-) was synthesized via a novel in-situ etching-oxidation strategy, which acts as an efficient and durable OER catalyst in alkaline seawater electrolyte. Comprehensive characterization techniques reveal that the incorporation of FeOOH and generation of oxygen vacancies (Ovac) modulate the chemical composition and electronic structure of Fe@NiAl, thereby promoting a gamma-NiOOH/gamma-FeOOH synergistic effect to enhance the OER activity. Of particular importance, the in-situ-generated Al(OH)4- within the Fe@NiAl catalyst exert a strong repulsive effect toward Cl- in seawater, thereby significantly enhancing the catalyst's corrosion resistance. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that FeOOH incorporation lowers the energy barrier for the formation of OER active intermediates, while Al(OH)4- generation reduces the Cladsorption energy. A flow-type anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyzer utilizing Fe@NiAl as the bifunctional electrode achieves a cell voltage of merely 2.31 V at 1.0 A cm-2 and sustains stable operation for 800 h in alkaline seawater. This work provides valuable insights and a feasible strategy for designing robust and corrosion-resistant electrocatalysts for industrial-scale seawater electrolysis applications.

Achieving precise control over product selectivity in electrochemical alkene oxidation requires catalysts that can be programmed to favor specific bond-forming pathways. Here, we demonstrate that carbon dots (CDs) serve as programmable interfacial mediators to direct propylene electro oxidation exclusively toward the epoxy bond formation on Ag-graphene hybrids. The engineered Ag-6CDs/G catalyst exhibits a remarkable propylene oxide (PO) Faradaic efficiency of 39.71 % and a production rate of 218.85 mmol g⁻1 h⁻1. We deconvolute the triple role of CDs in programming this selectivity: (1) As a structural mediator that dictates Ag nanoparticle size and spatial distribution, maximizing active site density; (2) as an electronic mediator that fine tunes the Ag d band center, thereby optimizing the adsorption strength ratio between propylene (C=C) and the crucial *OH intermediate to a value ideal for C–O coupling; and (3) as a local microenvironment mediator whose oxygenated surface facilitates water activation, ensuring an efficient supply of oxygen species. This multifunctional mediation is rigorously verified through in situ spectroscopy, electrochemical diagnostics, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which collectively map the reaction coordinate and identify the CD induced shifts in adsorption energetics as the origin of the selective pathway. Our work provides a generalizable blueprint for programming bond forming selectivity in electrocatalysis through rational interfacial design.

Hydrogen (H2) sensing demands high sensitivity, fast kinetics, and stability. Herein, we report Pd-modified W18O49 nanocomposites with unique lattice heterogeneity (interfacial lattice compression coupled with bulk lattice expansion) induced by metal-support interaction. XRD and HRTEM confirm the structural modulation: Pd loading narrows W18O49's band gap, enhances charge transfer, and optimizes oxygen vacancies. The 2%-Pd-W18O49 exhibits superior H2 sensing performance at 130 °C: a high response (∼160 to 300 ppm H2), ultra-fast response/recovery (7/10 s), excellent selectivity over interfering gases (CO, ethanol, etc.), and long-term stability of 380 days (after a simple annealing process). Synergistic effects of Pd-catalyzed H2 dissociation and lattice heterogeneity dominate the enhancement, overcoming the reduced specific surface area. This work highlights lattice heterogeneity as a novel design parameter for high-performance metal oxide semiconductor H2 sensors, promising safe H2 applications.

The crystal phase of metal oxide supports critically governs the gas-sensing performance by modulating metal-support interactions. This study reveals a counterintuitive "reversal effect" induced by Pt modification on the acetone-sensing properties of γ-Fe2O3 and α-Fe2O3. Despite pristine α-Fe2O3 exhibiting a 9.4-fold higher response to acetone than γ-Fe2O3 (179 vs 19), even though the latter possesses a 4-fold larger specific surface area, Pt functionalization dramatically reverses this performance hierarchy. After loading 0.3 wt % Pt, Pt-Fe2O3-γ achieves an exceptional response of 1470 to 100 ppm acetone (77-fold enhancement over pristine γ-Fe2O3), whereas Pt-Fe2O3-α suffers a 9.4-fold reduction. Oxygen temperature-programmed desorption (O2-TPD) and structural characterization demonstrate that this reversal stems from the crystal phase-dependent Pt dispersion: γ-Fe2O3 facilitates atomic dispersion of Pt, optimizing gas adsorption and electron transfer, while α-Fe2O3 promotes Pt nanoparticle aggregation, which impedes charge transport despite enhanced oxygen adsorption. This work elucidates a new mechanism wherein the support crystal phase dictates noble metal dispersion states to control sensing behavior, providing a paradigm for designing phase-engineered sensing materials.

Against the backdrop of global carbon neutrality target driving the transformation of energy structure, alcohol fuel cells (AFCs) show great application potential; However, the sluggish kinetics of their anodic alcohol oxidation reaction hinders the commercialization of AFCs. Metallene is a novel 2D material with potential application prospect in the field of electrocatalysis. In this paper, Pd1Mo1W trimetallene has been successfully produced by a one-pot wet-chemical method, which displays a unique two-dimensional curved ultrathin graphene structure. Mo and W atoms were doped into the lattice of Pd atoms to form a Pd1Mo1W ternary alloy, which resulted in the lattice spacing of Pd being enlarged to 0.229 nm and the d-band center of Pd being reduced by 1.10 eV. Therefore, Pd1Mo1W trimetallene demonstrated excellent electrocatalytic performance for the oxidation of ethanol and ethylene glycol in alkaline electrolyte. Especially for the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR), Pd1Mo1W trimetallene exhibited excellent mass activity (7.55 A mgPd-1) and intrinsic activity (13.5 mA cm-2), low apparent activation energy (41.8 kJ mol-1), and outstanding CO anti-poisoning ability. According to the nuclear magnetic resonance, in-situ fourier transform infrared reflection spectra, and density-functional theory calculations, it is revealed that the Pd1Mo1W trimetallene with high surface area formed by Mo-doping reduces the d-band center of the active site, facilitates the adsorption of OH species, and enhances the tolerance of CO-poisoned intermediate, so that EOR can be carried out through C1 and C2 pathways at a lower potential. Compared to the electrocatalytic EOR system, the photocurrent density of Pd1Mo1W trimetallene under xenon lamp irradiation increased by 1.73 times, which was mainly attributed to the electron resonance effect generated by Mo and W elements to promote the electron transfer to Pd. The excellent electrocatalytic ethanol and ethylene glycol performance of Pd1Mo1W demonstrates the great application potential of metallene for electrocatalysis.

Two-dimensional (2D) heterostructure materials combine the synergistic advantages of their 2D components, such as enhanced specific surface area, increased active sites, and modulated electronic structure, overcoming the limitations of single-component systems and establishing a strong position in electrochemical energy storage. This review summarizes recent advances in 2D MXenes/metal chalcogenide heterostructures for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). This manuscript is divided into three sections: MXenes/metal sulfides, MXenes/metal selenides, and MXenes/metal tellurides. The synthetic strategies of heterostructures, including in situ conversion, confined growth, and intercalation self-assembly, are comprehensively introduced, and interfacial coupling mechanisms are mainly discussed. In addition, we summarize representative advances of heterostructures in lithium storage performance and reaction kinetics across various systems. Finally, we highlight key issues in current research, including unclear phase transition mechanisms, environmentally unfriendly and non-scalable preparation methods, and offer suggestions for improvements. And the future prospects of heterostructures in energy storage have also been outlined.

Nickel-based catalysts display promising potential in integrated hydrogen production through methanol electrooxidation (MOR). The unavoidable self-oxidation from Ni(OH)(2) to NiOOH severely restricts their MOR performance. To inspire the progress of MOR before self-oxidation of Ni species by altering reaction pathways, a heterostructured Ni-WO2 catalyst is constructed to follow the direct electrooxidation pathway of methanol. In-situ/ex-situ characterization techniques combined with density functional theory calculations reveal the constructed Ni-WO2 heterostructure alters the electronic structure of Ni site. It's found Ni-Ni bond in Ni-WO2 becomes longer and the electrons transfer from Ni sites to W sites. This results in upshifted d band center of Ni site and its closing to the Fermi energy level, which optimizes the CH3OH adsorption and the deprotonation of *CH3O into *CH2O in potential-determining step. Moreover, the formed asymmetric adsorption sites increase the polarity of the methanol and the intermediate. As expected, CH3OH molecule is highly converted into HCOOH via direct electrooxidation pathway. This obtained Ni-WO2 exhibits superior MOR activity with high peak current density of 325.26 mA cm(-2) and performs long term of 90 h at 10 mA cm(-2) in hydrogen production. This work provides an important guidance for designing efficient Ni-based samples for direct electrooxidation of methanol.

Amorphous metal oxides offer unique advantages for gas sensing due to their disordered structures and abundant defects, yet their potential for Triethylamine (TEA) detection remains underexplored. This study investigates the gas sensing performance of amorphous and crystalline Fe2O3 for TEA detection, aiming to explore the potential of amorphous Fe2O3 as a superior alternative to traditional crystalline Metal Oxide Semiconductors (MOS). The structural and morphological characteristics of the samples were analyzed, revealing that amorphous Fe2O3 possesses a higher specific surface area and a disordered structure with abundant oxygen vacancies. The gas sensing tests showed that the amorphous Fe2O3 sensor exhibited higher sensitivity, selectivity, and faster response/recovery times compared to the crystalline Fe2O3 sensor. These findings suggest that amorphous Fe2O3 could be a promising material for developing highly sensitive, selective, and energy-efficient TEA gas sensors.

This paper summarizes NEC non-noble metal hydrogenation catalysts' latest research, covering synthesis, structural features, hydrogen storage performance and development prospect. The aim is to boost non-noble metal catalyst research and application.