Designing cost-effective electrocatalysts for water decomposition is crucial for achieving environmental-friendly hydrogen production. A transition metal sulfide/hydroxide electrocatalyst (1T-MoS2/Ni3S2/LDH) with double heterogeneous interfaces was developed through a two-step hydrothermal assisted electrodeposition method. The presence of the two built-in electric fields not only accelerated the charge transfer at the interface, but also enhanced the adsorption of the reactants and intermediate groups, and therefore improved the reaction rate and overall catalytic performance. The results suggest that the 1T-MoS2/Ni3S2/LDH catalysts display exceptional electrocatalytic reactivity. Under alkaline conditions, the overpotential of the electrocatalyst was 187 (eta 50) mV for OER and 104 (eta 10) mV for HER. Furthermore, the two-electrode system assembled by the electrocatalyst needs only a voltage of 1.55 V to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm-2. Our result provides a simple and effective methodical approach to the design of dual heterogeneous interfacial electrocatalysts.

Photocatalytic CO2 reduction is an excellent method for the resource utilization of CO2. However, challenges such as inferior product yields and poor selectivity still exist. In this investigation, a novel composite catalyst of S-type heterojunction Ga2S3/CuS was formulated and synthesized using a facile two-step hydrothermal method. The CH4 product yield of 30wt% Ga2S3/CuS reached 18.8 μmol·g-1·h-1. The reaction pathways were investigated through in-situ DRIFTS and DFT calculations, revealing the internal built-in electric field at the S-type heterojunction induces migration of the Cu atomic d-band center towards the Fermi energy level. The elevation of the Cu d orbital energy levels enables electron contributions from the dxz orbital to facilitate the formation of π⁎ bonds with CO2, thereby promoting the adsorption of both CO2 and intermediate species to produce CH4. This study emphasizes the influence of the intrinsic electric field at the interface on product yield and selectivity.

Metal vanadates as negative electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries have attracted widespread attention, attributed to their substantial capacity, broad availability, and exceptional safety. In this study, NiCo2V2O8@NC microspheres featuring a yolk-double shell structure were successfully synthesized via ion exchange reactions and surface deposition techniques, employing metal glycerolate as a template. Owing to the bimetallic cobalt-nickel synergistic effect and the N-doped carbon network, this configuration not only optimizes the pore structure but also enhances conductivity, thereby augmenting the stability of the overall structure. The unique yolk-double shell design significantly enhances the utilization of active components and reduces the ion transport distance, thereby achieving high capacity. Thanks to the synergistic effects of this bimetallic and intricate structure, the material demonstrates exceptional capacity and cycle stability in lithium storage. The initial discharge capacity possesses 1522 mAh g(-1) at a current density of 0.2 A g(-1), with the reversible capacity still maintained at 1197 mAh g(-1) after 100 cycles. In addition, at a high current density of 0.5 A g(-1), the initial discharge capacity is 1487 mAh g(-1), with a reversible capacity of 747 mAh g(-1) maintained after 500 cycles. This study offers a perspective and methodology for the design and fabrication of complex porous double shell nanostructures.

Extending light absorption to the near-infrared spectrum through the induction of the plasmon effect is an effective strategy in the photocatalytic field. Herein, plasmonic WO 2.72 /Cd 0.5 Zn 0.5 S nanorods are prepared via a solvothermal method coupled with in-situ deposition. WO 2.72 with oxygen vacancies performs broad Vis-NIR light absorption capabilities and acts as the hot electron donors for Cd 0.5 Zn 0.5 S to exploit the NIR-driven photocatalytic H2 2 activity. WO 2.72 /Cd 0.5 Zn 0.5 S performs Vis-NIR-driven photocatalytic activity to produce H2 2 for 1419.55 mu mol center dot g- g- 1 center dot h- 1 under visible light (lambda >= 400 nm), and 116.175 mu mol center dot g- g- 1 center dot h- 1 under NIR light (>= 780 nm), which is 3 times higher than that of Cd 0.5 Zn 0.5 S (465.37 mu mol center dot g- g- 1 center dot h- 1 ) in visible region. Through catalytic analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the enhanced photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the effective charge separation and transfer in the Z-scheme heterojunction, as well as the broad spectrum light absorption and efficient "hot electron" transfer facilitated by the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect. This work provides a new horizon for harnessing solar energy across a broad spectrum.

With the increasing depletion of fossil fuels, hydrogen has attracted much attention as one of the promising alternative energy sources. However, the large-scale application of hydrogen energy still has many challenges, such as insufficient storage, transportation, and demand. Among the various hydrogen storage media, methylcyclohexane (MCH) is regarded as a potential hydrogen storage technology, because of its unique and excellent safety performance, hydrogen storage capacity, physical and chemical properties, and other notable characteristics. Herein, the paper focuses on the current research progress of dehydrogenation technology, which is discussed in term of the reaction mechanism of MCH dehydrogenation, the research progress of catalysts, and the optimization of process conditions, respectively. Subsequently, a summary is provided to point out the possible reaction network diagrams. Additionally, based on the challenges associated with sourcing heat for applications, we propose a novel dual internal combustion engine drive method for hydrogen production from MCH, this innovative approach is expected to propel the advancement and application of hydrogen energy technology. Then, this work concludes with a brief overview of the current research progress in hydrogenation technology. Finally, it summarizes the present challenges of MCH dehydrogenation, and further research of MCH dehydrogenation have prospected in terms of optimal design theory, preparation of novel catalysts, reduction of energy consumption, reactor enhancement, and system coupling.

In this study, a series of transition metal-doped TiO2 was prepared by a simple sol-solvothermal method. Mix an ethanol solution of tetrabutyl titanate and metal nitrate solution to obtain a homogeneous sol, which is then subjected to solvothermal treatment. After calcination, the metal-TiO2 naoncomposite was obtained. Selected transition metal precursors, including Cu, Fe, Ag, Cr, Co and Zn, were doped into TiO2 nanocatalysts to assess photocatalytic degradation activities. The results show that 1 mol % Ag-TiO2 photocatalyst has a larger specific surface area, a stable anatase phase and the narrowest forbidden band energy (3.00 eV). In photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) tests, 1 mol % Ag-TiO2 could reach 100 % decolourisation after 70 min and 75.43 % mineralisation after 90 min. ESR analysis confirmed that Ag doping significantly increased the content of & sdot;O-2(-) and & sdot;OH for the TiO2 catalyst, which are responsible for the oxidation reactions and consequently degradation of pollutants. The photocatalytic degradation mechanism of MO was also proposed. The TOC analyses confirmed the mineralization of MO. The excellent thermal and chemical stability of 1 mol % Ag-TiO2 has also been demonstrated by thermogravimetric analysis and cycling experiments. Electrochemical tests have also demonstrated the excellent electrochemical properties of 1 mol % Ag-TiO2.

Transition metal oxides (TMOs) are highly dense in energy and considered as promising anode materials for a new generation of alkaline ion batteries. However, their electrode structure is disrupted due to significant volume changes during charging and discharging, resulting in the short cycle life of batteries. In this paper, the hierarchical Ni3V2O8@N-doped carbon (Ni3V2O8@NC) hollow double-shell microspheres were prepared and used as electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The utilization efficiency and ion transfer rate of Ni3V2O8 were improved by the hollow microsphere structure formed through nanoparticle self-assembly. Furthermore, the uniform N-doped carbon layer not only enhanced the structural stability of Ni3V2O8, but also improved the overall electrical conductivity of the composite. The Ni3V2O8@NC electrode has an initial discharge capacity of up to 1167.3 mAh g-1 at a current density of 0.3 A g-1, a reversible capacity of up to 726.5 mAh g-1 after 200 cycles, and still has a capacity of 567.6 mAh g-1 after 500 cycles at a current density of 1 A g-1, indicating that the material has good cycle stability and high-rate capability. This work presents new findings on the design and fabrication of complex porous double-shell nanostructures.

High-surface-area porous MoS2 was successfully synthesized through a sol–gel route using (NH4)2Mo3S13 as precursor. A novel molybdenum polysulfide gel “Mo3S12” was firstly prepared through the reaction of (NH4)2Mo3S13 formamide solution with hydrochloric acid solution. Subsequently, the porous MoS2 was obtained from the “Mo3S12” gel by ethanol supercritical drying technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), nitrogen physisorption measurement (BET) were used to characterize the porous MoS2 samples. The results indicated this porous MoS2 has a broad range of pore sizes and a BET surface area of 315m2/g and a pore volume of 1.9cm3/g.