The development of materials with high photocatalytic efficiency is essential for sustainable chemical transformations. Here we introduce photochargeable zinc indium sulfide nanocrystals with notable charge storage capacity, enabling highly efficient photocatalytic dehydrogenative coupling of amines. Combined with a nickel cocatalyst, the nanocrystals deliver diamines and hydrogen at rates exceeding 120 mmol per gram of photocatalyst per hour, with > 95% selectivity and an apparent quantum efficiency of up to 39.4% under ambient conditions. The system exhibits excellent scalability, demonstrated by a reaction on a 20-g scale, and broad versatility in promoting amino acid ester coupling and polymerization reactions with concurrent hydrogen evolution. Mechanistic studies attribute the photocharging capability of zinc indium sulfide nanocrystals to in situ-generated trap states such as sulfur vacancies, which extend hydrogen production into the dark catalytic cycle and enhance the overall charge utilization efficiency. These findings position photochargeable semiconductors as promising platforms for a wide range of photocatalytic applications.

Metastable cubic tin(II) sulfide (π-SnS) is an earth-abundant semiconductor whose three-dimensionally bonded chiral lattice may overcome the short minority-carrier lifetime of orthorhombic SnS while maintaining a near-ideal bandgap for tandem photovoltaics. Despite its promise, ultrafast carrier cooling and recombination mechanisms over illumination density remain poorly constrained. We use core-level extreme-ultraviolet attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy at the Sn 4d edge to track carrier injection, cooling, and recombination in π-SnS with element- and orbital-specific sensitivity. Following femtosecond near-infrared excitation, the Sn 4d→CB onset exhibits conduction-band state filling and a carrier-induced edge shift, enabling extraction of density-dependent kinetics. The transient response follows a biexponential decay with a fast hot-carrier cooling component and a slower recombination component. At low carrier densities, recombination is consistent with interface-limited processes, whereas above ∼1×10^20 cm^-3 both cooling and recombination accelerate, indicating a crossover to carrier-carrier interaction-dominated dynamics. Coherent phonon oscillations with a period of ∼188 fs reveal coupling between electronic excitation and lattice motion. These results provide a comprehensive picture of nonequilibrium carrier and phonon dynamics in cubic SnS, reveal a change of mechanisms over a range of carrier densities, and establish the value of using attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy to study ultrafast processes in complex semiconductors that have optoelectronic and energy-conversion applications.

Sustainable synthesis of C5+ carbohydrates from CO2 remains challenging due to the complexity of controlled CO2 reduction and carbon–carbon coupling. Biochemical approaches can convert primary CO2 reduction products into C5+ carbohydrates, but are often constrained by lengthy reaction periods, low production rates and system complexity. Here we present a two-step electrochemical reduction–formose reaction method that uses hydroxymethanesulfonate (HMS) as a more stable surrogate for formaldehyde to facilitate the direct synthesis of C5+ carbohydrates from electrochemically fixed CO2. Using cobalt tetraaminophthalocyanine molecules supported on multiwalled carbon nanotubes as an electrocatalyst, we achieve an HMS Faradaic efficiency of 12 The sustainable synthesis of carbohydrates from CO2 is challenging due to the complexity of controlled CO2 reduction. Here a two-step method for the sustainable synthesis of C5+ carbohydrates is reported. CO2 is initially fixed into hydroxymethanesulfonate, which is then used as a formaldehyde surrogate in a formose reaction to synthesize C5+ carbohydrates.

[Objective] Vanadium and chromium resources play a critical role in various industries such as energy, chemicals, aerospace, and alloys. Securing a reliable supply of these resources is extremely crucial for the advancement of the national economy, as well as for national defense and military strength. As the availability of high-quality mineral resources decrease and the necessity for environmentally- friendly resource development increases, the extraction and separation of vanadium and chromium from complex vanadium and chromium resources has become an increasingly pressing issue. [Method] Currently, there has been a significant research conducted on the separation technology for complex vanadium and chromium resources. [Result&Conclusion] This article provides a systematic overview of vanadium and chromium mineral resources and secondary resources, as well as vanadium and chromium extraction technology in complex vanadium and chromium resources, and summarizes the principles, methods, advantages and disadvantages of vanadium and chromium separation technology in solution. The current status of the development of several separation techniques such as chemical precipitation, crystallization, extraction, electrochemical methods and ion precipitation flotation and their application prospects are analyzed. Addtionally, suggestions were put forward for the future development direction of vanadium-chromium extraction and separation processes.

Harnessing renewable energy to convert anthropogenic CO2 to valuable products is central to establishing a sustainable carbon cycle. Here, we present a continuous electrobiocatalytic platform for converting CO2 to Bioplastic by using an external water-splitting electrolyzer integrated with a two-stage cascade of continuous stirred-tank bioreactors (CSTBs) arranged in tandem, a system-level architecture that has not been previously reported. A proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer produces H-2 for the acetogenic bacterium Sporomusa ovata, which fixes CO2 into acetate in CSTB 1, achieving a steady-state productivity of 293 +/- 17 mg L-1 h(-1). The acetate is continuously and directly supplied to CSTB 2 and subsequently metabolized by the facultative chemolithoautotroph Cupriavidus necator for the biosynthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) biopolymers. Under steady-state conditions, the electrolyzer/CSTB 1/CSTB 2 system achieves a PHB productivity of 2.76 +/- 0.24 mg L-1 h(-1), which provides a quantitative benchmark for a fully continuous, electrolyzer-driven CO2-to-PHB process. This work presents an electromicrobial approach integrating environmental remediation with chemical syntheses from CO2 and H2O.

An improved understanding of the materials that will sustain the future of energy production, storage, and delivery calls for better characterization tools. Operando characterization methods have thus become essential for investigating electrocatalytic materials. Without their resulting insights, the study of highly performing catalysts post-mortem cannot viably facilitate the further development of functional catalysts. Herein, we present an operando electrochemical cell designed for hard X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and specifically adapted to the study of an electrocatalytically active Cu nanoparticle ensemble. So far, this nanocatalyst has proven to pose quite a challenge to characterize due to its unique structural dynamics. Adopting a design comparable to the H-cell employed for all activity testing, we report the satisfactory translation of the active site formation into an XAS-compatible cell. The simultaneous collection of CO2-derived products during XAS characterization enabled the operando characterization of this CO2-reducing active structure. We report a Cu-Cu coordination number of the first scattering path higher than suggested in our previous studies, highlighting the importance of monitoring metastable nanoelectrocatalysts in operando. This study illustrates important caveats for the electrocatalysis community when considering the application of operando XAS. Our results highlight that the sample size, homogeneity, and stability determine how to interpret the measured signal. Considering these parameters carefully, the operando EXAFS results confirm the exceptional undercoordinated character of the Cu nanoparticle ensemble during CO2 reduction to C2+ products.

Photosynthetic biohybridsa structure composed of semiconducting electrodes and carbon dioxide-fixing autotrophs which can be energized by the electrodeoffer a promising platform for selective CO2 reduction. However, studying the charge-transfer mechanisms from the semiconductor to the cell proves challenging due to a variety of simultaneous processes. Therefore, to deconvolute the system to understand photoelectrochemical performance, we employ model systems composed of a subset of the electron-transfer pathway. Here, we photoelectrochemically reduced ubiquinone-0 (UQ0) and riboflavin (Rf) (the head groups of ubiquinone-8/10 and flavin mononucleotide/flavin adenine dinucleotide) using Pt-decorated n+p-silicon nanowires, a robust catalytic architecture. Under irradiation with 100 mW cm-2 red light (740 nm), UQ0 and Rf were reduced with onset potentials of 0.876 V vs the reversible hydrogen electrode (VRHE) and 0.691 VRHE, respectively. In addition, UQ0 achieved a maximum Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 81% with a conversion rate of 1.22 μmol cm-2 h-1 at 0.75 VRHE, while Rf reached its maximum FE and rate at 73% and 0.167 μmol cm-2 h-1, respectively, at 0.55 VRHE. Both redox cofactors were continuously reduced over a 12 h period, demonstrating the robust photosynthetic biohybrid system.

Phase transitions in halide perovskites critically influence their optoelectronic performance and stability, yet the nanoscale pathways by which structural transformations proceed remain elusive because of their soft ionic lattice and electron-beam sensitivity. Here, we combine in situ heating with four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) to investigate the phase-transition dynamics in single CsPbBrxI3-x nanowires, from the non-perovskite to the perovskite phase, with nanometer spatial and millisecond temporal resolution. We directly visualize and track the real-time propagation of the perovskite phase front along a nanowire, while mapping local crystallographic order and diffuse scattering during the transition. The emergence of amorphous diffraction rings indicates a breakdown of long-range crystalline order, and with molecular dynamics simulations, we can conclude that local atomic coordination is preserved. More broadly, this work establishes a general framework for resolving phase transition pathways in beam-sensitive materials beyond halide perovskites, with implications for stabilizing functional phases for future applications.

Halide perovskites are crucial materials with broad applications owing to their exceptional optoelectronic properties. Vacancy-ordered double perovskites, featuring highly tunable transition metal sites, enable controllable optoelectronic properties through multielement compositional design. In this study, we introduced 18-crown-6 into the vacancy-ordered double perovskites system and developed two-dimensional ribbon-like single crystals (18C6@K)2{PtSnTeIrRe}1Cl6 via an antisolvent supramolecular assembly method, demonstrating morphology modulation through multielement composition design. The crystals crystallize in the centrosymmetric space group P 1 . The dumbbell-shaped structural units (crown ether@A)2MX6 pack along a and b axes to form a 2-dimensional (2D) monolayer, and these monolayers further stack along the c axis to generate the ribbon-like single crystals. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) qualitatively confirmed the uniform distribution of the five transition metals throughout the crystal, while inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) quantitatively verified their atomic ratios. We further investigated the origin of the morphology, distinct from the previously reported cube-like single crystals with the R 3 space group. When acetonitrile was used as the solvent, three-dimensional crystals with R 3 symmetry were obtained, whereas dimethylformamide (DMF) was essential for forming two-dimensional ribbon-like single crystals. The essential role of DMF could be ascribed to its capability to maintain a higher concentration of the building blocks. Moreover, Ir4+ and Pt4+ cations also played critical roles in inducing the two-dimensional ribbon-like morphology. The three-element (18C6@K)2{PtSnTe}1Cl6 single crystals exhibited bright yellow emission under 375 nm laser excitation, demonstrating the tunability of optoelectronic properties of this class of material.

Metal-halide complexes serve as key emissive centres in halide perovskites; however, precise control over their spatial organization through bottom-up assembly is challenging. Here we show that a crown-ether-assisted supramolecular assembly strategy can alternatingly connect metal-halide complexes and (crown ether@A)2+ (where 'A' is an alkaline earth metal cation) complexes into a one-dimensional molecular wire, which can then be packed into a hexagonal crystal structure. This process resulted in the creation of an (18C6@Ba)MnBr4 single crystal with green emission, achieving over 80% photoluminescence quantum yield and a narrow full width at half maximum. In addition, the non-centrosymmetric crystal structure gave rise to strong nonlinear optical responses, including second-harmonic generation. This versatile supramolecular assembly approach could be generalized to create various [M(I)X2]-, [M(I)X3]2-, [M(II)X4]2- and [M(III)X5]2- molecular wires, broadening the potential for diverse emission colours and distinct optical properties. This strategy provides a general design principle for constructing supramolecular metal-halide building blocks with diverse optical functionalities.

The development of transistor architectures, evolving from 2D planar metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) to FinFETs and then to gate-all-around nanowire (GAANW) FETs, plays a crucial role in downscaling technology nodes in the semiconductor industry. This perspective reviews the concept of MOSFETs and summarizes this historical development with particular emphasis on GAANW transistors due to their importance in next-generation technology for nodes below 3 nm. Specifically, the concept of GAANW transistors and their advantages over planar and FinFET devices for further scaling are presented, along with a discussion of their transition from early conceptual ideas to laboratory demonstrations and, ultimately, industrial adoption. Furthermore, potential solutions, such as complementary FETs (CFETs) and 2D semiconductor-based FETs, and their associated challenges for the future generation, known as the Angstrom Era, are discussed in a technological roadmap. This perspective may inspire both industry and academia in future research directions for realizing the Angstrom Era.

Cu-based catalysts are uniquely capable of C-C coupling during electrochemical CO2 reduction (CO2R), yet further mechanistic understanding remains hampered by the lack of spectroscopically resolved descriptors that demonstrate how surface adsorbates emerge and evolve within their catalytic environment. Here, we correlate in situ surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS) to resolve the potential-dependent dynamics during CO2R on Cu nanograin catalysts. By building on previous benchmarking of low overpotential performance and nanograin structural evolution, we offer a diagnostic framework linking vibrational signatures to catalytic function, unveiling which species appear, persist, and turnover as the electrified surface and interfacial environment evolve under bias. The onset of linear CO is marked below -0.45 V, coincident with persistent adsorbed *OH/*O domains beyond the CO2R onset. In this context, Cu nanograins serve as a platform to dissect contributions of adsorbate coverage. By carefully dissecting the potential dependence of emergent twin-defect/step CO stretch bands (P1-P2), alongside the prototypical terrace-site CO stretch band (P3), we provide important context for interpreting coupled spectroscopic trends driven by coverage effects and resolve this for the evidently complex nanograin morphology. Together, these observations highlight the intertwined roles of surface stabilization and interfacial flux in steering multicarbon product formation. By directly linking vibrational signatures to catalytic behavior, this work aims to bridge the gap between observation and control and help guide toward a predictive framework of fine-tuned selectivity for CO2R.

Photosynthetic biohybrid systems (PBSs) integrate semiconductor light harvesters with microbial metabolism to enable solar-driven chemical synthesis, yet the chemical principles governing their performance remain dispersed across two distinct architectures: wired biohybrids, which rely on photoelectrode-microbe interfaces, and wireless systems, where microbes are photosensitized by colloidal or molecular catalysts. This review examines the materials chemistry, interfacial electron transfer mechanisms, and biological constraints that define each approach. We evaluate the stability and biocompatibility of semiconductor photoelectrodes, charge transfer pathways across abiotic/biotic interfaces, microbial community dynamics, and photoelectrochemical operational parameters central to wired systems. For wireless platforms, we analyze design rules for whole-cell photosensitization, including semiconductor selection, cellular uptake, redox coupling, and mechanistic probes of electron delivery. By comparing both architectures, we identify unifying chemical principles and key bottlenecks that limit efficiency, providing a framework for the predictive design of next-generation PBSs for sustainable solar-to-chemical conversion.

Cations play a critical role in electrochemical CO2 reduction, yet the mechanisms underlying their influence remain incompletely understood owing to limited knowledge of their solvation structures and interfacial interactions under operating conditions. Here we combine surface-sensitive total electron yield X-ray absorption spectroscopy, surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations to determine the solvation environment of caesium ions near a ligand-modified silver nanocatalyst under CO2-reducing conditions. We find that desolvated Cs+ ions, confined between a detached ligand layer and the silver surface, enable CO2 activation at potentials as high as 0.4 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode—reducing the overpotential for CO2-to-CO conversion by 250 mV compared with a bare Ag film. Our results further reveal partial covalent character in Cs–intermediate interactions, which directly accounts for the enhanced catalytic activity. These findings provide multimodal spectroscopic evidence that cations can modulate reaction kinetics beyond purely electrostatic effects. The mechanism of cation enhancement in electrocatalytic CO2 reduction has been widely debated but spectroscopic evidence under operating conditions is lacking. Now operando X-ray and surface-enhanced infrared spectroscopy are combined with theory to reveal that desolvated Cs+ cations enable CO2 activation at substantially reduced overpotentials through partial covalent interactions.

CsGeX3, a class of halide perovskites, is an emergent semiconductor with ferroelectricity and potential optoelectronic properties that can be harnessed for device applications. However, measurements of the electronic structure for this class of material are still lacking. In this work, we report, for the first time, the experimental band structures of CsGeI3, a ferroelectric halide perovskite semiconductor, through angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). The crystals were cleaved along both the (110) and (111) surfaces, facilitating the observation of clear valence band dispersions in several high-symmetry momentum directions. The observed valence band is characterized by a small hole effective mass of similar to 0.1m 0 at the valence band maximum, without notable spectral signatures associated with the Rashba effect. Our experimental measurements are supported by electronic structure calculations in the DFT + G0W0 framework, enabling assessment of the band orbital characteristics, dispersion, and spin-splitting. This work unveils the intrinsic electronic and transport properties of CsGeX3, thereby advancing the optimization of the optoelectronic properties of this class of materials.

Direct electrochemical CO2 reduction is currently limited to a narrow range of multicarbon products due to limited multicarbon pathways on Cu surfaces. Biochemical methods, by contrast, are often slow due to the slow rate of gas-liquid mass transfer to microbial cells. To overcome the limitations of the individual processes, integrating electrochemical systems with biosynthetic processes has become a promising approach. However, only a narrow range of microbial strains has been explored in these combined systems. Here, we introduce a modular abiotic-biotic platform that allows electrochemically produced formate (eFormate) to be supplied independently to various microbial systems. A concentrated formate solution (0.87 M) was produced within 4 h using a SnO2 catalyst and subsequently converted into a biocompatible carbon feedstock by adjusting the pH. Based on earlier reports, we identified and evaluated 13 microbial strains known to grow on formate, 10 of which exhibited robust growth in the prepared formate solution and successfully secreted multicarbon products and important metabolic markers like acetate, ethanol, lactate, pyruvate, and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). This work establishes a proof of concept for a broadly applicable abiotic-biotic platform that expands the microbial design space by coupling CO2 electrolysis with carbon upgrading.

The high alkalinity of red mud presents a significant challenge to both environmental safety and its effective utilization. This work proposes a functional materialization strategy for zero emission of hazardous waste, which can directly convert red mud into a ferrite-based electromagnetic wave absorbing material. The roasting and alkali dissolution behaviors of Na2O-Al2O3-SiO2 system are highlighted to determine the synchronous alkali solidification mechanism. After phase reconstruction, the main phases of the functional material are silicates and magnetic ferrites, and nearly all soluble and chemically bound alkalis were transformed into stable lattice alkali. The solidification ratio of Na and K can be up to 99.54% and 98.43%, respectively. Alkali solidification mechanism study indicates that Na and K enter the lattice of stable silicate and glass phases through substitution and electrostatic attraction. In addition, the sample exhibits maximum effective absorption bandwidth of 5.50 GHz and reflection loss (RL) of −52.80 dB. The proposed method realizes the alkaline regulation and the high value utilization of valuable metals in red mud, offering a promising pathway for its sustainable and large-scale industrial application.

During zinc electrowinning, strontium carbonate (SrCO3) guides orderly zinc deposition and removes lead impurities. After electrowinning, Sr is enriched in anode slime and crystallized sediments, making its recovery crucial for cost savings. However, the high Ca/Sr ratio and inherent difficulty in separating alkaline earth metals pose significant challenges. In this work, Sr recovery and SrCO3 product preparation from the zinc electrowinning slimes via an integrated process of acid leaching, solvent extraction, stripping and carbonation precipitation was investigated. The Ca removal mechanism from CaSr leachate by P204 solvent extraction was investigated via the FT-IR spectroscopy, equilibrium slope method, and quantum chemical simulations. The research found that saponified P204 exhibits enhanced extraction capacity, but its selectivity diminishes with the increasing saponification degree. At 5% saponification, 33% extractant concentration, O/A of 1, 30 min, pH of 3, and 25 °C, Ca and Sr extraction efficiencies reached 82.7% and 8.55%, respectively. FT-IR revealed that saponification breaks dimeric hydrogen bonds and forms mixed aqueous-organic microemulsion, with extraction occurring via cation exchange without new functional groups. Quantum simulations indicated that the sodium salt from saponification increases the reactivity of hydroxyl oxygen, thereby improving its extraction capability. Furthermore, the energy level difference between CaA2 and the extractant molecules is lower than that for SrA2, leading to a stronger binding affinity for Ca ions. Ultimately, two-stage cross current extraction (O/A = 1/2) with 5% saponified P204 can achieve 99.9% of Ca removal and 16.9% of Sr loss. SrCO3 product with 98.4% purity was obtained via the sodium carbonate precipitation of raffinate.

We investigate the carrier dynamics of strongly confined cesium lead iodide (CsPbI3) nanowires and compare them with weakly confined quantum dots (QDs) to understand how dimensionality affects recombination processes. Using time-resolved photoluminescence and ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy, we find that nanowires exhibit a 5× faster recombination rate and more rapid carrier cooling than QDs. These differences are attributed to enhanced carrier interactions with trap states. Although nanowires exhibit slightly enhanced radiative rates as a result of confinement, their photoluminescence quantum yield remains relatively low, 23 ± 8%, due to competition from nonradiative recombination processes that occur at a faster rate. These findings highlight a dimensionality-dependent trade-off between radiative efficiency and nonradiative losses, providing insight into the limitations and opportunities for low-dimensional perovskite nanostructures. Our results establish design principles for tailoring CsPbI3 nanocrystal dimensionality to optimize optical performance in optoelectronic applications such as LEDs and solar cells.