A metal-cation-confined in situ reduction strategy was designed to construct bifunctional Pd@CoAl-LDHs catalysts, which exhibited superior catalytic performance for the reductive amination of biomass-derived cyclohexanone under mild conditions.

A g-C3N4/V2C composite with Schottky junction was prepared by self-assembly method. Due to the lower Fermi level of V2C, it can form a Schottky junction with g-C3N4, inhibiting the recombination of electron-hole pairs, thereby enhancing the photocatalytic performance. Under light irradiation, CNV-1% achieves a degradation rate of 91.24% for MG within 90 min, and maintains high stability after five cycles; CNV-1% exhibits both dark adsorption and photocatalytic performance for MG under alkaline conditions. Moreover, the composite also shows certain degradation effects on other pollutants, indicating universality, which further broadens the application of V2C-based materials in photocatalytic degradation.

Metal-CO2 battery represents a burgeoning CO2 utilization technology that combines CO2 reduction with electricity generation rather than power input, which holds promising applications in the future Mars exploration project. Existing metal-CO2 batteries rely heavily on transition-metal or heteroatom-doped nanocarbon catalysts to activate CO2, which remain challenges of corrosion susceptibility or uncontrollable doping configuration. Herein, it is proposed to design an electronically-coupled nanocarbon/imidazole ensemble as the mediator to direct CO2 reduction in a Zn-CO2 flow battery. The nanocarbon/imidazole donor-acceptor ensemble is fabricated by coupling butyl imidazole (BI) to a multi-channel nanocarbon electrode (MCE). The pairing induces intermolecular electron transfer from MCE to the N-heterocycle of BI, thus creating an electron-rich region over BI for efficient CO2 adsorption and activation. Therefore, under the mediation of the ensemble, the Zn-CO2 flow battery can consume CO2 to co-generate electricity and CO without the assistance of any transition-metal or heteroatom-doped nanocarbon catalysts. In the stimulated Mars atmosphere, the battery can deliver a maximum peak power density of 2.2 mW cm-2 and CO production rate of 3.927 mmol h-1, comparable to its counterparts using advanced transition-metal and heteroatom-doped nanocarbon as the catalytic electrodes.

The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline environments still faces notable challenges, particularly in understanding catalytic mechanisms and achieving high performances. In this work, Ni/NiO was fabricated via hydrothermal method and roasting, demonstrating superior HER performances across all-pH-value. It also found the performance of Ni/NiO could be further improved after cathodic polarization (CP) in alkaline media (r-Ni/ NiO). Characterization techniques, including Raman, XPS, HRTEM, and FTIR confirmed that after CP, part of NiO on the Ni/NiO surface was transformed to Ni(OH)2, which might be the active sites for catalytic reactions. It requires merely 126 mV at _ 100 mA cm_ 2 towards HER in alkaline media, which is 31 mV lower than that of Ni/ NiO. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed that the reconstruction optimized the electronic configuration and reduced energy barriers, enhancing catalytic kinetics. Furthermore, r-Ni/NiO exhibits excellent performance and stability in overall water electrolysis in alkaline media. Obviously, this research offers novel perspectives on catalyst reconstruction mechanisms and presents an efficient and versatile HER electrocatalyst.

Solar-driven materials are regarded as one of the key approaches to effectively utilize clean energy. However, the existing materials are limited by the intrinsic optical absorption characteristics, which restricts the improvement of photothermal conversion efficiency. Herein, multi-scale polydopamine-polypyrrole (PDA-PPy) nanofiber that was favorable for light trapping, was grown on the surface of waste toner via spray-assisted self-assembly technique. The synergistic effect between the intrinsic material properties of waste toner and the multi-scale PDA-PPy nanofiber structure not only significantly improved the photothermal conversion efficiency but also increased the ice nucleation energy barrier and extended the ice-formation time. The coated glass slide attained a surface temperature of 92.4 degrees C under 1.0 sun. The coating exhibited a high contact angle (CA) of 165 degrees and an ultra-low sliding angle (SA) of only 2.5 degrees. Furthermore, the freezing time of water droplets on the coated glass slide was delayed by 16.7 times at -5 degrees C and completely melted within 81 s under 1.0 sun. In addition, the coating still exhibited excellent superhydrophobicity after undergoing tests for mechanical and chemical stability. More importantly, the anti-icing performance of the horizontal cable showed that at -10 degrees C, no icing was observed on the coated cable within 80 min, while extensive icicles had formed on the surface of the uncoated cable. This multifunctional photothermal superhydrophobic coating had excellent environmental adaptability and long service life, and could be effectively applied to anti-icing protection of outdoor infrastructure.

This work presents a novel, membrane-inspired hybrid framework composed of Ag2Mo3O10·1.8H2O nanowires grown in situ on carbon fiber cloth (CFC) for the continuous and selective recovery of high-value sulfur-containing molecules from organic wastewater. The framework forms an integrated hierarchical porous network rich in micro-/nano-channels, which facilitates efficient, capillary-driven water transport. Owing to its mesoporous texture and specific Ag–S coordination affinity, the material shows exceptional selectivity toward sulfur-containing dyes, enabling rapid adsorption (>94% removal of methylene blue within 10 min) and high specificity in mixed solutions. The hybrid also exhibits excellent reusability, maintaining high recovery efficiency over repeated adsorption–desorption cycles. When configured into a continuous-flow system, the framework operates without external pressure and achieves a water transport rate of 1875 mL·h−1·m−2. These findings underscore the potential of the Ag2Mo3O10·1.8H2O/CFC hybrid as an efficient, scalable, and sustainable platform for resource-oriented wastewater treatment.

Photothermal superhydrophobic coatings are considered a potentially effective approach for preventing ice accumulation on infrastructure. However, the development of photothermal materials with readily available resources, low cost, and straightforward preparation processes remains challenging. Herein, by utilizing the synergistic effect between the photothermal performance of waste toner from printers and fumed SiO2, durable and scalable photothermal a superhydrophobic coating was successfully prepared. The optimal coating exhibited remarkable multi-scale structural features, with water contact angle (WCA=161.0 degrees) and water sliding angle (WSA=2.7 degrees). Thanks to the excellent photothermal conversion performance of the waste toner, the equilibrium temperature on the coating surface reached 78.9 degrees C (1 kW/m2). The freezing time of water droplets was prolonged by 13.6 times in a low-temperature environment (-5 degrees C), and rapid ice melting occurred within 65 s under 1 kW/m2. Furthermore, the coating retained superhydrophobicity after mechanical stability tests (sandpaper abrasion, tape-peeling and water flow impact) and chemical stability tests. More importantly, the coating applied to a cable prolonged the initial icing delay time to three times that of a bare cable, and ice on the coated cable surface could be easily detached. This durable and scalable photothermal superhydrophobic coating achieved efficient resource utilization of waste toner and enabled anti-icing applications on outdoor equipment.

The catalytic reductive amination of biomass-derived carbonyl compounds into value-added primary amines has attracted significant attention in renewable biomass upgrading. Herein, highly dispersed Ru cluster-embedded nitrogen-doped hollow carbon sphere (Ru@NHCS) catalysts were constructed, which achieved a 100% furfurylamine (FUA) yield, and exhibited a superior initial reaction rate of 3745.7 mmol gRu-1 h-1 and a turnover frequency of 378.58 h-1 in the reductive amination of biomass-derived furfural. Systematic structural characterization indicated that the presence of abundant N species promoted the uniform dispersion of Ru clusters and induced electronic metal-support interaction (EMSI) between Ru and the NHCS support, thus leading to the formation of bifunctional Ru0 and Ru delta+ active sites. The structure-activity relationship study demonstrated that the synergistic catalysis of Ru0 and Ru delta+ active sites effectively promoted the adsorption and activation of H2 and NH3 molecules, and accelerated the hydrogenation of imines and the ammonolysis of Schiff base intermediates, thereby achieving the highly selective synthesis of FUA under mild reaction conditions. Moreover, the Ru@NHCS catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic stability over five consecutive cycles and showed wide substrate applicability for the synthesis of valuable primary amines. This work not only unveils rational design strategies for developing efficient and stable metal catalysts to achieve the highly selective synthesis of value-added primary amines but also provides essential theoretical guidance for efficient biomass conversion.

In this study, tungsten trioxide/titanium dioxide (WO₃/TiO₂) heterophase composite films were constructed. The influence of the Ti/W molar ratio (0:1, 0.25:1, 0.5:1, and 1:1, denoted as T0, T1, T2, and T3, respectively) on the microstructure, electrochemical behavior, and the electrochromic properties of composite films were systematically investigated. The results demonstrated that the introduction of TiO₂ induced a morphological transformation of WO₃ from one-dimensional nanorod clusters to isotropic nanoparticle clusters, accompanied by the selective suppression of the (100) plane, leaving only the (002) plane. Concurrently, the composite films evolved from a long-range ordered structure to a short-range ordered one. Among all samples, T1 exhibited the optimal overall properties, achieving an optical modulation of 44.9%, coloring/bleaching times of 6.3 s and 1.9 s, and a coloration efficiency of 27.2 cm²/C. The cycling stability of T1–T3 was significantly superior to that of T0 and increased with the Ti/W molar ratio, retaining 70.2%, 69.0%, and 82.3% of their initial optical modulation after 1050 cycles, respectively. The remarkable enhancement in cycling stability of the composite films was attributed to a synergistic effect involving four mechanisms: crystallographic plane preferred orientation, structural toughening, nano-confinement, and barrier protection.

Diazole ring (AP)-doped g-C3N4 (APCN-X) was synthesised via thermal polymerisation. Persulfate-assisted(PMS) photocatalytic tetracycline degradation system based on APCN-X under visible light was constructed. Results showed that the photocatalytic degradation rate of Tetracycline(TC) by the APCN-30/PMS/Vis system was 91.84%/100min (compared to 69.35% for g-C3N4(CN) /PMS/Vis), which was 5.24 times higher than that of CN/PMS/Vis. The possible mechanism of APCN-30 enhanced the photocatalytic activity of PMS was discussed.

Electrochemical technologies have attracted increasing attention for water treatment due to small footprint, simple operation, and high efficiency. However, treatment of landfill leachate with single electrochemical technology (Electrocoagulation (EC), Electro-oxidation (EO), Electro-Fenton (EF)) often faces the incomplete removal of pollutants and/or high energy consumption. This study constructed a two-stage electrochemical technology (EC-EO, EO-EC, EO-EF, EF-EO) for treatment of aged landfill leachate by maximizing the advantage of single-stage process. Influences of combination technology and combination sequence on pollutant removal efficiencies were explored. The performance of EO-EF(pH=3) system were better than that of EF(pH=3)-EO, EO-EC, and EC-EO processes. EO as the first stage removed completely NH4+-N in priority, and then EF oxidized effectively the chlorinated organic compounds produced by EO and the other organics in leachate. Moreover, in the first stage of EO-EF, Fe2+ was added to realize the coupling of coagulation and EO. Adding Fe2+ improved removal of protein-like substances and decreased the content of chlorinated organic compounds through coagulation/adsorption of iron flocs, which slightly increased pollutant removal of the whole process. Economic analysis showed that EO-EF(pH=3) and (EO+Fe2+)-EF(pH=3) had similar cost for the removal of kg TOC and COD, which were 10-30 CNY/t lower than other combination technologies.

Tungsten oxide (WO3) films were prepared by the hydrothermal method, and their micro-properties were characterized by microscopic testing techniques. Combining an electrochemical workstation with an ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer, the effects of electrolyte type (1 mol/L AlCl3 center dot 6H2O/H2O and LiClO4/ C4H6O3) and driving voltage (0.4, 0.6, 0.8 V for Al3+ electrolyte, 0.8, 1.0, 1.2 V for Li+ electrolyte) on their electrochromic properties were systematically investigated. The results indicated that WO3 films exhibited a nanorod cluster morphology with a hexagonal phase crystal structure. Al3+ electrolyte demonstrated superior electrochromic properties compared to Li+ electrolyte. At the same driving voltage of 0.8 V, the peak current density and area of the cyclic voltammetry curve for Al3+ electrolyte were 4.19 times and 5.20 times those of Li+ electrolyte. Additionally, the charge transfer resistance was lower, the static optical modulation curve was higher, and the dynamic optical modulation and coloration efficiency were 1.88 times and 1.46 times those of Li+ electrolyte. Notably, the colored time for Al3+ electrolyte was shorter than that of Li+ electrolyte, while its bleached time was longer. Furthermore, increasing the driving voltage enhanced optical modulation but decayed cycling stability. The decay evolution model of cycling stability comprised three stages: stable decay, rapid decay, and residual decay. At lower driving voltages, only the stable decay stage occurred. With driving voltage increasing, all three stages emerged, accompanied by accelerated decay rates and shortened decay cycles. Besides, the driving voltage threshold for Al3+ electrolyte was lower than that for Li+ electrolyte, while its optical modulation and cycling stability were superior. The decay mechanism of cycling stability could be attributed to four factors: ion trapping, lattice distortion, electrostatic attraction, and interfacial reaction. This study can provide theoretical references for the development and application of high-performance electrochromic smart windows.

Perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells hold great promise for achieving high power conversion efficiencies (PCEs). However, n– i –p tandem devices generally underperform compared to p– i –n configurations, largely due to difficulties in depositing high‐quality, conformal electron‐transport layers (ETLs) on rough, pyramid‐structured silicon surfaces. Atomic layer deposited (ALD)‐SnO x is well suited as an ETL for tandem devices due to its ability to uniformly coat textured surfaces, but its high density of defects significantly limits efficiency compared to conventional solution‐processed SnO x . In this study, an ultrathin evaporated PbS layer is introduced to passivate surface defects in ALD‐SnO x . PbS effectively addresses interfacial defects at the SnO x /perovskite interface, such as oxygen vacancies and uncoordinated Pb 2+ . Moreover, PbS improves energy‐level alignment and lattice matching at the interface, enhancing device performance. With this bridging effect of PbS, a wide‐bandgap (1.68 eV) n– i –p single‐junction perovskite solar cell achieved a PCE of 20.39% and an open‐circuit voltage ( V OC ) of 1.22 V, compared to a control device with a PCE of 17.42% and a V OC of 1.16 V.

Methylation reactions are involved in the synthesis of various natural molecules, but the limited supply of intracellular S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) poses a challenge for the large-scale microbial production of methylated compounds. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis and optimization of the SAM cycle regeneration pathway, enhancing the methylation efficiency in three key steps of the pathway (SAM carbon skeleton cycle, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate cycle, and adenine-ATP cycle), and constructed an efficient endogenous methylation platform in E. coli. This platform significantly increased the intracellular level of the cofactor SAM and improved methylation efficiency. Using this platform, the production of methylated products, including ferulic acid, vanillyl alcohol, and melatonin, increased by 4.2-fold, 1.28-fold, and 44.6 %, respectively. Notably, the ferulic acid titer reached 7.24 g/L, marking the highest level reported to date. These findings demonstrate the broad applicability of this methylation platform, providing a generalizable and effective approach for the biosynthesis of a wide range of SAM-dependent products.

Development of efficient and stable metal catalysts for the selective aqueous phase hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of biomass-derived oxygenates to value-added biofuels is highly desired. An innovative surface microenvironment modulation strategy was used to construct the nitrogen-doped hollow carbon sphere encapsulated with Pd (Pd@NHCS-X, X: 600-800) nanoreactors for catalytic HDO of biomass-derived vanillin in water. The specific surface microenvironments of Pd@NHCS catalysts including the electronic property of active Pd centers and the surface wettability and porous structure of NHCS supports could be well-controlled by the calcination temperature of catalysts. Intrinsic kinetic evaluations demonstrated that the Pd@NHCS-600 catalyst presented a high turnover frequency of 337.77 h-1 and a low apparent activation energy of 18.63 kJ/mol. The excellent catalytic HDO performance was attributed to the unique surface microenvironment of Pd@NHCS catalyst based on structure-performance relationship analysis and DFT calculations. It revealed that pyridinic N species dominated the electronic property regulation of Pd sites through electronic metal-support interaction (EMSI) and produced numerous electron-rich active Pd centers, which not only intensified the dissociation and activation of H2 molecules, but also substantially improved the activation capability of vanillin via the enhanced adsorption of -C=O group. The fine hydrophilicity and abundant porous structure promoted the uniform dispersion of catalyst and ensured the effective access of reactants to catalytic active centers in water. Additionally, the Pd@NHCS-600 catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic stability and broad substrate applicability for the selective aqueous phase HDO of various biomass-derived carbonyl compounds. The proposed surface microenvironment modulation strategy will provide a new consideration for the rational design of high- performance nitrogen-doped carbon-supported metal catalysts for catalytic biomass transformation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Developing efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reactions (OER) is crucial to enhancing rechargeable zinc‐air batteries (ZABs). Here, a rationally designed catalyst consisting of nitrogen‐doped porous carbon‐encapsulated cobalt nanoparticles coupled tightly with CeO 2 nanoparticles (Co NPs /NC/CeO 2 ) is reported, demonstrating superior bifunctional performance. In situ Raman and ATR‐FTIR spectroscopic analyses reveal that CeO 2 nanoparticles, located adjacent to cobalt nanoparticles, serve as electron modulators, suppressing the irreversible oxidation of metallic Co into CoOOH during OER, while promoting its reversible reduction back to Co during subsequent ORR. Additionally, CeO 2 effectively scavenges reactive oxygen species, significantly improving catalytic stability. Due to the synergy between Co and CeO 2 within the carbon matrix, Co NPs /NC/CeO 2 achieves a high ORR half‐wave potential (E₁/₂) of 0.86 V (vs RHE) with minimal performance loss (18 mV) after 10 000 cycles, an excellent OER overpotential of only 230 mV at 10 mA cm −2 , and a low bifunctional potential gap (ΔE) of 0.60 V, surpassing commercial Pt/C + RuO 2 . When applied as a cathode in practical ZABs, the catalyst delivers exceptional specific capacity (814.7 mAh g Zn −1 ), peak power density (254.6 mW cm − 2 ), and remarkable cycling durability over 2200 h.

Photocatalytic CO2 reduction offers an environmentally friendly and promising strategy for CO2 utilization under mild conditions. However, the efficient separation of photogenerated charge carriers remains a critical challenge that directly influences catalytic performance. In recent years, polarization field engineering has emerged as a novel and effective approach to enhancing charge separation efficiency. Herein, we synthesized Ta, Sb, and V doped Bi4NbO8Cl (Bi4NbO8Cl-Ta/Sb/V) photocatalysts via the molten salt method. By partially substituting Nb in the NbO6 octahedra with different metal elements, the local charge distribution was modulated, inducing a polarization field that enhanced charge separation and transfer, thereby significantly improving photocatalytic CO2 reduction performance. As a result, Bi4NbO8Cl-5 %Ta exhibited outstanding CO and CH4 production rates of 0.24 μmol/(g·h) and 0.03 μmol/(g·h) in pure water, showing 12 and 1.9 fold enhancements compared to pristine Bi4NbO8Cl. Photoelectrochemical characterizations confirmed that Ta doping effectively promoted charge separation and transfer. Piezoelectric force microscopy (PFM) measurements reveal an enhanced piezoelectric response in Bi4NbO8Cl-5 %Ta compared to Bi4NbO8Cl, verifying the formation of a polarization electric field that significantly promotes charge carrier separation. Furthermore, in situ Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (in situ FTIR) detected key reaction intermediates, including *COOH, *CO, *CHO, and *OCH3, providing direct evidence for the reaction pathway and mechanism of CO2 reduction to CO and CH4. This work provides novel insights and theoretical guidance for designing efficient CO2 conversion photocatalysts through polarization field modulation to achieve efficient charge separation.

This paper adopted the hydrothermal method to prepare tungsten oxide(WO3)nanorod films and studied the effects of precursor solution concentration(0.02,0.03,0.06 mol/L peroxytungstic acid)and annealing temperature(200,300,400℃)on their electrochromic properties.The microstructure characterization of WO3 films were performed using scanning electron microscope(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),and transmission electron microscope(TEM),and their electrochromic properties were tested by combining an electrochemical workstation with an ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer.The results showed that the precursor solution concentration directly affected the thickness(290,560,990 nm)and microstructure of WO3 films,significantly impacting their electrochromic properties.However,the annealing temperature had a negligible effect.As the precursor solution concentration increased,the optical modulation of WO3 films gradually decreased,reaching 51.1%,43.8%,and 35.1%,respectively.The switching time first increased and then stabilized,with coloring times of 7.3,7.7,and 7.7 s,respectively,and bleaching times of 3.8,6.5,and 6.5 s,respectively.The coloration efficiency gradually increased but the increase was relatively small,reaching 41.8,44.4,and 44.8 cm2/C,respectively.Moreover,the cycling stability of WO3 films was poor,with the ratios of the final value of optical modulation to the initial value 0.33,0.26,and 0.34,respectively.Additionally,there were bigger differences in the bleached state transmittance,while the colored state transmittance showed smaller variations.However,the former has better cycling stability than the latter.In summary,to obtain better electrochromic properties,the thickness of WO3 films should not exceed 290 nm.

To synergistically combine the advantages of amorphous and crystalline tungsten oxide (a-WO3 and c-WO3) in optical modulation and structural stability, this study prepared c/a-WO3 core-shell films via hydrothermal and magnetron sputtering methods. The electrochromic performance of a-WO3, c-WO3, and c/a-WO3 were comparatively investigated using a combination of electrochemical workstation and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer, complemented by microstructural characterization. The results indicated that the c/a-WO3 core-shell structure featured c-WO3 nanorod arrays (average diameter of 30 nm) coated with an a-WO3 shell (average thickness of 16 nm), with a total film thickness of 480 nm. It demonstrated superior electrochromic performance, exhibiting the largest cyclic voltammetry curve area (1.14 mA.V/cm(2)), highest optical modulation (65.0 %), and shortest coloring time (4.7 s). In terms of cycling stability, although gradual optical modulation degradation occurred during cycling, c/a-WO3 consistently outperformed single-component films and displayed a two-stage degradation mechanism: initial a-WO3-like film peeling followed by later c-WO3-dominated ion trapping. The enhancement mechanism is attributed to the synergistic effects induced by S-scheme heterojunction, including the internal electric field, heterojunction synergy, and interfacial light absorption. This work offers an effective strategy for designing high-performance electrochromic devices and provides valuable insights toward practical applications in electrochromic smart windows.

The pollutants present in wastewater can cause structural damage to evaporators, thereby reducing their evaporation efficiency and hindering the application of solar-driven water evaporation technologies. Here, the TiO2-based evaporator (CPM-Air) with highly efficient photodegradation and solar-powered water evaporation performance for simultaneous freshwater production and decontamination was prepared by pyrolysis NH2-MIL- 125(Ti) grown on the surface of Carbon Felt (CF). The evaporation rate of CPM-Air evaporator reached 2.21 kg m-2 h- 1 under 1.0 kW/m2, and high solar-vapor conversion efficiency of 102.20 %. Meanwhile, the Anatase TiO2 obtained by carbonized NH2-MIL-125 (Ti) has more active sites for removal pollutants. CF as the catalytic promoter to accelerate electron transport, and improve the photogenerated electron-hole separation efficiency. The photothermal-photocatalytic synergy removal efficiency of high concentration (50 mg/L) CIP was 2 times higher than photocatalytic only. In addition, the CPM-Air evaporator has high water evaporation rate in different harsh environments, the 99.9 % of metal ions removal and excellent salt resistance. More importantly, the growth experiments on soybean indicated that the products of photothermal-photocatalytic synergy degradation CIP of CPM-Air evaporator was non-biotoxic. This study provides valuable insights into the potential of photothermal-photocatalytic synergy for sustainable water production.