Oxygen defects play a pivotal role in many catalytic processes, particularly the reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction. It is widely acknowledged that the quantity of oxygen defects has a direct impact on the catalyst's performance. We show here that the functional modulation of the oxygen defects may be more significant than the quantity adjustment. Cr was employed to elicit the structural evolution of high-entropy oxide (HEO) catalysts. At 350 °C, the obtained spinel@rock salt core@shell catalyst achieves a high CO2 conversion of 28.9%, close to the thermodynamic equilibrium conversion of 30%. We demonstrate that two types of oxygen defects, separately responsible for adsorbing CO2 and catalyzing CO2 dissociation, coexist on the HEO's surface. The incorporation of Cr effectively optimizes the ratio between these two oxygen defects.

The crisis caused by the excessive use of fossil fuels-emissions of billions of tonnes of CO2 and the accumulation of plastic waste-is imminent. Conventional disposal technologies, such as physical storage, face risks of leakage, capacity limitations, and secondary pollution (such as microplastics). In contrast, chemical recycling, especially thermal catalytic technology, is considered a key alternative solution due to its high resource recovery potential. However, its large-scale implementation remains hindered by the absence of efficient and durable catalysts. Rare earth-based catalysts, with their unique 4f/5d electronic structure and tunable coordination environments, demonstrate significant advantages in activating inert C-C/C-H bonds, promoting CO2 adsorption and conversion, inhibiting coking and deactivation, and making them highly competitive for CO2 hydrogenation and plastic catalytic conversion. Despite rapid progress, challenges related to cost, long-term stability, and mechanistic understanding persist, impeding their industrial application. This review systematically summarises the controlled synthesis and in situ characterisation methods of rare earth-based catalysts and thoroughly explores their applications, performance regulation mechanisms, and challenges in CO2 hydrogenation and plastic recycling, aiming to provide insights for designing efficient, stable, and industrially scalable rare earth catalytic systems.

Chemical recycling of single-component plastic wastes is regarded as an important way to save waste carbon resources. However, the real plastic wastes are multi-component composition, which combine with various plastics, and the chemical recycling of mixed polyesters often faces significant challenges because of complex functional groups and harsh acidic environment. In this work, we combined WO3 with zeolite and synthesized 5W/S1 to address this challenge. The 5W/S1 shows excellent catalytic ability, which can convert polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polylactic acid (PLA) to terephthalic acid (TPA), ethylene glycol (EG), and lactic acid (LA) with high yields and keep activity after use. From the results, there is a synergistic effect that occurs during the reaction, which is induced by polylactic acid and 5W/S1; they are synergistic in activating the ester groups to promote the conversion of PET. This work can provide a novel insight into the development of stable catalysts for recycling mixed plastics.

Selective electrooxidation of glycerol (GLY) to glyceric acid (GLA) offers a promising route for GLY valorization but remains hindered by limited activity and stability. Herein, we report a scalable self‐corrosion strategy for large‐area fabrication of a Ru‐doped Pt/NiFe‐LDH catalyst on Ni foam (PtRu/NiFe‐LDH) with an area of up to 36 cm 2 . The incorporation of Ru modulates the electronic structure, enhances the adsorption of both OH − and GLY, and lowers the free energy barrier for OH* formation, thereby significantly boosting catalytic activity to achieve a recorded current density of 439.5 mA cm − 2 . Furthermore, pulse electrolysis effectively suppresses the formation of PtO x , ensuring long‐term stability. When integrated into a GLY oxidation‐assisted hydrogen evolution system, this bifunctional catalyst reduces the cell voltage by 1.01 V relative to conventional water splitting, while delivering 78.5% selectivity towards GLA and stable operation for over 120 h. This work establishes a viable pathway toward the industrialization of selective electrochemical oxidation of GLY to GLA by integrating advanced catalyst design with optimized electrolyzer configuration.

Converting CO2 to high-value-added products through thermo-catalytic CO2 hydrogenation has attracted much attention because of its great potential for large-scale applications. In recent years, complex heterogeneous catalysts, including dual-site catalysts and three-dimensional (3D) nanoreactors, have become a popular area of research. The unique structures of dual-site catalysts and 3D nanoreactors play a crucial role in enhancing the catalytic activity, selectivity, and stability. However, due to the complex structures of these catalysts, it is still challenging to achieve the precise synthesis and elaboration of reaction mechanisms. In this review, we summarize the recent development of dual-site catalysts and 3D nanoreactors, with a comprehensive discussion of the structure-properties relationships in particular. Finally, we conclude with a description of the challenges and outlook of this field.

Water loss, excessive solar irradiation, and high soil temperature severely limit crop growth and development in agricultural environments. To address these challenges, we developed the multifunctional MgCa-SA/p(NIPAM-co-DAAM) hydrogels with intelligent regulation of water, light, and heat for soil improvement. The hydrogels were designed based on microphase separation around a lower critical solution temperature (LCST), with increasing DAAM content decreasing the LCST from 33.76 to 23.94 degrees C. The hydrogels showed water regulation: at 25 degrees C (T <= LCST), they exhibited a high swelling ratio (1635% at 24 h), and the soil amended with 0.5 wt% hydrogels displayed a soil water retention ratio as high as 86.8% at 192 h; when T > LCST, rapid water release was observed. Temperature-induced microphase separation enabled light and heat regulation: the hydrogels completely blocked ultraviolet light above 45 degrees C,and under simulated sunlight irradiation, the temperature difference of the sandy soil blocked with the hydrogels was reduced by 38.4% compared to that of bare sandy soil. Pot experiments further verified agricultural potential of the hydrogels, as the germination rate of the hydrogel-amended group was 1.9 times that of the control group. These hydrogels provide a new paradigm for enhancing crop adaptability to complex agricultural environments.

Aqueous zinc‐based batteries suffer from a narrow electrochemical stability window and severe side reactions, limiting their practical applications. To address these challenges, decoupling the reduction and oxidation reactions during charging/discharging by physically or chemically isolating the anode from the cathode could effectively suppress water decomposition and increase the operating voltage. Herein, we systematically strengthen the key components of decoupled zinc‐based batteries (DZBs) including the functional intermediates and redox couples. According to the different redox couples, diverse DZB prototypes are summarized including Zn–MnO 2 , Zn–S/Se, Zn–I 2 , Zn–Br 2 , and Zn–CO 2 batteries. Particularly, the key approaches for high‐performance DZBs are introduced, such as the decoration of ion‐selective membranes to improve selectivity, composite redox mediators to accelerate reaction kinetics, atomic catalysts to enhance iodine conversion, and flow battery architectures to improve reversibility. Subsequently, advanced strategies in electrode structure design, interface engineering, and electrolyte engineering are overviewed in different prototypes. Finally, critical scientific issues and promising development directions are proposed toward high‐energy‐density and durable DZBs.

Efficient photocatalytic abatement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) critically relies on effective separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Constructing S-scheme heterojunctions is an effective strategy to promote charge separation while preserving strong redox potentials. Herein, WO3/MIL-100(Fe) composites featuring interfacial Fe-O-W bonds were synthesized via a one-pot hydrothermal method for photocatalytic degradation of gaseous toluene. The optimized 15%WO3/MIL-100(Fe) heterojunction exhibits a 1.3-fold enhancement in toluene removal efficiency (52.6%) and twice the CO2 conversion rate relative to pristine MIL-100(Fe), along with enhanced degradation for o-xylene and styrene, demonstrating broad-spectrum applicability. The interfacial internal electric field (IEF) in WO3/MIL-100(Fe) promotes efficient charge carrier separation and accelerates electron transfer. The S‑scheme heterojunction directs the reductive electrons in the MIL-100(Fe) conduction band and oxidative holes in the WO3 valence band to generate superoxide radicals (•O2⁻) and hydroxyl radicals (•OH), respectively, enabling efficient ring opening and deep degradation. Moreover, the load of WO3 enhances Lewis acidity and introduces additional adsorption sites, strengthening the interaction with toluene. This work highlights the rational design of MOF-based S-scheme heterojunctions for durable volatile organic compound abatement.

The NiCoP/g-C 3 N 4 ohmic junction was fabricated by coupling g-C 3 N 4 with NiCoP. The optimal 20% NiCoP/g-C 3 N 4 achieves an enhanced H 2 production rate of 1827.4 µmol g −1 h −1 in 3 wt% NaCl solution, about 181 times greater than that of pure g-C 3 N 4 .

The oxidative coupling reaction of methane (OCM) process offers a promising pathway for the direct conversion of methane into high value C2 hydrocarbons (C2H6 and C2H4), albeit facing the challenges of harsh reaction conditions and competing overoxidation reaction. Herein, Ba-doped Eu2O3 synthesized via the spray pyrolysis method was employed as highly active dopant catalyst for the methane oxidative coupling reaction. The prepared Eu0.9Ba0.1Ox catalyst showed satisfactory reactivity and stability, with a C2 + product selectivity of 52.4 %, a C2 + yield of 16.2 %, and a stabilization time of at least 100 h. The incorporation of Ba atoms into Eu2O3 lattice leads to an increased molar ratio of Eu2 +/Eu3+ and a higher oxygen vacancies (Ov) concentration. Such modulation of surface electronic state significantly improves the adsorption and activation behavior of oxygen, thereby accelerating the production of reactive oxygen species (O2-). Meanwhile, the acid-base properties of Eu2O3 substrate also undergo obvious alteration with more basic site generation after Ba doping, which is conducive to the stabilization activated oxygen. O2-substances can promote the activation of methane into methyl radicals, and also facilitate the dehydrogenation of ethane into ethylene, thus improving the catalytic activity. (c) 2026 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

The photosynthetic production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) from water and oxygen presents a sustainable alternative to the energy-intensive anthraquinone process. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have emerged as promising photocatalysts for H2O2 generation. However, most existing COF photocatalysts yield H2O2 at concentrations too low for practical applications, largely due to ongoing challenges in simultaneously optimizing photocatalytic activity and structural stability. Here, we introduce a large language model-driven design strategy for the targeted synthesis of high-performance COF photocatalysts. By analyzing a curated corpus of 355 peer-reviewed articles on COF-based photocatalysis with a language model-driven knowledge extraction pipeline, we extract and structure over 11,000 chemical relationships related to building block identity, linkage robustness, and H2O2 yield. Guided by this artificial intelligence-derived knowledge base, we identify 4,4',4″-(1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triyl)trianiline and benzo[1,2-b:3,4-b':5,6-b″]trithiophene-2,5,8-tricarbaldehyde as optimal building blocks and thiazole as the preferred linkage motif for constructing a robust, photocatalytic COF. The resulting Thz-COF achieve a high H2O2 concentration of 82.3 mM (~0.28 wt%) in aqueous solution (without using sacrificial agents), with a solar-to-chemical energy conversion efficiency of 1.39%.

Photocatalytic CO2 reduction represents a fundamental route for solar-to-fuel conversion, yet its efficiency is often limited by rapid non-radiative recombination of photogenerated charge carriers induced by intrinsic deep-level defects. While extrinsic modifications have been widely explored, the targeted elimination of intrinsic deep-level defects remains a challenge. Herein, we report an electrochemical purification strategy that fundamentally resolves this issue in a conductive cobalt catecholate framework (Co-CAT). Starting from a mixed-valence Co2+/Co3+-CAT precursor containing electrochemically unstable Co3+ oligomers, precise potential control enables their selective removal, yielding a structurally relaxed and highly pure Co2+-CAT framework. Beyond defect removal, integrated GCMC, MD, and DFT simulations reveal that this purification process restores a uniform charge distribution, thereby achieving a well-balanced electronic-adsorptive-kinetic synergy. Endowed with localized Co 3d orbitals, selective CO2 capture, rapid mass transport, and suppressed competitive adsorption, the purified Co2+-CAT thus achieves markedly enhanced charge-transfer kinetics and reaction turnover. Consequently, the photocatalytic CO2-to-CO conversion rate improves by ∼80% (48 mmol g-1 h-1), surpassing all reported MOF-based CO2RR photocatalysis. This work establishes electrochemical purification as an effective strategy for enhancing intrinsic catalytic activity and proposes a simple materials design strategy to maximize photocatalytic performance through defect elimination and charge-distribution regulation.

Hydrocracking is a significant chemical route for recycling waste plastic. Utilizing inexpensive crude hydrogen to drive this reaction offers substantial economic benefits. However, CO, the primary impurity in crude hydrogen, readily poisons the metal sites, leading to catalyst deactivation. Herein, we report a CO-tolerant catalytic system constructed by blending silicalite-1 zeolite (S1)-encapsulated Pt-Ni binary metals with Ce-modified HY zeolite, which possesses exceptional capability for converting polyethylene into C3-C5 products. For comparison, the monometallic counterparts based on either Pt or Ni manifest pronounced deactivation under the same conditions. Sequential investigations reveal that this catalytic system follows a "two-way compensation" mechanism. In the presence of CO, Pt experiences a loss of hydrogenation activity while retaining its dehydrogenation capability. Conversely, Ni loses its dehydrogenation ability but maintains its hydrogenation capacity. The synergistic combination of Ni and Pt effectively compensates for each other's functional shortcomings, ensuring the seamless progression of the hydrogenation reaction.

Rare earth-based catalysts exhibit excellent redox properties and structural tunability, enabling efficient CO 2 hydrogenation and plastic recycling, thus promoting sustainable carbon utilization.

Lateral heterostructures are important for exploring exotic physics, developing new devices and achieving device miniaturization1-8. Endo-epitaxial growth occurring in patterned templates presents a promising strategy to realize extensive patterned areas in heterostructures, as recently demonstrated with two-dimensional (2D) covalent materials9-13. However, the conventional lithography and etching processes used to prepare patterned templates are too aggressive for 2D lead halide perovskites, owing to their inherently soft and unstable ionic lattice14-16. Here we create square holes of controllable size within 2D lead halide perovskites, enabling the fabrication of continuous lateral heterostructures over large areas. We demonstrate that the square holes form through spontaneous etching, a process initiated by internal strain and stabilized along the [100]/[010] crystallographic direction. Furthermore, the size of the square holes can be controlled by adjusting the etching time and temperature. Moreover, by incorporating a rapid solvent evaporation growth technique, the edges of the square holes act as templates for epitaxial growth of another type of perovskite, incorporating different halide or metal ions. Finally, we realized a series of mosaic lateral heterostructures that can emit various colours for light-emitting devices. This synthesis of diverse 2D perovskite mosaic lateral heterostructures provides valuable insights into the structural characteristics of perovskites and offers a versatile material platform for the development of complex integrated emitting devices.

Rare earth oxides, characterized by their distinctive physicochemical attributes, hold significant promise for the remediation of gaseous pollutants. A critical priority in advancing this field lies in the development of cost-effective catalytic systems. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of recent research progress in the rational design and fabrication of rare earth oxide-based catalysts, along with their implementation in strategies for gaseous pollutant abatement. Particular attention is given to the structure-performance correlations that underpin catalytic efficacy, as well as the elucidation of underlying reaction mechanisms. Furthermore, this work discusses the unresolved challenges hindering the practical deployment of rare earth oxide materials in real-world pollution control applications. Finally, forward-looking perspectives on emerging research directions are presented. This synthesis of current knowledge aims to serve as a valuable reference for researchers and engineers, offering both theoretical insights and practical guidance for the development of advanced rare earth oxide catalysts and their application in environmental remediation technologies.

CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dots (QDs) are emerging, highly attractive spectral converter with outstanding green-emitting performance and high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) for enhancing the efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) cell. Here, we propose a novel strategy to enhance the photoluminescence of CsPbBr3 through doping lanthanide Er3+ ions via a simple hot-injection method. The Er3+ ions were chosen as the dopant to optimize the optical performance of the CsPbBr3 due to its abundant energy levels for radiative transition luminescence. It was found that by increasing the doping amount of Er3+ in CsPbBr3 to 3.02% (atomic percentage of Er compared to Pb) the PLQY of CsPbBr3 reached up to 49.74%, an increase of 14.37% in compared with the undoped ones. The Er3+-doped CsPbBr3 were further incorporated into ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) films, achieving uniform ion distribution in the polymer film while preventing CsPbBr3 from being exposed oxygen and moisture. As a result, the PV cell covered by Er: CsPbBr3-EVA film as optical conversion layers exhibited a significantly improved efficiency from 20.299% to 20.932% (a relative increase of 3.12%).

Growing global energy demand and environmental concerns have intensified the focus on CO2 utilization. Catalytic CO2 conversion represents one of the most promising pathways for carbon transformation, enabling the efficient utilization of carbon resources and the production of high-value-added products. Despite significant progress, the precise molecular-level design of catalysts remains a challenge. Recently, site-isolated catalysts (SICs), a class of supported catalysts with spatially separated active centers, have attracted significant attention. SICs represent an advanced evolution beyond single-atom and nanocluster/nanoparticle catalysts, achieved by precisely constructing multiple active sites with tunable spacing and configuration. Their key advantage lies in the tailored coupling of active centers, which optimizes reaction pathways and kinetics through well-defined intersite interactions, such as synergistic effects between neighboring sites or directional enhancement of a primary active site. Moreover, the architecture of SICs allows parallel activation of reactants at isolated sites, circumventing the competitive adsorption limitations in single-site catalysts, while tandem catalysis facilitates the efficient synthesis of higher-value products. This review comprehensively summarizes recent advances in SICs for catalytic CO2 conversion, discusses current challenges, and outlines future perspectives, aiming to provide a valuable reference and inspire new ideas in this rapidly evolving field.