Indium-based materials have emerged as promising alternative catalysts for the selective electroreduction of CO2 to formate, yet the optimal catalytic configuration remains elusive. Herein, theoretical calculation reveals that metallic indium over oxygen vacancy-containing In2O3 support (In/In2O3-VO) possesses the lowest energy barriers (0.99 eV) for CO2 reduction to formate. A rational air-annealing strategy applied to In3+-adsorbed resin is developed to synthesize indium oxide catalysts containing oxygen vacancy (R-In2O3). In-situ spectroscopy techniques confirm in-situ electrochemical reconstruction of the In/In2O3 configuration and the effective stabilization of the key reaction intermediate (HCOO*). Consequently, the catalyst delivers excellent CO2-to-formate conversion performance, maintaining a current efficiency above 92

Electrochemical CO2 capture technology holds promise for CO2 utilization from industrial flue gases. However, its practical application is currently hindered by the lack of efficient and CO-tolerant cathodic catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). In this work, we propose an electronic structure modulation strategy to enhance the ORR activity of CO-tolerant Co2MnO4 catalyst by ordered mesoporous nitrogen-doped carbon (OMNC). The promoted charge transfer from Co2MnO4 to OMNC leads to an upshifted d-band center. This electronic modulation is accompanied by excellent ORR performance with a half-wave potential of 0.791 V and a high diffusion limited current density of 5.889 mA cm-2. The catalyst enables efficient high-purity CO2 production (98.6%) in a membrane electrode assembly electrolyzer, with minimal voltage increase under CO-containing atmosphere. This achievement highlights the significance of electronic structure engineering in designing robust ORR catalysts for practical electrochemical CO2 capture systems.

Silicon anodes have an ultrahigh theoretical capacity (4200 mAh g−1) but face critical issues: over 300

The key to building an efficient photo-Fenton system lies in designing and preparing materials with dual photocatalytic and Fenton reaction activities to achieve effective synergy between the two processes, thereby significantly improving the degradation efficiency of organic pollutants. In this work, the CdS-loaded Fe-doped graphitic carbon nitride (CdS/Fe-g-C3N4) with a type-II heterojunction was prepared in situ using a hydrothermal approach and employed as an efficient photo-Fenton catalyst for degrading antibiotics. Under optimized conditions (pH 2.0, catalyst concentration of 1.0 g/L and 800 mu L of 0.1 mol/L H2O2), the system achieves a degradation rate of 95.49% for 100 mg/L OFL within 80 min, with a rate constant (k) of 0.0447 min-1. This is 22.35 times and 3.49 times higher than those of the CdS/Fe-g-C3N4+H2O2 system and the light+CdS/Fe-g-C3N4 system, respectively. The photocatalyst retained relatively high photocatalytic activity after 7 cycles, and it is appropriate for degrading many kinds of quinolone antibiotics. Mechanistic studies indicate that the type-II heterojunction formed between CdS and Fe-g-C3N4 drives the directional migration of photogenerated electrons from the conduction band of CdS to that of Fe-g-C3N4, facilitating the reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+ and significantly accelerating the generation of active radicals (center dot OH). Analysis via mass spectrometry (MS) and the T. E.S.T. toxicity assessment software indicates that OFL undergoes stepwise transformation into a series of lowtoxicity or non-toxic intermediates during degradation. This research provides a feasible and effective way to treat wastewater with high-concentrations of antibiotics in the industrial field.

Solar-driven photocatalytic water splitting represents an attractive pathway for green hydrogen generation. Nonetheless, the overall efficacy of this approach is often hampered by rapid charge recombination and insufficient reactive sites. Herein, we constructed a covalently linked Z-scheme heterostructure by integrating COF-TpDb with ferroelectric BaTiO3 nanorods. The optimized COF-TpDb@BTO heterostructure achieves a remarkable piezo-photocatalytic H2 evolution rate of 10.4 mmol g−1 h−1 under concurrent light and ultrasonic vibration, surpassing most reported covalent organic framework-based and piezoelectric-based photocatalytic systems. Through combined piezoresponse force microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy, it directly validates that the switchable piezoelectric polarization and the resultant built-in electric field drive the directional migration of photogenerated charge carriers, thereby suppressing their recombination. The synergy between piezoelectric polarization and interface engineering is evidenced by a strong preserved piezoresponse and a significant 24% boost in the H2 evolution rate when the sample is treated by corona poling. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations reveal that the hydrogen evolution reaction energy barrier reduces from 0.14 eV to 0.04 eV with the piezoelectric effect. The electrons at the interface are inclined to diffuse from BTO toward COF-TpDb, thus accelerating the electron-hole separation efficiency. This work provides insights into the underlying mechanism of the synergy between piezoelectric polarization and interface engineering in piezo-photocatalytic systems.

Despite the prominent merits of high energy efficiency and ease of scale-up, electrochemical carbon dioxide (CO2) purification from industrial flue gas is hindered by insufficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity and susceptibility to catalyst poisoning. We herein propose a lattice compression strategy via alloying platinum (Pt) with small-radius cobalt (Co) to modulate the electronic structure of Pt-based catalyst. Optimized adsorption property is achieved on the resulted carbon-encapsulated nanocatalyst with a PtCo alloy core and a Pt shell (PtCo@Pt@C), concurrently enabling improved utilization efficiency of Pt sites during ORR and weakened affinity towards carbon monoxide (CO) impurity from industrial flue gas. PtCo@Pt@C therefore retains excellent ORR performance under CO-containing atmosphere in both classic aqueous electrolysis cell and membrane electrode assembly (MEA) reactor, contributing to high-purity CO2 release during electrochemical CO2 purification from simulated flue gas.

Formaldehyde (HCHO) is a major indoor air pollutant that poses serious risks to human health, making its efficient removal a critical environmental concern. Catalytic oxidation at room and sub-ambient temperatures has attracted significant attention due to its potential to completely decompose HCHO into harmless CO2 and H2O. However, practical implementation remains challenging because of low reaction activation energy and limited catalyst performance at reduced temperatures. In this study, Au-loaded manganese oxide nanowire catalysts (x% Au/MnO2-NWs) were synthesized using a colloidal deposition strategy to achieve efficient HCHO removal under ambient and sub-ambient conditions. The optimized 1% Au/MnO2-NWs catalyst achieved complete conversion of 280 ppm HCHO at 30 °C and, remarkably, fully oxidized 20 ppm HCHO even at 0 °C, demonstrating outstanding low-temperature activity and practical potential. Comprehensive characterization studies including H2-TPR, EPR, Raman spectroscopy, and in situ DRIFTS revealed that Au nanoparticles induced abundant oxygen vacancies, which acted as active sites for HCHO adsorption and promoted O2 activation. The synergistic interaction between Au and MnO2 significantly enhanced low-temperature catalytic performance, providing mechanistic insights and a solid foundation for the rational design of highly efficient catalysts for indoor formaldehyde removal.

The NH3-SCR reaction remains a key strategy for NOx removal, yet its efficiency is often limited by the unstable dispersion of active metal species and insufficient control over surface acid sites. Mesoporous materials offer a promising platform to overcome these challenges due to their large surface areas, tunable pore environments, and strong spatial confinement effects. In this work, we employ a ZrO2 surface-modification approach to tailor the pore-wall chemistry of mesoporous silica and construct a robust support for MnO2 nanoparticles. The ZrO2 layer enhances interfacial interactions, while the mesoporous confinement preserves the nano-size and uniform dispersion of MnO2. XRD, DRIFTS, DFT calculations, and kinetic analyses demonstrate that ZrO2-MnO2 coupling promotes reactant activation, oxygen migration, and stronger surface acidity, thereby markedly improving NH3-SCR activity. This study underscores the potential of engineered mesoporous structures in addressing fundamental limitations of NH3-SCR catalysis.

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) emerges as a promising technology for biomass valorization and carbon-negative energy systems. Nevertheless, lignin-a vital structural component in biomass-paradoxically imposes severe recalcitrance in conventional HTC, while aqueous byproducts (liquid fraction) remain an underutilized resource. Here, we develop a mild HTC strategy (200 degrees C) co-driven by phosphoric acid and formaldehyde, which synergistically overcomes lignin barriers through a depolymerization-crosslinking mechanism to achieve near-complete biomass valorization, concurrently boosting hydrochar production and generating plant biostimulants. This approach delivers an unprecedented similar to 6-fold increase in lignin-derived hydrochar yield while enhancing hydrochar production across diverse biomasses. Crucially, the valorized liquid fraction demonstrates exceptional biostimulant activity in both dryland and paddy crops, effectively alleviating salt stress via hydrophobic humic acid-like substances. Our work pioneers a closed-loop paradigm integrating "multi-component valorization-agricultural application" within HTC. This "waste-to-trait" strategy synchronously dismantles lignin conversion barriers and neutralizes hydrothermal liquid hazards, establishing a circular pathway for carbon-negative biomass utilization and sustainable agriculture.

Microplastic (MPs) and oil spills have emerged as critical global environmental challenges due to their persistence, bioaccumulation, and difficulty with their removal from aquatic ecosystems. These pollutants not only deteriorate aquatic environments but also pose significant risks to human health via the food chain. Consequently, developing efficient removal technologies is essential for environmental protection and ecosystem recovery. To this end, a superhydrophobic sponge material (PPNP) based on melamine foam (MF) was prepared using a simple dipping method. The sponge was coated with polydopamine (PDA), Ni-MOF, polypyrrole (PPy), and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in layers, endowing it with photothermal conversion capability, superhydrophobicity (WCA = 154.5 degrees) and the ability to adsorb MPs. Tests showed that PPNP exhibited excellent photothermal conversion performance under different light conditions, with surface temperatures reaching up to 135.1 degrees C, thus enhancing crude oil recovery efficiency through photothermal-assisted methods. Additionally, PPNP demonstrated outstanding performance in removing MPs from water, with a removal efficiency as high as 98.4 %. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were employed to analyze the various forces involved in the adsorption of MPs by the composite sponge, considering the material's properties. The prepared composite sponge provides an efficient and environmentally friendly solution for the removal of environmental pollutants, demonstrating broad application potential.

Carbon-based nonprecious metallic electrocatalysts have garnered considerable attention due to their tunable structures, rapid electron transfer, and easy characterization. There is great anticipation for the development of green and controllable methods for metal-carbon-based electrocatalysts. Molten salts synthesis offers a green, facile and effective approach for fabricating carbon-based materials, utilizing carbon dioxide (CO2) as the carbon source. In this study, the co-electroreduction of CO2 and the binary metal oxide NiCo2O4 is carried out in a mixture of Li2CO3, Na2CO3, and K2CO3 at 500 degrees C. This process leads to the formation of metal alloy nanoparticles encapsulated in a carbon matrix derived from CO2, referred to as NiCo2@C. The resulting NiCo2@C exhibits low overpotential and Tafel slope (340 mV@10 mA cm- 2, 67 mV dec-1) in 0.1 M KOH solution for OER, which is superior to the commercial RuO2 (360 mV@10 mA cm- 2, 88 mV dec-1). Both experimental and theoretical findings indicate the synergistic effects of Ni/Co bimetallic sites. Spontaneous adsorption of hydroxide ion on the bridging sites of heterologous diatoms facilitates the adsorption and desorption of intermediates during the OER process.

Stabilizing oxidation state of Cu (Cuδ+, δ > 0) sites is the key-enabling issue for electrocatalytic carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction reaction (eCO2RR) to multicarbon (C2+) products. The present study addresses this challenge by introducing cerium (Ce) doping into La2CuO4. The Ce doping facilitates f-d orbital coupling between Ce 4f and Cu 3d orbitals, suppressing electron enrichment around Cu atoms by transferring electrons from Cu 3d orbitals to Ce 4f orbitals via a Cu-O-Ce chain. These changes modulate the electronic structure of Cu, reduce the distance between neighboring Cu atoms, optimize the binding energy of surface-adsorbed CO (*CO), and lower the reaction energy barrier for *CO dimerization. As a result, the La1.95Ce0.05CuO4 catalyst achieves a Faradaic efficiency up to 81% for C2+ products and maintains high stability over 50 h operation. This work highlights the unique role of Ce doping in stabilizing Cuδ+ sites and hence enhancing C-C coupling, providing a pathway for designing efficient catalysts for eCO2RR.

H2O activation plays a pivotal role in steering the activity and selectivity of electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (eCO(2)RR). However, precisely tuning this process to favor eCO(2)RR over the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) remains a formidable challenge. Herein, we report a fluorine-doped La2CuO4 (F-LC) catalyst that significantly enhances CO2 activation, H2O dissociation and asymmetric C-C coupling by facilitating the hydrogenation of adsorbed CO (*CO) to form *CHO intermediate. The F-sites in F-LC accelerate interfacial H2O dissociation via hydrogen bonding interactions, generating abundant active hydrogen (*H) species that facilitate the hydrogenation of *CO to *CHO. Moreover, the formation of a dense hydrogen-bond network on the F-LC surface reorganizes interfacial H2O molecules, enhances proton transfer, and suppresses the competitive HER. These synergistic effects promote effective asymmetric *CO-*CHO coupling, leading to efficient multicarbon (C2+) products formation. As a result, F-LC achieves a Faradaic efficiency of up to 73.0% for C2+ products, significantly surpassing that of undoped LC (41.7%), thereby highlighting the crucial role of F doping in promoting interfacial H2O activation and C-C coupling. This work offers a promising strategy to boost eCO(2)RR to C2+ products by optimizing interfacial H2O dissociation and enhancing CO2 activation.

Dry reforming of methane (DRM) offers a sustainable route to convert CH4 and CO2 into syngas, addressing both greenhouse gas emissions and energy demand. However, catalyst deactivation due to sintering and coking limits practical applications. In this work, we developed a mesoporous Ni-based catalyst (Ni/ZrSBA-15-OH) featuring abundant Ni-ZrO2 interfaces and small Ni nanoparticles (5.6 nm) confined within a stable silica framework. This catalyst showed excellent performance, achieving 80% CH4 and 87% CO2 conversions at 750°C, with minimal coke formation (0.4 mg gcat -1 h-1) and high durability (1.3% CH4 conversion loss over 20 h). Advanced characterizations (X-ray absorption spectroscopy [XAS], transmission electron microscopy [TEM], H2-temperature programmed reduction [H2-TPR], and temperature-programmed surface reaction [TPSR]) revealed that the metal-oxide interface enhances the activation of reactants and stabilizes active sites. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed that the Ni-ZrO2 interface increases the energy barrier for CH∗ dehydrogenation, effectively suppressing carbon deposition. This study provides a rational strategy for designing structurally robust and coke-resistant Ni-based catalysts for efficient DRM.

Stabilizing oxidation state of Cu (Cu δ+ , δ > 0) sites is the key‐enabling issue for electrocatalytic carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) reduction reaction (eCO 2 RR) to multicarbon (C 2+ ) products. The present study addresses this challenge by introducing cerium (Ce) doping into La 2 CuO 4 . The Ce doping facilitates f – d orbital coupling between Ce 4 f and Cu 3 d orbitals, suppressing electron enrichment around Cu atoms by transferring electrons from Cu 3 d orbitals to Ce 4 f orbitals via a Cu−O−Ce chain. These changes modulate the electronic structure of Cu, reduce the distance between neighboring Cu atoms, optimize the binding energy of surface‐adsorbed CO (*CO), and lower the reaction energy barrier for *CO dimerization. As a result, the La 1.95 Ce 0.05 CuO 4 catalyst achieves a Faradaic efficiency up to 81% for C 2+ products and maintains high stability over 50 h operation. This work highlights the unique role of Ce doping in stabilizing Cu δ+ sites and hence enhancing C−C coupling, providing a pathway for designing efficient catalysts for eCO 2 RR.

Deuterated compounds have broad applications across various fields, with dehalogenative deuteration serving as an efficient method to obtain these molecules. However, the diverse electronic structures of active sites in the heterogeneous system and the limited recyclability in the homogeneous system significantly hinder the advancement of dehalogenative deuteration. In this study, we present a catalyst composed of copper single-atom sites anchored within an ordered mesoporous nitrogen-doped carbon matrix, synthesized via a mesopore confinement method. The Cu1/OMNC-1100 catalyst, characterized by Cu-N4 sites, demonstrates exceptional performance, high functional group tolerance, and remarkable durability in the deuteration of 2-bromo-6-methoxynaphthalene under relatively mild conditions (80 °C, 2 MPa of CO). Experimental results combined with X-ray absorption fine structure analysis reveal that Cu-N3 sites can be converted into more stable Cu-N4 counterparts at higher pyrolysis temperatures, resulting in enhanced catalytic activity. This work demonstrates a strategy for designing single-atom site catalysts with tunable coordination environments, providing a promising approach to improving catalytic performance in selective dehalogenative reactions under relatively mild conditions.

Advancing our understanding of heterogeneous catalysis is critical for resolving the kinetic challenges in lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs). Herein, we propose a theoretical framework: the dual d-band model, which extends the classical d-band center theory by introducing two distinct catalytic sites with complementary d-band centers. Specifically, by strategically integrating two distinct catalytic sites with complementary d-band centers, where one aligns with the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of sulfur species to optimize the sulfur reduction reaction (SRR) and the other aligns with the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) to accelerate the sulfur evolution reaction (SER), the redox kinetics of sulfur species is effectively balanced. To verify this hypothesis, we developed a dual-site catalyst, Mn-RuO2 (MRO), featuring Ru sites tailored for SRR and the supplementary Mn sites optimized for SER. Leveraging this dual-site synergy, the MRO-based cell achieved superior performance under limited electrolyte conditions. This work presents a promising strategy to regulate sulfur redox reactions for high-performance LSBs.

Carbon monoxide electroreduction in alkaline membrane electrode assembly represents an effective approach to achieve carbon neutrality. However, its performance is currently limited by the insufficient modulation of local alkalinity at a full cell level. In this work, we reveal that confining the in situ generated hydroxide at cathode and enriching the bulk hydroxide to anode are the key factors for an efficient carbon monoxide-electroreduction full cell. We thereby propose a silica-confined strategy for electrocatalyst design to maintain high local alkalinity at both cathode and anode by the strong Lewis acid-base interaction between highly electrophilic silicon atom and hydroxide. The developed copper/silica cathode and cobalt/silica anode successfully promote cathodic multicarbon formation and anodic oxygen evolution, thereby improving the full cell energy efficiency. Even under high-rate electrolysis at 900 milliamperes per square centimeter, the selectivity and energy efficiency of multicarbon products remain above 80 and 30%. This achievement highlights the significance of modulating the dynamic hydroxide transport at full cell in enhancing carbon monoxide electroreduction performance.

The composite material synthesized by incorporating transition metal oxides to modify graphite has been shown to significantly enhance its electrochemical performance as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. In this study, Ni/NiO@graphite is produced through a one-step thermochemical reaction involving calcium carbide and nickel chloride. An increase in the reaction temperature is found to improve the degree of graphitization of the resulting material. Compared to graphite alone, the in situ generated Ni/NiO particles not only augment the lithium storage capacity but also enhance the electrical conductivity of the composite. As an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, Ni/NiO@G1100 exhibits remarkable rate performance and cycling stability, achieving specific capacities of 485 mA h g-1 and 278 mA h g-1 at current densities of 0.04 and 1.86 A g-1, respectively. Notably, its specific capacity remains stable after 1000 cycles at 1.86 A g-1. This research presents a straightforward and effective method for the preparation of Ni/NiO@graphite, which holds promise as a lithium-ion battery anode material.