The widespread contamination of water by tetracycline antibiotics threatens ecosystem security and human health, necessitating efficient and sustainable adsorbents. This study presents an eco-engineered approach for transforming silica-extracted rice husk waste into a high-performance biochar adsorbent via optimized steam activation. By precisely controlling activation temperature (850 degrees C) and steam content (50 %), a biochar (denoted as SERHAC-850-50) with exceptional physicochemical properties was synthesized, characterized by a high specific surface area (1214 m(2)g(-1)), large pore volume (1.144 cm(3)g(-1)), and developed micro-mesoporous structure. Comprehensive characterization confirmed favorable surface chemistry rich in oxygen-containing functional groups and a hierarchical pore network. SERHAC-850-50 exhibited outstanding adsorption capacity (591 mgg(-1)) for the emerging contaminant tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH). Adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order model, indicating chemisorption involvement, while isotherm analysis (Langmuir, Freundlich) suggested combined physical (dominant) and chemical mechanisms. Thermodynamic analysis (Delta G = -35.0 to -41.3 kJ mol(-1), Delta H = 58.28 kJ mol(-1)) confirmed the spontaneous and endothermic nature of adsorption. The biochar demonstrated robust performance across a wide pH range (3-11) and in the presence of common coexisting ions, maintaining significant capacity (>426 mgg(-1)). Excellent regeneration efficiency (90 % capacity recovery after 1st cycle) and broad-spectrum adsorption capability for diverse contaminants (Reactive Black 5, ciprofloxacin, 4-nitrophenol, 1-naphthylamine) underscore its practical utility. DFT calculations reveal the contribution of oxygen functional groups to TCH affinity. This work highlights the potential of steam-activated biochar from rice husk waste as a sustainable and versatile adsorbent for wastewater treatment, offering a practical route for agricultural waste valorization.

The development of non-enzymatic glucose sensors for beverage analysis remains challenging due to insufficient active sites, poor conductivity, and limited stability in complex matrices. A nickel-carbon nanotube composite (Ni/CNT-600) was synthesized via in situ solvothermal deposition followed by pyrolysis at 600 °C under an inert atmosphere. The optimized Ni/CNT-600 featured uniform anchoring of Ni nanoparticles on CNTs through strong Ni-C and Ni-O-C interfacial bonds, validated by various characteristic techniques. The Ni/CNT-600 sensor exhibited exceptional sensitivity (538.48 μA mM-1 cm-2) and an ultralow detection limit (0.003 μM) in 0.1 M NaOH at +0.65 V, surpassing many reported metal-based and enzymatic sensors. It demonstrated remarkable selectivity against key interferents (e.g., ascorbic acid, uric acid). In real beverage samples (orange juice, grape juice, cola, green tea, milk), recovery rates ranged from 95.6% to 112.8%. This work demonstrates a well-defined Ni-CNT synergistic interface that contributes to enhanced non-enzymatic glucose sensing performance, effectively addressing matrix complexity in beverages.

Zinc-ion hybrid capacitors (ZIHCs) are promising energy storage devices due to their inherent safety, and a combination of battery-level energy density with supercapacitor-like power. However, the rate capability of conventional carbonaceous cathodes in ZIHCs is hindered by limited pore accessibility and sluggish ion/electron transfer kinetics. To address these challenges, we engineered carbon fibers featuring integrated architecture of "multi-channels - matched micropores - graphitic domains" through Mn2+ mediation and PMMA templating. The hollow multi-channels within the fiber provide a highway for rapid ion diffusion and facilitate ion access to internal pores. The matched micropores (similar to 0.86 nm) promote the dehydration of large [Zn(H2O)(6)](2+) ions into smaller Zn2+, thereby enabling the free Zn2+ rapid diffusion. The graphitic domains formed within carbon fibers enhance electrical conductivity, promoting rapid electron transport and effective reaction kinetics. The synergistic effect of "channel-pore-graphitic domain" accelerates ion/electron transport. Consequently, ZIHCs assembled with the freestanding Zn-Mn-CF cathode exhibit an excellent rate capability (70.5 % capacity retention from 0.1 to 20 A g(-1)), an outstanding power-energy combination (67.6 Wh kg(-1) at 17.4 kW kg(-1)), and superior cycling stability with 92.7 % capacity retention after 20,000 cycles. When assembled into flexible soft-packed ZIHCs, the device exhibits outstanding performance stability under bending deformation, with 97.4 % capacity retention after 2000 cycles at a curvature of 0.05 mm(-1), and 86.6 % capacity retention after 400 cycles at each curvature across various curvatures of 0.020-0.050 mm(-1). Ex situ characterizations reveal the charge storage mechanism in Zn-Mn-CF and the dominant role of -C=O groups in Zn2+ chemisorption.

Lithium‑sulfur (LiS) batteries, featuring high energy density, low cost, and environmental benignity, are regarded as one of the most promising candidates for next-generation secondary energy storage batteries. However, the sluggish redox kinetics of sulfur and the shuttle effect of intermediate lithium polysulfides (Li2Sn, 4 ≤ n ≤ 8) result in low sulfur utilization and short battery cycle life. In recent years, metal catalysts have been widely applied in accelerating the kinetics of sulfur conversion reactions, benefiting from their intrinsic advantages such as high electrical conductivity, high active site density, tunable d-band electronic structure, and excellent structural stability. From the perspective of particle size and elemental composition, this review classifies the metal catalysts into metal nanoparticles, binary alloys, metal single-/dual-atom materials, and medium-/high-entropy alloys. Combining the latest research reports, this review summarizes the application progress of various metal catalysts in LiS batteries. Meanwhile, from the viewpoint of electronic structure and atomic configuration, the interaction mechanism between catalytic centers and active sulfur species is systematically analyzed, and the key factors affecting the electrochemical activity of metal catalysts are highlighted. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of each type of metal catalyst are summarized at the end of each subsection, along with optimized design suggestions. Finally, focusing on the current research status and existing problems of metal catalysts, the concluding subsection proposes future research priorities including detection of catalyst evolution, design of anti-poisoning catalysts, extraction of multiscale activity descriptors and catalysis for solid-state sulfur conversion. This review is intended to provide systematic theoretical guidance for the future research on metal catalysts toward LiS batteries.

ABSTRACT Developing zinc‐air batteries (ZABs) for high‐current‐density operation is critical for high‐power applications, yet remains limited by the lack of electrocatalysts that integrate high activity, durability, and low cost. Cu single‐atom catalysts offer a promising alternative to platinum group metals, but their performance is often hindered by inappropriate adsorption of oxygenated intermediates and the instability of Cu active sites. Here, we report a topological defect‐engineered Cu single‐atom catalyst on nitrogen‐doped carbon nanofibers (Cu/TD 1/5 –NCFs), where topological‐defect‐induced geometric confinement stabilizes Cu–N x sites and suppresses Cu migration, aggregation, leaching, and deactivation during operation. Meanwhile, the topological‐defect‐regulated electronic environment optimizes the adsorption of oxygenated intermediates, thereby facilitating ORR kinetics. As a result, the assembled ZAB delivers ultralong cycling stability exceeding 2000 h at 100 mA cm −2 , outperforming most reported systems under similar conditions. The robustness of this strategy is further supported by consistent reproducibility and general applicability across different metal precursors and catalyst configurations. Collectively, these findings highlight topological‐defect‐induced geometric confinement as an effective strategy for stabilizing single‐atom catalysts and enabling durable energy devices.

Natural flake graphite is widely used as anode material of commercial lithium-ion batteries. In contrast, natural microcrystalline graphite (MG) has not been in practical application. This work systematically investigates the structure-property relationship between the intrinsic structure of MG and its electrochemical performance. The results indicate that that both morphology and particle size significantly affect its electrochemical performance. The small-particle-sized and spheroidized MG can provide abundant pathways for the rapid transport of Li+, contributing to a higher rate capability because MG with a short-range ordered and long-range disordered structure is more conducive to the rapid migration of Li+.

The development of smart coatings with active protection is a promising approach to prolonging the service life in extreme environments. Herein, the corrosion inhibitors 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (MBI) and CeO2 were in situ loaded onto the surface of graphene oxide (GO) by dopamine (DA) polymerization, and we ultimately obtained the multifunctional composite MBI@CeO2@PDA@GO (MCPG). The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results revealed that after 30 days of immersion in the corrosive media, the |Z|0.01 Hz value of MCPG/WEP coating remained at 3.7 × 109 Ω/cm2, which displayed four orders of magnitude higher than that of pure WEP coating (1.4 × 105 Ω/cm2). In a 200 h salt spray test, the MCPG/WEP coating also demonstrated minimal corrosion products and bubbles, affirming the exceptional corrosion-inhibiting effect and excellent self-healing performance. Consequently, the synergistic combination of pH-sensitive properties and outstanding barrier effect imparted dual active/passive anti-corrosion capabilities to the coating, resulting in long-lasting metal protection.

The development of effective enzyme-free electrocatalysts is crucial for glucose sensing in diabetes management. Heteroatom doping presents a promising route to create active metal-free catalysts. Here, we synthesize nitrogen and fluorine co-doped porous reduced graphene oxide (N, F-PrGO) via a simple one-step calcination using NH4F as a dual dopant source. The synergy of N and F doping introduces active pyridinic-N sites and semi-ionic C-F bonds, which enhance hydrophilicity, charge polarization, and conductivity. When employed as an electrode modifier for enzyme-free glucose sensing, the N, F-PrGO-based sensor demonstrates exceptional performance, outperforming its solely N-doped counterpart with a wide linear range (0.01-18.8 mM), high sensitivity (655.81 mu A mM- 1 cm- 2), and a low detection limit (0.59 mu M). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations provide quantitative evidence that the N, F co-doping configuration optimizes the charge density distribution, reduces the electron transfer energy gap, and facilitates favorable adsorption/desorption energetics for glucose and reaction intermediates, thereby lowering the overall reaction barrier. The biosensor also exhibits excellent selectivity, stability, and reproducibility, with successful application in the analysis of commercial glucose syrup. This work not only presents a superior sensing material but also offers profound mechanistic insights into the design of dual-heteroatom-doped carbon electrocatalysts for advanced electrochemical applications.

Coal is an attractive precursor for hard carbon anodes in sodium-ion batteries. However, these carbons often face the challenge of achieving high capacity and fast Na* kinetics simultaneously. Herein, we propose an oxidizedcoal precursor-derived hard carbon that exhibits a sheet-like structure and a tunable interlayer spacing, which addresses the aforementioned problem. A H2O2/H2SO4 chemical oxidation-exfoliation produces an oxidized-coal precursor with nanosheet morphology enriched in -COOH/-OH. -OH groups. These functional groups induce premature crosslinking of organic macromolecules, constructing a turbostratic carbon framework that suppresses ordered layer growth and expands the interlayer spacing. As the carbonization temperature further increases, polycondensation and structural reorganization are enhanced, driving more compact stacking of carbon layers. This enables a controllable decrease in interlayer spacing accompanied by the evolution of closed pores. The result small microcrystallite size with expanded interlayer spacing reduces Na* intercalation/diffusion resistance. The optimized sample exhibits a capacity of 327 mAh g-1, including a high plateau capacity of 191 mAh g-1. Note that the capacity of 214 mAh g-1 at an ultra-high current density of 10 A g-1 is retained, much higher than the previous reports. This work provides a new insight into the preparation of high-power, high-energy coal-based hard carbon for advanced sodium ion batteries.

Abstract As one of the important candidate systems in the “post-lithium-ion batteries” era, lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have developed rapidly in recent decades. However, the practical energy density achievable for Li-S batteries still has a certain gap to meet the demands of practical applications, which is mainly attributed to excessive electrolyte usage. In this paper, this key issue has been effectively alleviated through a two-pronged approach that combines electrocatalysis and electrode structure design. On the one hand, VC0.75 was in situ grown on the surface of graphene (VC0.75/G), forming a heterostructure catalyst between the two. This catalyst can strongly anchor the dissolved long-chain Li2Sn molecules and catalyze the rate-limiting step of the sulfur redox reaction, namely the deposition/decomposition of Li2S. On the other hand, the microlattice electrode fabricated via 3D printing features a dual-scale pore structure, consisting of through-hole channels perpendicular to the electrode plane and abundant micro-nano pores inside the printed filaments. This well-designed architecture significantly facilitates electrolyte infiltration and mass transport within the thick electrode. Consequently, this VC0.75/G microlattice cell can achieve discharge capacities of 882.8 mAh g–1 at 0.05 C and 1206.4 mAh g–1 at 0.02 C under the conditions of an ultra-high sulfur areal loading of ∼31 mg cm–2 and a lean electrolyte of 5 μL mg−1, corresponding to remarkable areal capacities of 27.8 and 37.4 mAh cm–2. This integrated approach highlights the synergistic role of architectural engineering and catalytic activation in addressing the key challenges of sluggish reaction kinetics and low sulfur utilization rate for high sulfur loading and lean electrolyte Li-S batteries.

Synergistic geometric and electronic optimization of dual active sites for acidic oxygen evolution reaction remains challenging. Co–O–Ru atomic interface and O vacancies tune Co/Ru sites, promote oxide path mechanism, and achieve 1000 h stability.

Physical adsorption is a green separation technology with industrial potential. Precise control of the pore structure of adsorbent is key to achieving highly selective separation of target molecules of similar size. In this study, a combined molecular simulation and experimental approach was employed to investigate the influence of pore size on the adsorption behavior of benzene, toluene and o-xylene over silica-based adsorbents. The simulation results show that methyl groups enhance the interfacial interactions between adsorbate molecules and pore walls, whereas steric hindrance limits the packing efficiency of the adsorbates within the pores. Consequently, adsorption selectivity is governed by the balance between confinement-enhanced adsorbate-adsorbent interactions and steric accessibility, with a pore size of approximately 0.7 nm providing the most favorable adsorption environment for toluene. The experimental results are consistent with the simulation results. When benzene and toluene are co-adsorbed, the NaY adsorbent with an average pore size of 0.7 nm exhibits the highest adsorption capacity and selectivity for toluene.

Flexible aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are promising candidates for wearable devices owing to their high safety and low cost. However, their progress is plagued by their sluggish ion-transport kinetics, which leads to inferior rate capability. Herein, a vanadium nitride/carbon fiber (VN/CF) cathode was structurally engineered to incorporate oxygen defects and a vertically aligned, porous, nanosheet architecture to overcome these issues. This structure was realized via the initial growth of vertically aligned V2O5 nanosheet templates on gas-spun carbon fibers, followed by high-temperature NH3 treatment. The oxygen defects accelerate the kinetics of bulk diffusion within VN, while the vertically aligned VN nanosheet array possesses lower charge-transfer resistance, enhancing the kinetics of surface diffusion. These features synergistically improve the overall Zn2+ transport, affording high-rate performance. Consequently, the free-standing VN/CF cathode exhibits exceptional rate performance, delivering a capacity of 263.4 mAh g-1 even at a high current density of 10 A g-1. When assembled into flexible AZIBs, the device exhibits a high-rate capability of 249.7 mAh g-1 at 10 A g-1 and stable performance even under various bending deformations, demonstrating significant potential for next-generation wearable devices.

Rapid global industrialization and economic growth have exacerbated water pollution crises, with oily wastewater—characterized by diverse sources, severe ecological impacts, and complex treatment demands—requiring urgent remediation and resource recovery solutions. As a critical step in effluent management, oil-water separation drives research toward efficient and cost-effective technologies. This review systematically examines recent advances in oil-water separation materials, focusing on sorption and filtration strategies. Key developments include novel adsorbents (e.g., graphite/graphene-derived foams, organic foams, biomass-based foams and electro−/photo-thermal responsive porous materials) and innovative filters (e.g., hydrophilic or hydrophobic filters, responsively modulated hydrophobic-hydrophilic materials). Progress in enhancing oil sorption capacity, separation efficiency, selectivity, and material reusability is critically evaluated. Finally, current challenges and future research priorities are analyzed to guide innovations addressing evolving oil-water separation performances.

Silicon-based anodes suffer from severe structural degradation and unstable cycling due to their large volume expansion during lithiation/delithiation. Although various strategies have been reported to partially alleviate these issues, achieving simultaneous structural and interfacial control remains scarce. Herein, we propose a precisely regulated NF3 fluorination strategy to construct CNT/SiOxFy/C composites with both structural robustness and interfacial stability. The NF3 fluorination process selectively etches silicon oxides to form a selfbuffering yolk-shell structure, while generating a SiOxFy layer with an N/F-doped carbon shell. These structural and chemical modifications enhance charge transport and suppress continuous SEI growth. This dual engineering effectively mitigates volumetric expansion, ensuring superior cycling stability. The optimized CNT/SiOxFy/C-10 exhibits a high reversible capacity of 1973 mAh g- 1, 33 % higher than its pristine counterpart, and retains 836 mAh g- 1 after 500 cycles at 1 A g- 1. Furthermore, the yolk-shell architecture and LiF-/Li4SiO4-rich SEI limit electrode expansion to 52.2 %. A full cell paired with an LFP cathode maintains 83.6 % of its capacity after 200 cycles at 0.5C. This work proposes NF3 fluorination as a controllable route for dual structural-interfacial optimization toward high-performance Si-based anode, providing a new strategy for designing high-performance Sibased anodes for next-generation lithium-ion batteries.

Simultaneously optimizing H2O2 selectivity and Fe3+/Fe2+ cycling remains a bottleneck for practical electro-Fenton applications. We report a "placeholder-elimination-anchor" strategy to fabricate freestanding carbon nanofiber (TS-CNF) cathodes. By electrospinning polyacrylonitrile with a self-sacrificing lignin template, we demonstrate that: (i) pyridinic-N acts as a sacrificial "placeholder"; (ii) high-temperature "thermal-scissors" eliminate these placeholders to induce framework reconstruction, generating abundant pentagonal defects; and (iii) lignin-derived oxygen species preferentially anchor at these defect edges to form high-density C-O active sites. The synergistic "pentagonal defect + C=O" configuration optimizes *OOH adsorption, enabling near-theoretical H2O2 selectivity (99.4%) and a production rate of 16.74 g L-1 h(-1) g(-1) cat. During 2,4-dichlorophenol treatment, the TS-CNF system achieves complete degradation within 40 min at an exceptionally low Fe2+ dosage (0.1 mM). Remarkably, the cathode exhibits 336-h stability in real PCB wastewater with ultra-low energy consumption (0.008 kWh g(-1) chemical oxygen demand). DFT calculations and QSAR-based assessments elucidate a four-stage degradation pathway and confirm the ecological safety of the effluent. This work provides a paradigm for atomically precise engineering of multifunctional carbon catalysts for sustainable industrial wastewater remediation.

Hard carbon (HC) is a promising anode for sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs), but coal‐derived HCs often exhibit low reversible capacity and poor initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) due to irreversible sodium (Na) loss on defective carbons. Presodiation can directly improve ICE, but the imprecise and slow process can lead to under‐ or oversodiation and the formation of thick and unstable byproducts. Here, we propose a high precision and fast presodiation by aryl‐sodium (Ar–Na) compounds dissolved in tetrahydrofuran (THF) with controlled potential and Ar–Na binding energy. Based on the thermodynamic driving force (redox potential) and ionic transfer kinetics (Ar–Na binding strength), a dual‐descriptor design principle for presodiation agent is established. Phenanthrene–sodium (Ph–Na) with a moderate ionic binding energy of − 0.92 eV and a matched redox potential of 0.24 V versus Na⁺/Na enables ∼100% ICE within 60 s and facilitates the formation of an ultrathin inorganic‐rich SEI in the battery that enhances interfacial kinetics and cycling stability. The presodiated HC delivers a reversible capacity of 308.9 mAh g −1 , and paired with a Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 (NVP) cathode exhibits 94.8% ICE, 99.2 mAh g −1 discharge capacity, and 82.6% capacity retention after 350 cycles, demonstrating a scalable presodiation strategy for practical SIBs.

The development of enzyme-free and metal-free glucose sensors for beverage analysis is challenging, primarily due to insufficient sensitivity, poor anti-interference capability, and structural limitations in complex matrices. To address these issues, a porous nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (PNrGO) was synthesized via synergistic activation using KOH and urea. The optimized material, denoted as PNrGO-2-5, possesses a hierarchical pore structure and features enriched atomic-level micropore-edged CO groups cooperating with pyridinic-N active sites, as revealed by combined experimental investigation and density functional theory calculations. When evaluated as a glucose sensor in 0.1 M NaOH at +0.5 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), the PNrGO-2-5 electrode demonstrated exceptional sensitivity (960.48 mu A mM(-1) cm(-2)) and a low detection limit (0.45 mu M), which, to the best of our knowledge, outperforms most reported non-enzymatic and metal-free analogues under comparable alkaline conditions. Additionally, it exhibited remarkable selectivity against key interfering species commonly found in beverages. Practical application was verified through tests in 100-fold diluted real beverage samples (tea, milk, watermelon juice) using 0.1 M NaOH as the supporting electrolyte, achieving satisfactory recovery rates of 97.28-104.95 % (RSD < 4.90 %). This work offers an effective atomic-level engineered carbon catalyst for reliable glucose detection, providing a viable solution to cope with the complexity of beverage matrices.