Creation of Wood-Based Hierarchical Superstructures via In Situ Growth of ZIF-8 for Enhancing Mechanical Strength and Electromagnetic Shielding Performance.

Given the escalating prevalence of electromagnetic pollution, there is an urgent need for the development of high-performance electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials. Herein, wood-based electromagnetic shielding materials have gained significant popularity due to their exceptional performance as building materials. In this study, a novel wood-based composite with electromagnetic shielding properties is developed.

Deciphering Structure-Activity Relationship Towards CO Electroreduction over SnO by A Standard Research Paradigm.

Authentic surface structures under reaction conditions determine the activity and selectivity of electrocatalysts, therefore, the knowledge of the structure-activity relationship can facilitate the design of efficient catalyst structures for specific reactivity requirements. However, understanding the relationship between a more realistic active surface and its performance is challenging due to the complicated interface microenvironment in electrocatalysis. Herein, we proposed a standard research paradigm to effectively decipher the structure-activity relationship in electrocatalysis, which is exemplified in the CO electroreduction over SnO .

Efficient asymmetrical silicon-metal dimer electrocatalysts for the nitrogen reduction reaction.

The electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (ENRR) has been regarded as an eco-friendly and feasible substitute for the Haber-Bosch method. Identifying the effective catalysts for the ENRR is an extremely important prerequisite but challenging. Herein, asymmetrical silicon-metal dimer catalysts doped into g-CN nanosheets with nitrogen vacancies (SiM@CN) were designed to address nitrogen activation and reduction.

Defect-Engineered Cu-Based Nanomaterials for Efficient CO Reduction over Ultrawide Potential Window.

High conversion efficiency over a wide operating potential window is important for the practical application of CO reduction electrocatalysis, yet that remains a huge challenge in differentiating the competing CO reduction and H evolution. Here we introduce point defects (Sn doping) and planar defects (grain boundary) into the Cu substrate. This multidimensional defect integration strategy guides the fabrication of highly diluted SnCu polycrystal, which exhibits high Faradaic efficiencies (>95%) toward CO electroreduction over an ultrawide potential window (Δ = 1.

Bulk-immiscible CuAg alloy nanorods prepared by phase transition from oxides for electrochemical CO reduction.

Combining Cu and Ag in an alloy state holds promise to serve as a tandem catalyst for electrocatalytic CO reduction, but is restricted by immiscibility in the bulk. Here, a far-from-equilibrium method is developed to synthesize CuAg alloy by electroreduction of CuAgO under a large cathodic overpotential. The alloy state of CuAg is conducive to the formation of C molecules.

Oxygen-regulated carbon quantum dots as an efficient metal-free electrocatalyst for nitrogen reduction.

An electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction under ambient conditions provides a wonderful blueprint for the conversion of nitrogen to ammonia. However, current research on ammonia synthesis is mainly focused on metal-based catalysts. It is still a great challenge to realize the effective activation of N on non-metallic catalysts.

Single-Atom Fe Catalysts for Fenton-Like Reactions: Roles of Different N Species.

Recognizing and controlling the structure-activity relationships of single-atom catalysts (SACs) is vital for manipulating their catalytic properties for various practical applications. Herein, Fe SACs supported on nitrogen-doped carbon (SA-Fe/CN) are reported, which show high catalytic reactivity (97% degradation of bisphenol A in only 5 min), high stability (80% of reactivity maintained after five runs), and wide pH suitability (working pH range 3-11) toward Fenton-like reactions. The roles of different N species in these reactions are further explored, both experimentally and theoretically.

Insight into the Reactivity of Carbon Structures for Nitrogen Reduction Reaction.

Graphene-based structures have been widely reported as promising metal-free catalysts for nitrogen reduction reaction. To explain the reactivity origin, various structures have been proposed and debated, including defects, functional groups, and doped heteroatoms. This computational work demonstrates that these structures may evolve from one to another under electrochemical conditions, generating weakly coordinated carbons, which have been identified as the active sites for N adsorption and activation.

CO Electroreduction to Formate at a Partial Current Density up to 590 mA mg via Micrometer-Scale Lateral Structuring of Bismuth Nanosheets.

2D bismuth nanosheets are a promising layered material for formate-producing via electrocatalytic CO conversion. However, the commercial interest of bismuth nanosheets in CO electroreduction is still rare due to the undesirable current density for formate at moderate operation potentials (about 200 mA mg ) and harsh synthesis conditions (high temperature and/or high pressure). This work reports the preparation of Bi nanosheets with a lateral size in micrometer-scale via electrochemical cathodic exfoliation in aqueous solution at normal pressure and temperature.

Promoted Photocharge Separation in 2D Lateral Epitaxial Heterostructure for Visible-Light-Driven CO Photoreduction.

Photocarrier recombination remains a big barrier for the improvement of solar energy conversion efficiency. For 2D materials, construction of heterostructures represents an efficient strategy to promote photoexcited carrier separation via an internal electric field at the heterointerface. However, due to the difficulty in seeking two components with suitable crystal lattice mismatch, most of the current 2D heterostructures are vertical heterostructures and the exploration of 2D lateral heterostructures is scarce and limited.

Metal-Sulfur Linkages Achieved by Organic Tethering of Ruthenium Nanocrystals for Enhanced Electrochemical Nitrogen Reduction.

Inspired by the metal-sulfur (M-S) linkages in the nitrogenase enzyme, here we show a surface modification strategy to modulate the electronic structure and improve the N availability on a catalytic surface, which suppresses the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and improves the rate of NH production. Ruthenium nanocrystals anchored on reduced graphene oxide (Ru/rGO) are modified with different aliphatic thiols to achieve M-S linkages. A high faradaic efficiency (11 %) with an improved NH yield (50 μg h  mg ) is achieved at -0.

Single-Boron Catalysts for Nitrogen Reduction Reaction.

Boron has been explored as p-block catalysts for nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) by density functional theory. Unlike transition metals, on which the active centers need empty d orbitals to accept the lone-pair electrons of the nitrogen molecule, the sp hybrid orbital of the boron atom can form B-to-N π-back bonding. This results in the population of the N-N π* orbital and the concomitant decrease of the N-N bond order.