Harnessing air-water interface to generate interfacial ROS for ultrafast environmental remediation.

The air-water interface of microbubbles represents a crucial microenvironment that can dramatically accelerate reactive oxidative species (ROS) reactions. However, the dynamic nature of microbubbles presents challenges in probing ROS behaviors at the air-water interface, limiting a comprehensive understanding of their chemistry and application. Here we develop an approach to investigate the interfacial ROS via coupling microbubbles with a Fenton-like reaction.

Understanding the variations in degradation pathways and generated by-products of antibiotics in modified TiO and ZnO photodegradation systems: A comprehensive review.

This review examines various modification techniques, including metal doping, non-metal doping, multi doping, mixed doping, and the construction of heterojunction photocatalysts, for enhancing the performance of pure TiO and ZnO in the photodegradation of antibiotics. The study finds that mixed and multi doping approaches are more effective in improving photodegradation performance compared to single doping. Furthermore, the selection of suitable semiconductors for constructing heterojunction photocatalysts is crucial for achieving an efficient charge carrier separation.

Heterointerfaces: Unlocking Superior Capacity and Rapid Mass Transfer Dynamics in Energy Storage Electrodes.

Heterogeneous electrode materials possess abundant heterointerfaces with a localized "space charge effect", which enhances capacity output and accelerates mass/charge transfer dynamics in energy storage devices (ESDs). These promising features open new possibilities for demanding applications such as electric vehicles, grid energy storage, and portable electronics. However, the fundamental principles and working mechanisms that govern heterointerfaces are not yet fully understood, impeding the rational design of electrode materials.

A Functionally Asymmetric Janus Hygro-Photothermal Hybrid for Atmospheric Water Harvesting in Arid Regions.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are high-performance adsorbents for atmospheric water harvesting but have poor water-desorption ability, requiring excess energy input to release the trapped water. Addressing this issue, a Janus-structured adsorbent with functional asymmetry is presented. The material exhibits contrasting functionalities on either face - a hygroscopic face interfaced with a photothermal face.

Accelerated oxidation of VOCs via vacuum ultraviolet photolysis coupled with wet scrubbing process.

Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photolysis is a facile method for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) elimination, but is greatly limited by the relatively low removal efficiency and the possible secondary pollution. To overcome above drawbacks, we developed an efficient method for VOCs elimination via VUV photolysis coupled with wet scrubbing process. In this coupled process, volatile toluene, a representative of VOCs, was oxidized by the gas-phase VUV photolysis, and then scrubbed into water for further oxidation by the liquid-phase VUV photolysis.

Next-generation magnesium-ion batteries: The quasi-solid-state approach to multivalent metal ion storage.

Mg-ion batteries offer a safe, low-cost, and high-energy density alternative to current Li-ion batteries. However, nonaqueous Mg-ion batteries struggle with poor ionic conductivity, while aqueous batteries face a narrow electrochemical window. Our group previously developed a water-in-salt battery with an operating voltage above 2 V yet still lower than its nonaqueous counterpart because of the dominance of proton over Mg-ion insertion in the cathode.

Photocatalytic Oxidation for Volatile Organic Compounds Elimination: From Fundamental Research to Practical Applications.

Photocatalysis is regarded as one of the most promising technologies for indoor volatile organic compounds (VOCs) elimination due to its low cost, safe operation, energy efficiency, and high mineralization efficiency under ambient conditions. However, the practical applications of this technology are limited, despite considerable research efforts in recent decades. Until now, most of the works were carried out in the laboratory and focused on exploring new catalytic materials.

An efficient process for aromatic VOCs degradation: Combination of VUV photolysis and photocatalytic oxidation in a wet scrubber.

The elimination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) via vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photolysis is greatly limited by low removal efficiency and gaseous byproducts generation, while photocatalytic oxidation of VOCs suffers from catalytic deactivation. Herein, a coupled process of gaseous VUV photolysis with aqueous photocatalytic oxidation with P25 as the catalyst was firstly proposed for efficient aromatic VOCs removal (VUV/P25). The removal efficiency of toluene reached 86.

Constructing an ohmic junction of copper@ cuprous oxide nanocomposite with plasmonic enhancement for photocatalysis.

A novel ohmic junction Cu@CuO photocatalyst with plasmonic enhancement had been successfully obtained by NaBH reduction, which exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance for the catalytic oxidation of nitric oxide (NO) and catalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO). The desirable photocatalytic performance can be ascribed to the efficient interfacial charge separation and the high light absorption capacity induced by localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of Cu nanoparticles in the Cu@CuO photocatalyst. To better understand why this catalyst has satisfying stability and photocatalytic performance for the removal of NO and photocatalytic reduction of CO, a series of characterization methods was used to investigate the physical composition, structure, and optical properties of the sample in detail.

A review of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) degradation by vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) catalytic oxidation.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), one of the most important gaseous air pollutants, are getting more and more attention, and a lot of technologies have been studied and applied to eliminate VOCs emissions. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are considered as one of the most promising techniques used for the degradation of VOCs. Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) catalytic oxidation system is a typical composite AOPs system involving several processes such as VUV photodegradation, photocatalytic oxidation (PCO), ozone catalytic oxidation (OZCO) and their combinations.

High-Performance MnO /Al Battery with In Situ Electrochemically Reformed Al MnO Nanosphere Cathode.

Aqueous Al-ion battery (AAIB) is regarded as a promising candidate for large-scale energy storage systems due to its high capacity, high safety, and low cost, with MnO proved to be a high-performance cathode. However, the potential commercial application of this type of battery is plagued by the frequent structural collapse of MnO . Herein, an in situ, electrochemically reformed, urchin-like Al MnO cathode is developed for water-in-salt electrolyte-based AAIBs.

Catalytic ozonation of VOCs at low temperature: A comprehensive review.

VOCs abatement has attracted increasing interest because of the detrimental effects on both atmospheric environment and human beings of VOCs. The assistance of ozone has enabled efficient VOCs removal at low temperature. Thereby, catalytic ozonation is considered as one of the most feasible and effective methods for VOCs elimination.

Study on the Photocatalysis Mechanism of the Z-Scheme Cobalt Oxide Nanocubes/Carbon Nitride Nanosheets Heterojunction Photocatalyst with High Photocatalytic Performances.

An efficient Z-scheme CoO/g-CN heterojunction photocatalyst was developed via in-situ forming CoO nanocubes on the g-CN nanosheet in the hydrothermal process. The obtained photocatalyst exhibited high photocatalytic activity for the visible-light-driven catalytic reduction of Cr(VI) and catalytic oxidation of tetracycline (TC). Among the as-synthesized catalysts, CoO/g-CN-0.

Insights into the photocatalysis mechanism of the novel 2D/3D Z-Scheme g-CN/SnS heterojunction photocatalysts with excellent photocatalytic performances.

A novel 2D/3D Z-scheme g-CN/SnS photocatalyst was successfully fabricated via self-assembly forming 3D flower-like SnS microspheres on the surface of the 2D g-CN nanosheets. The photocatalytic performances of the samples were systematically explored through catalytic reduction of Cr and oxidation of Bisphenol S (BPS) under the illumination of visible light, and the photocatalytic degradation pathway of BPS was also proposed based on the degradation products confirmed by GCMS. Among the as-prepared samples, 0.

Z-scheme Au decorated carbon nitride/cobalt tetroxide plasmonic heterojunction photocatalyst for catalytic reduction of hexavalent chromium and oxidation of Bisphenol A.

Au/g-CN/CoO plasmonic heterojunction photocatalyst was successfully prepared by in-situ forming CoO nanocubes on the Au/g-CN nanosheets. The catalytic activities of the photocatalysts were systematically studied through the catalytic reduction of hexavalent chromium (Cr) and oxidation of Bisphenol A (BPA) under visible light irradiation, while according to the degradation products determined by GC-MS, the catalytic degradation pathway of BPA was proposed. 4Au/g-CN/CoO sample exhibits the most efficient catalytic activities, and the photocatalytic reduction and photocatalytic oxidation efficiencies can obtain 85.

Powering future body sensor network systems: A review of power sources.

Body sensor network is a promising medical technology to address the overwhelming global aging, which requires advanced micro power sources with high energy density, long lifetime and good biocompatibility. Potential candidates include batteries, fuel cells, energy harvesters and supercapacitors, each of which have their own merits and demerits. Batteries are currently the most mature product which has been extensively employed in the body sensor network, but the improvement of their energy density is relatively sluggish due to the cumbersome material storage.

Mechanistic insights into toluene degradation under VUV irradiation coupled with photocatalytic oxidation.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exists ubiquitously in chemical industries and were regarded as major contributors to air pollution, which should be strictly regulated. Vacuum ultraviolet irradiation coupled with photocatalytic oxidation (VUV-PCO) has been considered as an efficient approach to VOCs removal due to high-energy photons which could break down VOCs directly and be absorbed by photocatalysts to generate free radicals for further oxidation. However, the photochemical transformation mechanisms of VOCs have not been fully revealed.

The efficacy of vacuum-ultraviolet light disinfection of some common environmental pathogens.

Background: This study is to elucidate the disinfection effect of ozone producing low-pressure Hg vapor lamps against human pathogens. Ozone producing low-pressure Hg vapor lamps emit mainly 254 nm ultraviolet light C (UVC) with about 10% power of Vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) light at 185 nm. The combination of UVC and VUV can inactivate airborne pathogens by disrupting the genetic materials or generation of reactive oxygen species, respectively.

Wet scrubber coupled with heterogeneous UV/Fenton for enhanced VOCs oxidation over Fe/ZSM-5 catalyst.

The traditional treatment processes for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) removal generally suffered several disadvantages, such as secondary air-pollutants. To overcome these issues, wet scrubber coupled with heterogeneous UV/Fenton was developed for gaseous VOCs (i.e.

Titanium oxide based photocatalytic materials development and their role of in the air pollutants degradation: Overview and forecast.

Due to the anthropogenic pollution, especially the environmental crisis caused by air pollutants, the development of air pollutant degradation photocatalyst has become one of the major directions to the crisis relief. Among them, titania (titanium dioxide, TiO) family materials were extensively studied in the past two decades due to their strong activity in the photocatalytic reactions. However, TiO had a drawback of large bandgap which limited its applications, several modification techniques were hence developed to enhance its catalytic activity and light sensitivity.

Synergetic degradation of VOCs by vacuum ultraviolet photolysis and catalytic ozonation over Mn-xCe/ZSM-5.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are one of the most important precursors to form the fine particulate matter and photochemical smog, and should be strictly controlled. Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photolysis has provided a facile and an effective way to remove VOCs due to its powerful oxidation capability under mild reaction conditions. However, VUV irradiation would generate ozone which brings about secondary pollution.

Enhanced Performance and Conversion Pathway for Catalytic Ozonation of Methyl Mercaptan on Single-Atom Ag Deposited Three-Dimensional Ordered Mesoporous MnO.

In this study, Ag deposited three-dimensional MnO porous hollow microspheres (Ag/MnO PHMSs) with high dispersion of the atom level Ag species are first prepared by a novel method of redox precipitation. Due to the highly efficient utilization of downsized Ag nanoparticles, the optimal 0.3% Ag/MnO PHMSs can completely degrade 70 ppm CHSH within 600 s, much higher than that of MnO PHMSs (79%).

Effect of redox state of Ag on indoor formaldehyde degradation over Ag/TiO catalyst at room temperature.

Ag/TiO catalysts were prepared via in-situ synthesis and impregnation methods. The effect of redox state of Ag species on catalytic activity of Ag/TiO catalysts was studied. The Ag-i-300 catalyst with partially oxidized state of Ag species shows superior catalytic activity, keeping HCHO removal efficiency at an extraordinary level of 100% during the 200 min's reaction.

A novel three-dimensional heterojunction photocatalyst for the photocatalytic oxidation of crystal violet and reduction of Cr.

A novel 3-D heterojunction photocatalyst AgCO/BiVO was successfully fabricated. It exhibits excellent photocatalytic performances for the photocatalytic oxidation of crystal violet and reduction of Cr, which is ascribed to the suppression of charge recombination, and increasing lifetime of the charge carriers confirmed by the result of time-resolved fluorescence emission decay spectra and photoelectrochemical measures. The electron spin resonance result also suggests that heterojunction structure can improve separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers and favor to form •OH radicals.