Polymer-confined synthesis of gram-scale high-entropy perovskite fluoride nanocubes for improved electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate to ammonia.

High-entropy perovskite fluoride (HEPF) has gradually attracted attention in the field of electrocatalysis due to its unique properties. Although traditional co-precipitation methods can efficiently produce HEPF, the resulting catalysts often lack regular morphology and tend to aggregate extensively. Here, nanocubic K(CuMgCoZnNi)F HEPF (HEPF-2) was successfully prepared on a gram-scale by a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-confined nucleation strategy.

Noble-Metal-Free High-Entropy Alloy Nanoparticles for Efficient Solar-Driven Photocatalytic CO Reduction.

Metal nanoparticle (NP) cocatalysts are widely investigated for their ability to enhance the performance of photocatalytic materials; however, their practical application is often limited by the inherent instability under light irradiation. This challenge has catalyzed interest in exploring high-entropy alloys (HEAs), which, with their increased entropy and lower Gibbs free energy, provide superior stability. In this study, 3.

Langmuir-Blodgett Film Formed by Amphiphilic Molecules for Facile and Rapid Construction of Zinc-Iodine Cell.

Zinc-iodine batteries (ZIBs) are promising candidates for ecofriendly, safe, and low-cost energy storage systems, but polyiodide shuttling and the complex cathode fabrication procedures have severely hindered their broader commercial usage. Herein, a protocol is developed using phospholipid-like oleylamine molecules for scalable production of Langmuir-Blodgett films, which allows the facile preparation of ZIB cathodes in less than 1 min. The resulting inhomogeneous cathode allows for the continuous conversion of iodine.

Cation Substitution Strategy for Developing Perovskite Oxide with Rich Oxygen Vacancy-Mediated Charge Redistribution Enables Highly Efficient Nitrate Electroreduction to Ammonia.

The electrocatalytic nitrate (NO) reduction reaction (eNITRR) is a promising method for ammonia synthesis. However, its efficacy is currently limited due to poor selectivity, largely caused by the inherent complexity of the multiple-electron processes involved. To address these issues, oxygen-vacancy-rich LaFeMO (M = Co, Ni, and Cu) perovskite submicrofibers have been designed from the starting material LaFeO (LF) by a B-site substitution strategy and used as the eNITRR electrocatalyst.

Anti-Freezing Electrolytes in Aqueous Multivalent Metal-Ion Batteries: Progress, Challenges, and Optimization Strategies.

Aqueous rechargeable multivalent metal-ion batteries (ARMMBs) have attracted considerable attention due to their high capacity, high energy density, and low cost. However, their performance is often limited by low temperature operation, which requires the development of anti-freezing electrolytes. In this review, we summarize the anti-freezing mechanisms and optimization strategies of anti-freezing electrolytes for aqueous batteries (especially for Zn-ion batteries).

Weaving Aerogels into 3D Ordered Hyperelastic Hybrid Carbon Assemblies.

The development of a 3D carbon assembly with a combination of extraordinary electrochemical and mechanical properties is desirable yet challenging. Herein, an ultralight and hyperelastic nanofiber-woven hybrid carbon assembly (NWHCA) is fabricated by nanofiber weaving of isotropic porous and mechanical brittle quasi-aerogels. Upon subsequent pyrolysis, metallogel-derived quasi-aerogel hybridization and nitrogen/phosphorus co-doping are integrated into the NWHCA.

Bio-Inspired Aerobic-Hydrophobic Janus Interface on Partially Carbonized Iron Heterostructure Promotes Bifunctional Nitrogen Fixation.

Competition from hydrogen/oxygen evolution reactions and low solubility of N in aqueous systems limited the selectivity and activity on nitrogen fixation reaction. Herein, we design an aerobic-hydrophobic Janus structure by introducing fluorinated modification on porous carbon nanofibers embedded with partially carbonized iron heterojunctions (Fe C/Fe@PCNF-F). The simulations prove that the Janus structure can keep the internal Fe C/Fe@PCNF-F away from water infiltration and endow a N molecular-concentrating effect, suppressing the competing reactions and overcoming the mass-transfer limitations to build a robust "quasi-solid-gas" state micro-domain around the catalyst surface.

Soluble porous organic cages as homogenizers and electron-acceptors for homogenization of heterogeneous alloy nanoparticle catalysts with enhanced catalytic activity.

The creation of ultrafine alloy nanoparticles (<5 nm) that can maintain surface activity and avoid aggregation for heterogeneous catalysis has received much attention and is extremely challenging. Here, ultrafine PtRh alloy nanoparticles imprisoned by the cavities of reduced chiral covalent imine cage (PtRh@RCC3) are prepared successfully by an organic molecular cage (OMC) confinement strategy, while the soluble RCC3 can act as a homogenizer to homogenize the heterogeneous PtRh alloy in solution. Moreover, the X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) results show that the RCC3 can act as an electron-acceptor to withdraw electrons from Pt, leading to the formation of higher valence Pt atoms, which is beneficial to improving the catalytic activity for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol.

A Universal Polyiodide Regulation Using Quaternization Engineering toward High Value-Added and Ultra-Stable Zinc-Iodine Batteries.

The development of aqueous rechargeable zinc-iodine (Zn-I ) batteries is still plagued by the polyiodide shuttle issue, which frequently causes batteries to have inadequate cycle lifetimes. In this study, quaternization engineering based on the concept of "electric double layer" is developed on a commercial acrylic fiber skeleton ($1.55-1.

Nitrogen-doped hollow carbon nanoflowers from a preformed covalent triazine framework for metal-free bifunctional electrocatalysis.

Fabrication of nitrogen-doped hollow carbon nanostructures is of great importance for achieving efficient electron and ion transport as a metal-free electrocatalyst. Herein, we report a step-wise polymerization and carbonization route to prepare N-doped hollow carbon nanoflowers (N-HCNFs) with a high nitrogen content up to 5.3 at%.

Gradient phosphorus-doping engineering and superficial amorphous reconstruction in NiFeO nanoarrays to enhance the oxygen evolution electrocatalysis.

A better solid-liquid-gas three-phase boundary is vital for low energy cost oxygen evolution reaction (OER), making the designed regulation of interfacial atmosphere necessary. Herein, we find that the OER electrocatalysis can be dramatically improved by synergistically forming disordered electronic structures and superficial amorphous layers, as superficial oxyhydroxide, phosphorus-doped NiFe2O4 nanoarrays on nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers (OP-NiFe2O4/NCNFs). Unveiled by the depth-profiling analysis from the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the contents of phosphorous doping in the OP-NiFe2O4 nanoarrays change dynamically from outside to inside due to its in situ superficial reconstruction into the oxyhydroxide layer, thereby accelerating electron transfer between heterogeneous phases.