Capturing Copper Single Atom in Proton Donor Stimulated O-End Nitrate Reduction.

Ammonia (NH) is vital in global production and energy cycles. Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction (e-NORR) offers a promising route for nitrogen (N) conversion and NH synthesis, yet it faces challenges like competing reactions and low catalyst activity. This study proposes a synergistic mechanism incorporating a proton donor to mediate O-end e-NORR, addressing these limitations.

Unconventional hexagonal open Prussian blue analog structures.

Prussian blue analogs (PBAs), as a classical kind of microporous materials, have attracted substantial interests considering their well-defined framework structures, unique physicochemical properties and low cost. However, PBAs typically adopt cubic structure that features small pore size and low specific surface area, which greatly limits their practical applications in various fields ranging from gas adsorption/separation to energy conversion/storage and biomedical treatments. Here we report the facile and general synthesis of unconventional hexagonal open PBA structures.

Chlorine Axial Coordination Activated Lanthanum Single Atoms for Efficient Oxygen Electroreduction with Maximum Utilization.

Currently, there are still obstacles to rationally designing the ligand fields to activate rare-earth (RE) elements with satisfactory intrinsic electrocatalytic reactivity. Herein, axial coordination strategies and nanostructure design are applied for the construction of La single atoms (La-Cl SAs/NHPC) with satisfactory oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity. The nontrivial LaNCl motifs configuration and the hierarchical porous carbon substrate that facilitates maximized metal atom utilization ensure high half-wave potential (0.

Metallic 1T Phase MoS Nanosheets Covalently Functionalized with BBD Molecules for Enhanced Supercapacitor Performances.

Metallic 1T phase molybdenum disulfide (MoS) is among the most promising electrode materials for supercapacitors, but its capacitance and cyclability remain to be improved to meet the constantly increasing energy storage needs in portable electronics. In this study, we present a strategy, covalent functionalization, which achieves the improvement of capacitance of metallic 1T phase MoS. Covalently functionalized by the modifier 4-bromobenzenediazonium tetrafluoroborate, the metallic MoS membrane exhibits increased interlayer spacing, slightly curled layered architecture, enhanced charge transfer, and improved adsorption capabilities toward electrolyte molecules and ions.

Doping Ti into RuO to Accelerate Bridged-Oxygen-Assisted Deprotonation for Acidic Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

The development of efficient and durable electrocatalysts for the acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is essential for advancing renewable hydrogen energy technology. However, the slow deprotonation kinetics of oxo-intermediates, involving the four proton-coupled electron steps, hinder the acidic OER progress. Herein, a RuTiO solid solution electrocatalyst is investigated, which features bridged oxygen (O) sites that act as proton acceptors, accelerating the deprotonation of oxo-intermediates.

Regulating the Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction Performance with Controllable Distribution of Unconventional Phase Copper on Alloy Nanostructures.

Electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NORR) is emerging as a promising strategy for nitrate removal and ammonia (NH) production using renewable electricity. Although great progresses have been achieved, the crystal phase effect of electrocatalysts on NORR remains rarely explored. Here, the epitaxial growth of unconventional 2H Cu on hexagonal close-packed (hcp) IrNi template, resulting in the formation of three IrNiCu@Cu nanostructures, is reported.

Broadband Near-Infrared Light Excitation Generates Long-Lived Near-Infrared Luminescence in Gallates.

Persistent luminescence describes the phenomenon whereby luminescence remains after the stoppage of excitation. Recently, upconversion persistent luminescence (UCPL) phosphors that can be directly charged by near-infrared (NIR) light have gained considerable attention due to their promising applications ranging from photonics to biomedicine. However, current lanthanide-based UCPL phosphors show small absorption cross sections and low upconversion charging efficiency.

Integrating Ozone Pollutant Elimination in N Electrolysis to Produce Nitrate with Reduced Reaction Steps.

The synthesis of nitrate by the electrochemical N oxidation reaction (NOR) is currently one of the most promising routes. However, the traditional generation of nitrate depends on the oxidation reaction between N and HO (or ·OH), which involves complex reaction steps and intermediates, showing strong competition from oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Here, an effective NOR method is proposed to directly oxidize N by using O as a reactive oxygen source to reduce the reaction step.

Tuning Vertical Electrodeposition for Dendrites-Free Zinc-Ion Batteries.

Manipulating the crystallographic orientation of zinc deposition is recognized as an effective approach to address zinc dendrites and side reactions for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs). We introduce 2-methylimidazole (Mlz) additive in zinc sulfate (ZSO) electrolyte to achieve vertical electrodeposition with preferential orientation of the (100) and (110) crystal planes. Significantly, the zinc anode exhibited long lifespan with 1500 h endurance at 1 mA cm and an excellent 400 h capability at a depth of discharge (DOD) of 34% in Zn||Zn battery configurations, while in Zn||MnO battery assemblies, a capacity retention of 68.

How liquids charge the superhydrophobic surfaces.

Liquid-solid contact electrification (CE) is essential to diverse applications. Exploiting its full implementation requires an in-depth understanding and fine-grained control of charge carriers (electrons and/or ions) during CE. Here, we decouple the electrons and ions during liquid-solid CE by designing binary superhydrophobic surfaces that eliminate liquid and ion residues on the surfaces and simultaneously enable us to regulate surface properties, namely work function, to control electron transfers.

Site-Selective Growth of fcc-2H-fcc Copper on Unconventional Phase Metal Nanomaterials for Highly Efficient Tandem CO Electroreduction.

Copper (Cu) nanomaterials are a unique kind of electrocatalysts for high-value multi-carbon production in carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CORR), which holds enormous potential in attaining carbon neutrality. However, phase engineering of Cu nanomaterials remains challenging, especially for the construction of unconventional phase Cu-based asymmetric heteronanostructures. Here the site-selective growth of Cu on unusual phase gold (Au) nanorods, obtaining three kinds of heterophase fcc-2H-fcc Au-Cu heteronanostructures is reported.

Selective Oxidation of sp-Bonded Carbon in Graphdiyne/Carbon Nanotubes Heterostructures to Form Dominant Epoxy Groups for Two-Electron Oxygen Reduction.

Two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e ORR) is of great significance to HO production and reversible nonalkaline Zn-air batteries (ZABs). Multiple oxygen-containing sp-bonded nanocarbons have been developed as electrocatalysts for 2e ORR, but they still suffer from poor activity and stability due to the limited and mixed active sites at the edges as well as hydrophilic character. Herein, graphdiyne (GDY) with rich sp-C bonds is studied for enhanced 2e ORR.

Controlled Synthesis of Unconventional Phase Alloy Nanobranches for Highly Selective Electrocatalytic Nitrite Reduction to Ammonia.

The controlled synthesis of metal nanomaterials with unconventional phases is of significant importance to develop high-performance catalysts for various applications. However, it remains challenging to modulate the atomic arrangements of metal nanomaterials, especially the alloy nanostructures that involve different metals with distinct redox potentials. Here we report the general one-pot synthesis of IrNi, IrRhNi and IrFeNi alloy nanobranches with unconventional hexagonal close-packed (hcp) phase.

Dynamic multicolor emissions of multimodal phosphors by Mn trace doping in self-activated CaGaO.

The manipulation of excitation modes and resultant emission colors in luminescent materials holds pivotal importance for encrypting information in anti-counterfeiting applications. Despite considerable achievements in multimodal and multicolor luminescent materials, existing options generally suffer from static monocolor emission under fixed external stimulation, rendering them vulnerability to replication. Achieving dynamic multimodal luminescence within a single material presents a promising yet challenging solution.

Dilute Aqueous-Aprotic Electrolyte Towards Robust Zn-Ion Hybrid Supercapacitor with High Operation Voltage and Long Lifespan.

With the merits of the high energy density of batteries and power density of supercapacitors, the aqueous Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors emerge as a promising candidate for applications where both rapid energy delivery and moderate energy storage are required. However, the narrow electrochemical window of aqueous electrolytes induces severe side reactions on the Zn metal anode and shortens its lifespan. It also limits the operation voltage and energy density of the Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors.

Pt-Modified High Entropy Rare Earth Oxide for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution in pH-Universal Environments.

The development of efficient and stable catalysts for hydrogen production from electrolytic water in a wide pH range is of great significance in alleviating the energy crisis. Herein, Pt nanoparticles (NPs) anchored on the vacancy of high entropy rare earth oxides (HEREOs) were prepared for the first time for highly efficient hydrogen production by water electrolysis. The prepared Pt-(LaCeSmYErGdYb)O showed excellent electrochemical performances, which require only 12, 57, and 77 mV to achieve a current density of 100 mA cm in 0.

Highly Active CoNi-CoN Composite Sites Synergistically Accelerate Oxygen Electrode Reactions in Rechargeable Zinc-Air Batteries.

Reaching rapid reaction kinetics of oxygen reduction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reactions (OER) is critical for realizing efficient rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs). Herein, a novel CoNi-CoN composite site containing CoNi alloyed nanoparticles and CoN moieties is first constructed in N-doped carbon nanosheet matrix (CoNi-CoN/C). Benefiting from the high electroactivity of CoNi-CoN composite sites and large surface area, CoNi-CoN/C shows a superior half-wave potential (0.

Coordination Environment Engineering of Metal Centers in Coordination Polymers for Selective Carbon Dioxide Electroreduction toward Multicarbon Products.

Electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CORR) toward value-added chemicals/fuels has offered a sustainable strategy to achieve a carbon-neutral energy cycle. However, it remains a great challenge to controllably and precisely regulate the coordination environment of active sites in catalysts for efficient generation of targeted products, especially the multicarbon (C) products. Herein we report the coordination environment engineering of metal centers in coordination polymers for efficient electroreduction of CO to C products under neutral conditions.

Implanting oxophilic metal in PtRu nanowires for hydrogen oxidation catalysis.

Bimetallic PtRu are promising electrocatalysts for hydrogen oxidation reaction in anion exchange membrane fuel cell, where the activity and stability are still unsatisfying. Here, PtRu nanowires were implanted with a series of oxophilic metal atoms (named as i-M-PR), significantly enhancing alkaline hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) activity and stability. With the dual doping of In and Zn atoms, the i-ZnIn-PR/C shows mass activity of 10.

Crystal Phase Engineering of Ultrathin Alloy Nanostructures for Highly Efficient Electroreduction of Nitrate to Ammonia.

Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NORR) toward ammonia synthesis is recognized as a sustainable strategy to balance the global nitrogen cycle. However, it still remains a great challenge to achieve highly efficient ammonia production due to the complex proton-coupled electron transfer process in NORR. Here, the controlled synthesis of RuMo alloy nanoflowers (NFs) with unconventional face-centered cubic (fcc) phase and hexagonal close-packed/fcc heterophase for highly efficient NORR is reported.