Crystalline CoP@ Amorphous WP Coaxial Nanowire Arrays as Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Water Splitting.

The crystalline CoP@ amorphous WP core-shell nanowire arrays are oriented grown on the Ni foam (CoP@WP/NF). The amorphous WP shell provides more active sites, and the interface charge coupling accelerates the kinetic of the catalytic reaction, making the CoP@WP/NF catalysts excellent activity. In acidic, only 13 and 97 mV overpotentials are needed to reach 10 mA cm and 100 mA cm, respectively, which are the lowest overpotentials among all reported Transition metal phosphide (TMP) catalysts, of course, much lower than that of the Pt/C catalyst (31 mV at 10 mA cm, 120 mV at 100 mA cm).

Crystalline/amorphous heterostructure CoNi/MoO electrocatalyst for alkaline seawater hydrogen evolution at ultra-high current density of 4000 mA/cm.

Designing highly efficient nonprecious metal electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in seawater electrolyte, particularly under ultra-high current density conditions, remains a formidable challenge. In this study, we successfully synthesized a crystalline/amorphous heterostructured CoNi/MoO electrocatalyst through a facile hydrothermal method followed by a calcination-reduction process. The as-prepared CoNi/MoO catalyst exhibited remarkable HER catalytic performance in both alkaline water and seawater electrolytes.

P-NiFeO/N-Doped Carbon Nanotubes/NiFe Multi-Phase Heterojunctions for Overall Water Splitting and Urea Electrolysis.

The design and construction of highly efficient electrocatalysts for overall water splitting and urea electrolysis are significantly important for promoting energy conversion and realizing green hydrogen production. In this work, we constructed a multi-phase heterojunction through a simple hydrothermal and phosphorization process. The P-doped NiFeO (P-NiFeO) nanoparticles were uniformly anchored on the bamboo-like N-doped carbon nanotubes (NCNTs) grown via a NiFe-alloy autocatalysis.

Organic nano carbon source inducing 3D silica nanoparticles-graphene nanosheet layer on Cu current collector for high-performance anode-free lithium metal batteries.

Anode-free lithium metal batteries (AFLBs) have attracted considerable attention due to their high theoretical specific capacity and absence of Li. However, the heterogeneous Li deposition and stripping on the lithiophobic Cu collector hamper AFLBs in practice. To achieve a uniform and reversible Li deposition, a carbon-based layer on the Cu collector has attracted intense interest due to its high conductivity.

Ultranarrow Deep-Blue Luminescence of Perovskite Nanocrystals by A-Site Cation Control.

Metal-halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) are one of the most promising emitters for the application of display and nanolight sources. The full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of photoluminescence (PL) emission is essential for color purity, which however remains a difficulty to further reduce the FWHM of the perovskite NCs at room temperature. Here, we show the quasi-sphere perovskite NCs with narrow PL emission at a deep-blue wavelength of ∼430 nm; its PL FWHM reaches ∼11 nm at room temperature, owing to the monodispersion in size distribution as well as the symmetric quasi-sphere morphology of NCs releasing the fine structure splitting-induced inhomogeneous broadening.

Copious Dislocations Defect in Amorphous/Crystalline/Amorphous Sandwiched Structure P-NiMoO Electrocatalyst toward Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

The design and synthesis of efficient, inexpensive, and long-term stable heterostructured electrocatalysts with high-density dislocations for hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline media and seawater are still a great challenge. An amorphous/crystalline/amorphous sandwiched structure with abundant dislocations were synthesized through thermal phosphidation strategies. The dislocations play an important role in the hydrogen evolution reactions.

Porous N-Doped Carbon Decorated with Atomically Dispersed Independent Dual Metal Sites from Energetic Zeolite Imidazolate Frameworks as Bidirectional Catalysts for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have ultrahigh theoretical specific capacity and energy density, which are considered to be very promising energy storage devices. However, the slow redox kinetics of polysulfides are the main reason for the rapid capacity decay of Li-S batteries. A reasonable electrocatalyst for the Li-S battery should reduce the reaction barrier and accelerate the reaction kinetics of the bidirectional catalytic conversion of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs), thereby reducing the cumulative concentration of LiPSs in the electrolyte.

In situ lithiation modulation of LiNiCoMnO as bifunctional electrocatalysts for highly efficient overall water splitting.

LiNiCoMnO (NCM811) is a common cathode material in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), and the ever-increasing consumption of large quantities of LIBs raises critical concerns about their recycling. Herein, we propose an in-situ lithiation route to tune the structure and electrocatalytic properties of NCM811 by Li intercalation and exfoliation in LIBs. In this strategy, the morphology and microstructure of the lithiated NCM811 can be controlled by a specified discharge voltage.

Three-dimensional carbon network-supported black phosphorus-cobalt heterojunctions: An efficient electrocatalyst for high-rate oxygen evolution.

Black phosphorus (BP), as a burgeoning two-dimensional material, has shown good electrocatalytic activity due to its unique electronic structure and abundant active sites.However, the presence of lone pair electrons in black phosphorus leads to its poor stability and rapid degradation in an oxygen/water environment, which greatly limits its practical application. Herein, BP-Co heterojunctions were synthesized on carbon nanotube@nitrogen-doped carbon (BP-Co/CNT@NC) by the pyrolysis of ZnCo-zeolitic imidazolate frameworks and subsequent solvothermal treatment.

Room-Temperature Laser Planting of High-Loading Single-Atom Catalysts for High-Efficiency Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

Despite stunning progress in single-atom catalysis (SAC), it remains a grand challenge to yield a high loading of single atoms (SAs) anchored on substrates. Herein, we report a one-step laser-planting strategy to craft SAs of interest under an atmospheric temperature and pressure on various substrates including carbon, metals, and oxides. Laser pulses render concurrent creation of defects on the substrate and decomposition of precursors into monolithic metal SAs, which are immobilized on the as-produced defects via electronic interactions.

Stabilizing Solid-state Lithium Metal Batteries through In Situ Generated Janus-heterarchical LiF-rich SEI in Ionic Liquid Confined 3D MOF/Polymer Membranes.

Pursuing high power density lithium metal battery with high safety is essential for developing next-generation energy-storage devices, but uncontrollable electrolyte degradation and the consequence formed unstable solid-electrolyte interface (SEI) make the task really challenging. Herein, an ionic liquid (IL) confined MOF/Polymer 3D-porous membrane was constructed for boosting in situ electrochemical transformations of Janus-heterarchical LiF/Li N-rich SEI films on the nanofibers. Such a 3D-Janus SEI-incorporated into the separator offers fast Li transport routes, showing superior room-temperature ionic conductivity of 8.

Sulfur-deficient MoS-carbon hollow nanospheres for synergistic trapping and electrocatalytic conversion of polysulfides.

Lithium-sulfur battery is one of the most promising candidates for next-generation energy storage systems, but the serious shuttle effect and sluggish reaction kinetics of polysulfides impair its practical applications. Herein, sulfur-deficient MoS/carbon hollow nanospheres (MoS-CHNs) are firstly synthesized by a NaCl-template pyrolysis and employed as sulfur host for lithium-sulfur batteries. TEM analysis reveals that carbon hollow nanospheres existing in the composite are the backbones that help to immobilize the ultrathin MoS nanosheets and ensure their large specific surface area.

Chemical Energy-Driven Lithiation Preparation of Defect-Rich Transition Metal Nanostructures for Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

Transition metal nanostructures are widely regarded as important catalysts to replace the precious metal Pt for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in water splitting. However, it is difficult to obtain uniform-sized and ultrafine metal nanograins through general high-temperature reduction and sintering processes. Herein, a novel method of chemical energy-driven lithiation is introduced to synthesize transition metal nanostructures.

Zero-Strain High-Capacity Silicon/Carbon Anode Enabled by a MOF-Derived Space-Confined Single-Atom Catalytic Strategy for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Developing zero-strain electrode materials with high capacity is crucial for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Here, a new zero-strain composite material made of ultrasmall Si nanodots (NDs) within metal organic framework-derived nanoreactors (Si NDs⊂MDN) through a novel space-confined catalytic strategy is reported. The unique Si NDs⊂MDN anode features a low strain (<3%) and a high theoretical lithium storage capacity (1524 mAh g ) which far surpasses the traditional single-crystal counterparts that suffer from a low capacity delivery.

Multifunctional Protection Layers via a Self-Driven Chemical Reaction To Stabilize Lithium Metal Anodes.

The Li metal anode is considered one of the most potential anodes due to its highest theoretical specific capacity and the lowest redox potential. However, the scalable preparation of safe Li anodes remains a challenge. In the present study, a LiF-rich protection layer has been developed using self-driven chemical reactions between the LiLaTiO/polyvinylidene fluoride/dimethylacetamide (LLTO/PVDF/DMAc) solution and the Li metal.

FeNiP three-dimensional oriented nanosheet array bifunctional catalysts with better full water splitting performance than the full noble metal catalysts.

The 3D (three-dimensional) oriented nanosheet array FeNiP electrocatalyst grown on carbon cloth (FeNiP/CC) is explored in this work. This unique 3D oriented nanosheet array structure can expose more catalytic active sites, promote the penetration of electrolyte solution on the catalyst surface, and facilitate the transfer of ions, thus speeding up the kinetic process of Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and Oxygen evolution reaction (OER). At the current densities of 10 mA/cm in 1 M KOH solution, the HER overpotential (71 mV) of the FeNiP/CC self-supporting electrode is very close to that of noble metal HER catalyst of 20% Pt/C (54 mV), and its OER overpotential (210 mV) is 34% lower than that of the precious metal OER catalyst of RuO (318 mV), demonstrating the excellent electrocatalytic performance of the FeNiP/CC catalyst.

Mo/P Dual-Doped Co/Oxygen-Deficient CoO Core-Shell Nanorods Supported on Ni Foam for Electrochemical Overall Water Splitting.

The exploration for low-cost bifunctional materials for highly efficient overall water splitting has drawn profound research attention. Here, we present a facile preparation of Mo-P dual-doped Co/oxygen-deficient CoO core-shell nanorods as a highly efficient electrocatalyst. In this strategy, oxygen vacancies are first generated in CoO nanorods by lithium reduction at room temperature, which endows the materials with bifunctional characteristics of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER).

A dual-phase alloy with ultrahigh strength-ductility synergy over a wide temperature range.

High-entropy alloys (HEAs), as an emerging class of materials, have pointed a pathway in developing alloys with interesting property combinations. Although they are not exempted from the strength-ductility trade-off, they present a standing chance in overcoming this challenge. Here, we report results for a precipitation-strengthening strategy, by tuning composition to design a CoNiV-based face-centered cubic/B2 duplex HEA.

Constructing anatase TiO/Amorphous NbO heterostructures to enhance photocatalytic degradation of acetaminophen and nitrogen oxide.

TiO nanostructures have been one of the most explored metal oxides photocatalysts to apply for environmental remediation. However, its wide band gap results in the underutilization of sunlight for degradation of pollutants. In order to overcome this handicap, the synthesis of TiO-based composite has brought extraordinary materials.

B and cyano groups co-doped g-CN with multiple defects for photocatalytic nitrogen fixation in ultrapure water without hole scavengers.

B atoms and cyano groups co-doped graphite carbon nitride with nitrogen vacancies (VN-BC-CN) was explored via one-step in-situ route. A series of comprehensive experiments confirmed that B atoms and cyano groups had been doped into the framework of graphite carbon nitride, forming VN-BC-CN catalyst sample with a large number of nitrogen-vacancy defects. As electron acceptors, B and cyano groups could be used as active sites for nitrogen conversion.

The Ghd7 transcription factor represses ARE1 expression to enhance nitrogen utilization and grain yield in rice.

The genetic improvement of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of crops is vital for grain productivity and sustainable agriculture. However, the regulatory mechanism of NUE remains largely elusive. Here, we report that the rice Grain number, plant height, and heading date7 (Ghd7) gene genetically acts upstream of ABC1 REPRESSOR1 (ARE1), a negative regulator of NUE, to positively regulate nitrogen utilization.

Organic molecule confinement reaction for preparation of the Sn nanoparticles@graphene anode materials in Lithium-ion battery.

Sn@Graphene composites as anode materials in Lithium-ion batteries have attracted intensive interest due to the inherent high capacity. On the other side, the high atomic ratio (LiSn) induces the pulverization of the electrode with cycling. Thus, suppressing pulverization by designing the structure of the materials is an essential key for improving cyclability.