Engineering a Zn-NC electron bridge boosting charge transfer in ZnO/CN Z-scheme heterojunction for efficient photocatalytic disinfection.

Although photocatalytic disinfection can avoid secondary pollution and other shortcomings compared to traditional disinfection methods, its development is seriously hindered by poor charge separation and transfer efficiency. Herein, we design a Zn-NC (single Zn atoms embedded in nitrogen-doped carbon) bridged ZnO/CN Z-scheme heterojunction (ZnO/Zn-NC/CN) with robust interface contact by a multi-interfacial engineering strategy to achieve highly efficient separation and transfer of charge. Experimental and theoretical analyses demonstrate that the tightly integrated interface and excellent electrical conductivity of Zn-NC electron bridges ensure effective transfer of photogenerated charge carriers.

Isolated Ni Atoms for Enhanced Photocatalytic HO Performance with 1.05% Solar-to-Chemical Conversion Efficiency in Pure Water.

Photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide (HO) production encounters a major impediment in its low solar-to-chemical conversion (SCC) efficiency due to undesired HO product decomposition. Herein, an isolated nickel (Ni) atom modification strategy is developed to adjust the thermodynamic process of HO production to address the challenge. Sacrificial experiments and in situ characterization reveal that HO generation occurs via a highly selective indirect two-electron oxygen reduction reaction.

Enhancing activity and stability of FeNC catalysts through co incorporation for oxygen reduction reaction.

FeNC single atom catalysts (SACs) have attracted great interest due to their highly active FeN sites. However, the pyrolysis treatment often leads to inevitable metal migration and aggregation, which reduces the catalytic activity. Moreover, due to the Fenton reaction caused by FeNC in alkaline and acidic solutions, the presence of Fe and peroxide in electrodes may generate free radicals, resulting in serious degradation of the organic ionomer and the membrane.

Engineering Atomic Ag-N Sites with Enhanced Performance of Eradication Drug-Resistant Bacteria over Visible-Light-Driven Antibacterial Membrane.

Utilizing visible light for water disinfection is a more convenient, safe, and practical alternative to ultraviolet-light sterilization. Herein, we developed silver (Ag) single-atom anchored g-CN (P-CN) nanosheets (Ag/CN) and then utilized a spin-coating method to fabricate the Ag/CN-based-membrane for effective antibacterial performance in natural water and domestic wastewater. The incorporated Ag single atom formed a Ag-N motif, which increased the charge density around the N atoms, resulting in a built-in electric field ∼17.

In situ synthesis of graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet/TiCT MXene/TiO Z-scheme heterojunctions boosting charge transfer for full-spectrum driven photocatalytic sterilization.

The development of a full-spectrum responsive photocatalytic germicide with excellent charge separation efficiency to harvest high antimicrobial efficacy is a key goal yet a challenging conundrum. Herein, graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet (PCNS)/TiCT MXene/TiO (PMT) Z-scheme heterojunctions with robust interface contact were crafted by in situ interfacial engineering. The strong internal electrical field (IEF) from PCNS to TiO, evinced by the Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM) characterization, can obtain high charge separation efficiency with 73.

Contemporary advances in photocatalytic CO reduction using single-atom catalysts supported on carbon-based materials.

The persistent issue of CO emissions and their subsequent impact on the Earth's atmosphere can be effectively addressed through the utilization of efficient photocatalysts. Employing a sustainable carbon cycle via photocatalysis presents a promising technology for simultaneously managing the greenhouse effect and the energy dilemma. However, the efficiency of energy conversion encounters limitations due to inadequate carrier utilization and a deficiency of reactive sites.

Fabrication of a 2D/2D MXene/CN Heterojunction for Photothermally Assisted Photocatalytic Sterilization under Visible Light Irradiation.

Constructing an efficient visible light-responsive antibacterial material for water treatment remains a principal goal yet is a huge challenge. Herein, a 2D/2D heterojunction composite with robust interfacial contact, named MXene/CN (MCN), was controllably fabricated by using a urea molecule intercalated into MXene following an calcination method, which can realize the rapid separation and migration of photogenerated carriers under visible light irradiation and significantly improve the carrier concentration of the MXene surface, thus generating more reactive oxygen species. The generation of heat induced by MXene could also increase photogenic electron activity to facilitate the photocatalytic reaction using time-resolved photoluminescence characterization.

Dimensional-matched two dimensional/two dimensional TiO/BiO step-scheme heterojunction for boosted photocatalytic performance of sterilization and water splitting.

A Step-scheme (S-scheme) heterojunction can regulate the directional migration of powerful photogenerated carriers and realize high photocatalytic activity. Herein, we propose a novel dimensional matched S-scheme photocatalyst comprising of two-dimensional (2D) TiO nanosheets and 2D BiO nanosheets for environmental and energy applications, such as water sterilization and water splitting. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electron paramagnetic resonance, in-situ irradiated XPS and theoretical calculations provided strong evidence that the photocarrier migration in the TiO/BiO composite followed the S-scheme mode, which efficiently prevented the recombination of powerful photocarriers, thereby enabling the heterojunction with a strong redox ability for producing abundant reactive oxygen species.

Surface Structure Engineering of PtPd Nanoparticles for Boosting Ammonia Oxidation Electrocatalysis.

Achieving high catalytic ammonia oxidation reaction (AOR) performance of Pt-based catalysts is of paramount significance for the development of direct ammonia fuel cells (DAFCs). However, the high energy barrier of dehydrogenation of *NH to *NH and easy deactivation by *N on the Pt surface make the AOR show sluggish kinetics. Here, we have put forward an alloying and surface modulation tactic to optimize Pt catalysts.