Xanthate-Mediated Oxidation of LiS as the Lithium-Containing Cathode in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries with Extremely Low Overpotential.

Lithium-sulfide (LiS) has long been pursued as a lithium-containing cathode material for high-energy-density lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Unfortunately, its direct oxidation generally has a large overpotential, giving rise to low energy efficiency. The use of redox mediators to accelerate the conversion of solid LiS to polysulfides represents a possible solution to lower the initial oxidation overpotential.

Perfluoroalkyl-modified covalent organic frameworks for continuous photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide synthesis and extraction in a biphasic fluid system.

HO photosynthesis represents an appealing approach for sustainable and decentralized HO production. Unfortunately, current reactions are mostly carried out in laboratory-scale single-phase batch reactors, which have a limited HO production rate (<100 μmol h) and cannot operate in an uninterrupted manner. Herein, we propose continuous HO photosynthesis and extraction in a biphasic fluid system.

Metal-Free Photocatalytic Hydrogenation Using Covalent Triazine Polymers.

Photocatalytic hydrogenation of biomass-derived organic molecules transforms solar energy into high-energy-density chemical bonds. Reported herein is the preparation of a thiophene-containing covalent triazine polymer as a photocatalyst, with unique donor-acceptor units, for the metal-free photocatalytic hydrogenation of unsaturated organic molecules. Under visible-light illumination, the polymeric photocatalyst enables the transformation of maleic acid into succinic acid with a production rate of about 2 mmol g  h , and furfural into furfuryl alcohol with a production rate of about 0.

Molecular Heterostructures of Covalent Triazine Frameworks for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production.

Conjugated polymers have emerged as promising candidates for photocatalytic H production owing to their structural designability and functional diversity. However, the fast recombination of photoexcited electrons and holes limits their H production rates. We have now designed molecular heterostructures of covalent triazine frameworks to facilitate charge-carrier separation and promote photocatalytic H production.

Conjugated Cobalt Polyphthalocyanine as the Elastic and Reprocessable Catalyst for Flexible Li-CO Batteries.

Li-CO batteries represent an attractive solution for electrochemical energy storage by utilizing atmospheric CO as the energy carrier. However, their practical viability critically depends on the development of efficient and low-cost cathode catalysts for the reversible formation and decomposition of Li CO . Here, the great potential of a structurally engineered polymer is demonstrated as the cathode catalyst for rechargeable Li-CO batteries.

Photoelectroreduction of Building-Block Chemicals.

Conventional photoelectrochemical cells utilize solar energy to drive the chemical conversion of water or CO into useful chemical fuels. Such processes are confronted with general challenges, including the low intrinsic activities and inconvenient storage and transportation of their gaseous products. A photoelectrochemical approach is proposed to drive the reductive production of industrial building-block chemicals and demonstrate that succinic acid and glyoxylic acid can be readily synthesized on Si nanowire array photocathodes free of any cocatalyst and at room temperature.