Complete Metal Recycling from Lithium-Ion Batteries Enabled by Hydrogen Evolution Catalyst Reconstruction.

Mass adoption of electric vehicles and the depletion of finite metal resources make it imperative to recycle lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, current recycling routes of pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy are mainly developed for LiCoO and suffer from great energy inputs and extensive processing; thus, alternative versatile and green approaches are in urgent demand. Here, we report an ingenious and versatile strategy for recycling LIBs via catalyst reconstruction, using hydrogen evolution reaction as a proof of concept.

Built-in electric field and oxygen absorption synergistically optimized an organic/inorganic heterojunction for high-efficiency photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production.

The production of hydrogen peroxide (HO) from oxygen and water is an attractive route for converting solar energy into chemical energy. In order to achieve high solar-to-HO conversion efficiency, floral inorganic/organic (CdS/TpBpy) composite with strong oxygen absorption and S-scheme heterojunction was synthesized by simple solvothermal-hydrothermal methods. The unique flower-like structure increased the active sites and oxygen absorption.

Low-temperature lithium-ion batteries: challenges and progress of surface/interface modifications for advanced performance.

Lithium-ion batteries are in increasing demand for operation under extreme temperature conditions due to the continuous expansion of their applications. A significant loss in energy and power densities at low temperatures is still one of the main obstacles limiting the operation of lithium-ion batteries at sub-zero temperatures. In addition to electrodes and electrolytes, more attention should be paid to the electrode-electrolyte interface, considering that the total internal resistance of batteries at low temperatures is dominated by interfacial charge transfer resistance.

Ni-Co Bimetallic Hydroxide Nanosheet Arrays Anchored on Graphene for Adsorption-Induced Enhanced Photocatalytic CO Reduction.

Photocatalytic CO reduction can be implemented to use CO , a greenhouse gas, as a resource in an energy-saving and environmentally friendly way, in which suitable catalytic materials are required to achieve high-efficiency catalysis. Insufficient accessible active sites on the catalyst surface and inhibited electron transfer severely limit the photocatalytic performance. Therefore, porous aerogels are constructed from composites comprising different ratios of Ni-Co bimetallic hydroxide (Ni Co ) grown on reduced graphene oxide (GR) into a hierarchical nanosheet-array structure using a facile in situ growth method.

Pt-Co nanoparticles supported on hollow multi-shelled CeO as a catalyst for highly efficient toluene oxidation: Morphology control and the role of bimetal synergism.

A series of hollow multi-shelled CeO (HoMS-CeO) support materials with tunable shell numbers were fabricated and applied to the catalytic oxidation of toluene. HoMS-CeO possess much higher catalytic activity (T = 236 ℃) than hollow CeO with only a single shell (h-CeO) (T = 275℃). The porous multiple-shelled structure has a higher S, which strongly promotes gas distribution and provides more active sites.

Solvent-Mediated Shell Dimension Reconstruction of Core@Shell PdAu@Pd Nanocrystals for Robust C1 and C2 Alcohol Electrocatalysis.

The core@shell structure dimension of the Pd-based nanocrystals deeply impacts their catalytic properties for C1 and C2 alcohol oxidation reactions. However, the precise simultaneous control on the synthesis of core@shell nanocrystals with different shell dimensions is difficult, and most synthesis on Pd-based core@shell nanocatalysts involves the surfactants participation by multiple steps, thus leads to limited catalytic properties. Herein, for the first time, a facile one-step surfactant-free strategy is developed for shell dimension reconstruction of PdAu@Pd core@shell nanocrystals by altering volume ratios of mixed solvents.

Networking State of Ytterbium Ions Probing the Origin of Luminescence Quenching and Activation in Nanocrystals.

At the organic-inorganic interface of nanocrystals, electron-phonon coupling plays an important but intricate role in determining the diverse properties of nanomaterials. Here, it is reported that highly doping of Yb ions within the nanocrystal host can form an energy-migration network. The networking state Yb shows both distinct Stark splitting peak ratios and lifetime dynamics, which allows quantitative investigations of quenching and thermal activation of luminescence, as the high-dimensional spectroscopy signatures can be correlated to the attaching and de-attaching status of surface molecules.

Recent Progress of Ultrathin 2D Pd-Based Nanomaterials for Fuel Cell Electrocatalysis.

Pd- and Pd-based catalysts have emerged as potential alternatives to Pt- and Pt-based catalysts for numerous electrocatalytic reactions, particularly fuel cell-related reactions, including the anodic fuel oxidation reaction (FOR) and cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The creation of Pd- and Pd-based architectures with large surface areas, numerous low-coordinated atoms, and high density of defects and edges is the most promising strategy for improving the electrocatalytic performance of fuel cells. Recently, 2D Pd-based nanomaterials with single or few atom thickness have attracted increasing interest as potential candidates for both the ORR and FOR, owing to their remarkable advantages, including high intrinsic activity, high electron mobility, and straightforward surface functionalization.

An Optimized Fibril Network Morphology Enables High-Efficiency and Ambient-Stable Polymer Solar Cells.

Morphological stability is crucially important for the long-term stability of polymer solar cells (PSCs). Many high-efficiency PSCs suffer from metastable morphology, resulting in severe device degradation. Here, a series of copolymers is developed by manipulating the content of chlorinated benzodithiophene-4,8-dione (T1-Cl) via a random copolymerization approach.

Conjugate Polymer-clothed TiO@VO nanobelts and their enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance in water remediation.

An organic/inorganic core-shell nanobelt, TiO@VO-Polypyrrole (PPy) exhibiting high photocatalytic performance and water-stability was successfully prepared. The heterojunction between the TiO nanobelt and VO nanosheets improves both the ability to absorb visible light and the separation efficiency of the photogenerated carrier. When covered with the conjugated polymer PPy, the organic/inorganic nanocomposite absorbs throughout the whole visible light region and exhibits enhanced photocatalytic performance.

Z-scheme photocatalytic NO removal on a 2D/2D iodine doped BiOIO/g-CN under visible-light irradiation.

We report an unique 2D/2D Iodine doped BiOIO/g-CN heterojunction was successfully prepared. The iodine doped BiOIO was prepared by a simple solvent exchange method and combined with g-CN by solvothermal method. The prepared photocatalyst has potential application value in the future due to its excellent stable cycle property.

A Self-Cleaning Heterostructured Membrane for Efficient Oil-in-Water Emulsion Separation with Stable Flux.

Lack of clean water is a major global challenge. Membrane separation technology is an ideal choice for the treatment of industrial, domestic sewage owing to its low energy consumption and cost. However, membranes are highly susceptible to contamination, particularly during wastewater treatment, which has limited their practical applications in this field.

Single Molecule Magnetism with Strong Magnetic Anisotropy and Enhanced Dy∙∙∙Dy Coupling in Three Isomers of Dy-Oxide Clusterfullerene DyO@C.

A new class of single-molecule magnets (SMMs) based on Dy-oxide clusterfullerenes is synthesized. Three isomers of DyO@C with (6), (8), and (9) cage symmetries are characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, which shows that the endohedral Dy-(µ-O)-Dy cluster has bent shape with very short Dy-O bonds. DyO@C isomers show SMM behavior with broad magnetic hysteresis, but the temperature and magnetization relaxation depend strongly on the fullerene cage.

Removal of phenol from aqueous solution using acid-modified Pseudomonas putida-sepiolite/ZIF-8 bio-nanocomposites.

The discharge of phenol, a harmful pollutant, in the environment poses a threat to human health. With the rapid urbanization and industrialization of the land, there is a pressing need to find new technologies and efficient adsorption materials to address phenol contamination. As a potential adsorbent candidate, sepiolite (SEP) has garnered much interest owing to its large specific surface area, and excellent adsorption performance and biocompatibility.

ZIF-67-Derived 3D Hollow Mesoporous Crystalline Co O Wrapped by 2D g-C N Nanosheets for Photocatalytic Removal of Nitric Oxide.

ZIF-67-derived 3D hollow mesoporous crystalline Co O wrapped by 2D graphitic carbon nitride (g-C N ) nanosheets are prepared by low temperature annealing, and are used for the photocatalytic oxidation of nitric oxide (NO) at a concentration of 600 ppb. The p-n heterojunction between Co O and g-C N forms a spatial conductive network frame and results in a broad visible light response range. The hollow mesoporous structure of Co O contributes to the circulation and adsorption of NO, and the large specific surface area exposes abundant active sites for the reaction of active species.

Highly Efficient Flexible Polymer Solar Cells with Robust Mechanical Stability.

Landmark power conversion efficiency (PCE) over 14% has been accomplished for single-junction polymer solar cells (PSCs). However, the inevitable fracture of inorganic transporting layers and deficient interlayer adhesion are critical challenges to achieving the goal of flexible PSCs. Here, a bendable and thickness-insensitive Al-doped ZnO (AZO) modified by polydopamine (PDA) has emerged as a promising electron transporting layer (ETL) in PSCs.

Enhancement of organic pollutants bio-decontamination from aqueous solution using newly-designed Pseudomonas putida-GA/MIL-100(Fe) bio-nanocomposites.

As a natural adsorption material, graphene has become a hot research topic in water treatment due to its unique framework, large surface area, low cost, and simple preparation. Here, a series of composite material aerogels (GA/MIL-100(Fe)) consisting of Fe metal-organic frameworks (MIL-100 (Fe)) and graphene-based aerogel (GA) were prepared through a hydrothermal and step-by-step strategy and used for the adsorption of an azo dye in wastewater, scilicet acid orange 10 (AO10). The adsorption equilibrium of AO10 solutions with concentrations of 50 and 100 mg/L was reached within 45 min but the dye could not be fully removed.

Investigating the effect of mono- and multivalent counterions on the conformation of poly(styrenesulfonic acid) by nanopores.

Polyelectrolytes are useful materials that have many technical, medical, physiological and biological applications. The properties of polyelectrolytes are determined not only by their chemical composition but also by their conformational states. However, the conformations of polyelectrolytes in solution are very difficult to characterize.

The Alkaline Stability of Anion Exchange Membrane for Fuel Cell Applications: The Effects of Alkaline Media.

Alkaline alcohols (methanol, ethanol, propanol, and ethylene glycol) have been applied as fuels for alkaline anion exchange membrane fuel cells. However, the effects of alkaline media on the stability of anion exchange membranes (AEMs) are still elusive. Here, a series of organic cations including quaternary ammonium, imidazolium, benzimidazolium, pyridinium, phosphonium, pyrrolidinium cations, and their corresponding cationic polymers are synthesized and systematically investigated with respect to their chemical stability in various alkaline media (water, methanol, ethanol, and dimethyl sulfoxide) by quantitative H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations.

SnS/SnO heterostructured nanosheet arrays grown on carbon cloth for efficient photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI).

Nowadays, among the many heavy metal pollutants, hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) seriously threatens ecological systems and human health due to its high solubility, acute toxicity and potential carcinogenicity in wastewater. Meanwhile, semiconductor photocatalytic reduction is continuously gaining increasing significant research attention in the treatment of Cr(VI). Hence, we report an efficient preparation method for SnS/SnO composites on carbon cloth (CC), for efficient photocatalytic reduction of aqueous Cr(VI).