Grain-Boundary-Rich Pt/CoO Nanosheets for Solar-Driven Overall Water Splitting.

Interfacial engineering is considered an effective strategy to improve the electrochemical water-splitting activity of catalysts by modulating the local electronic structure to expose more active sites. Therefore, we report a platinum-cobaltic oxide nanosheets (Pt/CoO NSs) with plentiful grain boundary as the efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for water splitting. The Pt/CoO NSs exhibit a low overpotential of 55 and 201 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm for the hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction in 1.

Ionic liquid assisted construction of synergistic modulated multiphase hybrid composites for boosting electrochemical energy storage.

The unique structure and strong interaction of multiphase hybrid materials have garnered significant attention as prospective candidates for electrode materials in the realm of energy storage. The present study presents a rational design of a functional NiSe-CoSe/N, B double-doped carbon hybrid composite (NCS/C), resulting in the emergence of various novel cooperative regulatory mechanisms involving: (i) the heterogeneous structure of NiSe and CoSe generates built-in electric fields to increase electron mobility; (ii) the incorporation of polyatomic double-doped carbon (N, and B) expedites electron transfer rate; intriguingly, (iii) ionic liquids not only serve as polyatomic dopants in the reaction system but also influence the microstructure of the composite. Benefiting from these synergistic effects, the NCS/C hybrid exhibits remarkable charge storage capacity and rapid electrochemical kinetics, driven by its multi-fold hollow structure and multicomponent cooperative modulation.

Photoelectrochemical High-Value-Added Chemical Production with Improved Selectivity.

Photoelectrochemistry provides an important application in the production of high-value-added chemicals. However, photoelectrochemical organic transformation with high product selectivity remains a challenge. Until now, various technologies have been developed to promote the selectivity of photoelectrochemical high-value-added chemical production.

Nanoparticle-assembled interconnected PbO hollow spheres enabled by PVP-driven transformation of β-PbO and self-sacrificial templating for superior lithium storage.

Lead oxides (PbO, 1 ≤ ≤ 2) are promising high-capacity and low-cost anodes for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). However, the huge lithiation-induced volume expansion of conventional large-sized PbO particles leads to severe electrode pulverization with poor cycling stability. Herein, a rare mixed-valence PbO with a unique hierarchical architecture of nanoparticle-assembled interconnected hollow spheres (denoted PbO NAHSs) is crafted by introducing polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) into the solution of generating β-PbO microspheres (MSs), which is exploited for the first time as a potential advanced anode material for LIBs.

Lignin nanoparticle/MXene-based conductive hydrogel with mechanical robustness and strain-sensitivity property via rapid self-gelation process towards flexible sensor.

Conductive hydrogels have been showcased with substantial potential for soft wearable devices. However, the tedious preparation process and poor trade-off among overall properties, i.e.

Potassium escaping balances the degree of graphitization and pore channel structure in hard carbon to boost plateau sodium storage capacity.

Biomass holds significant potential for large-scale synthesis of hard carbon (HC), and HC is seen as the most promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, designing a HC anode with a rich pore structure, moderate graphitization and synthesis through a simple process using a cost-effective precursor to advance SIBs has long been a formidable challenge. This is primarily because high temperatures necessary for pore regulation invariably lead to excessive graphitization.

Highly Conductive Non-Calcined 2D CuCo Bimetallic-Organic Framework for Urea Electrolysis in Simulated Seawater.

Global clean energy demands can be effectively addressed using the promising approach of hydrogen energy generation combined with less energy consumption. Hydrogen can be generated, and urea-rich wastewater pollution can be mitigated in a low-energy manner using the urea oxidation reaction (UOR). This paper seeks to assemble a unique electrocatalyst of a pristine 2D MOF, [Co(HBTC)(DMF)] (Co-MUM-3), from 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate (BTC) to oxidize urea in simulated seawater.

[Two new phenolic glucosides with antioxidant activity from Lythrum salicaria].

Chromatographic techniques were employed to separate and purify the active components with antioxidant activity from the aboveground part of Lythrum salicaria. The data of 1D/2D NMR, optical rotation, and high-resolution mass spectrometry were used to identify the purified compounds. Six phenolic glucosides were identified, including 6'-(p-methoxyphenyl)gallate-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(1), 6'-ethyl-p-hydroxyphenylethanol-β-D-glucopyranoside(2), 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenol-β-D-glucopyranoside(3), 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl 1-O-β-apiofuranosyl(1″→6')-β-glucopyranoside(4), benzylalcohol O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside(5), and 6'-acetylethanol-β-D-glucopyranoside(6).

Green-light-induced selective hydroselenation of olefins with diselenides.

A selective green-light-induced hydroselenation of alkenes with diselenides using Hantzsch ester as the hydrogen donor has been developed. In the case of electron-neutral diaryl diselenides and diacyl ones, alkenes undergo anti-Markovnikov-selective hydroselenation. When switching to electron-deficient diaryl diselenides and dialkyl ones, Markovnikov-selective hydroselenation occurs.

The Biochar Derived from Pecan Shells for the Removal of Congo Red: The Effects of Temperature and Heating Rate.

Organic pollutants, especially dyes, are seriously hazardous to the aquatic system and humans due to their toxicity, and carcinogenic or mutagenic properties. In this study, a biochar prepared from agricultural waste (pecan shells) via pyrolysis was applied to remove the dye pollutant Congo Red from wastewater to avoid a negative effect to the ecosystem. This study also investigated the effect of preparation conditions (temperature and heating rate) on the physicochemical properties and the adsorption performance of biochars.

Lead regulation of electronic properties and local structure of palladium (111) facet for enhanced direct hydrogen peroxide synthesis.

Direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide (DSHP) from oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H) offers a promising alternative to anthraquinone oxidation for hydrogen peroxide (HO) production, yet challenges remain in achieving high selectivity and productivity. In this study, palladium octahedral nanoparticles (Pd ONPs) exposing Pd(111) facets were first synthesized, followed by the introduction of lead (Pb) atoms onto these facets to construct Pb-Pd(111) surface alloy structures (Pd@Pd-Pbx ONPs) for efficient DSHP. Characterization results indicated that the introduction of Pb atoms increased the electron density of Pd atoms and significantly reduced the number of low-coordinated Pd atoms.

Stabilization of fast lithium-ionic conduction phase of nanaoconfined LiBH for lithium metal solid-state batteries.

The nanoconfinement of LiBH into mesoporous AlO as a fast lithium-ion conductor is presented, and its high-temperature phase is retained at near-room temperature. It exhibits an excellent electrochemical stability and Li conductivity of 3.2 × 10 S cm at 75 °C, which represents an increase of nearly three orders of magnitude compared to the pristine one.

Preparation of Electrochromic Hydrogels Based on Anderson-Type POMs-Viologen Compounds with Photochromic and Thermochromic Properties.

Currently, color-changing materials with multiple responses have emerged as a prominent research focus. In this work, two Anderson-type POMs-viologen compounds were successfully synthesized under solvothermal conditions, namely, (1,3-bcby)·[AlMo(OH)O]·(en)·HO () and (1,3-bcby)·[Co(HO)TeMoO]·2HO () (1,3-bcby = 1,1'-bis(3-cyanobenzyl)-4,4'-bipyridine dichloride, en = ethylenediamine). Compound shows a two-dimensional supramolecular lattice structure through the hydrogen bonding of dissociated water molecules.

Structure and property exploration of two-dimensional, bulk, and cluster lithium sulfide using the IMODE method.

Lithium sulfide (LiS) plays an important role in fields such as energy, environment and semiconductors. Exploration of the microstructure of LiS has significant implications for developing new materials and optimizing related material properties. In this work, the inverse design of materials by the multi-objective differential evolution (IMODE) method combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations was used to predict the two-dimensional (2D), three-dimensional (3D), and cluster structures of LiS.

Highly stable 3D cellulose micro-rolls support TiO for efficient photocatalysis degradation experiment under weak light conditions.

Immobilization of nanometer-scale photocatalysts on a 3D polymeric substrate could play several complementary roles in photocatalysis, such as providing mechanical stability, facilitating easy recycling after usage, enhancing adsorption capability, and improving light harvesting properties through multiple reflections. To achieve stable and efficient photocatalysis under weak light conditions, 3D cellulose micro-rolls were introduced into the photocatalytic composites. Here, the formation of micro-rolls is attributed to the presence of titania nanoparticles, which generate uneven shrinkage stress in cellulose during the freeze-drying process, thereby inducing the cellulose to curl up.

Latent Solvent-Induced Inorganic-Rich Interfacial Chemistry to Achieve Stable Potassium-Ion Batteries in Low-Concentration Electrolyte.

Low-concentration electrolytes (LCEs) have attracted great attention due to their cost effectiveness and low viscosity, but suffer undesired organic-rich interfacial chemistry and poor oxidative stability. Herein, a unique latent solvent, 1,2-dibutoxyethane (DBE), is proposed to manipulate the anion-reinforced solvation sheath and construct a robust inorganic-rich interface in a 0.5 M electrolyte.

Regulated solvation structure and solid electrolyte interfaces via imidazolium ionic gel electrolytes with high Li-ion transference number for Li-metal batteries.

Solid lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are faced with problems such as the solvation structure of lithium ion and the instability of solid electrolyte interface (SEI), which lead to poor cycling stability and anode interface damage. Here, the introduced 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide ([EMIM][FSI]) ionic liquid (IL) interacts strongly with Lithium salt to form a new ionic gel electrolyte (IGE) based on the poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP), which facilitates the excellent Li-ion transference number up to 0.506 and improves the mechanical properties.

Topological Defect-Regulated Porous Carbon Nanoribbon for High-Performance Potassium-Ion Batteries.

Potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) using carbonaceous anode materials have attracted a great deal of research interest. However, the large atomic size of potassium ions inevitably leads to huge volume expansion and the collapse of anodes during intercalation, which greatly hinders rate performance and cycling life. In this work, carbon nanotube-derived porous N-doped carbon nanoribbon (CNR) bundles are designed as an anode for PIBs.

Advancing High-Performance Memristors Enabled by Position-Controlled Grain Boundaries in Controllably Grown Star-Shaped MoS.

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides are highly promising platforms for memristive switching devices that seamlessly integrate computation and memory. Grain boundaries (GBs), an important micro-nanoscale structure, hold tremendous potential in memristors, but their role remains unclear due to their random distribution, which hinders fabrication. Herein, we present a novel chemical vapor deposition approach to synthesize star-shaped MoS nanoflakes with precisely positioned GBs.

2D Cerium-Organic Frameworks as an Efficient Heterogeneous Catalyst for the Synthesis of 1,4-Dihydropyridines via Hantzsch Reaction.

Herein, a new two-dimensional (2D) Ce-organic frameworks (referred to as SLX-4) was achieved by traditional solvothermal conditions. Initial studies of SLX-4 toward Hantzsch reaction showed that good catalytic activity can be obtained under mild conditions, giving the desired 1,4-dihydropyridines in moderate to high yields. The catalyst could be reused at least 4 times keeping good catalytic activity.

Cation migration in layered oxide cathodes for sodium-ion batteries: fundamental failure mechanisms and practical modulation strategies.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are regarded as competitive candidates for the next generation of electrochemical energy storage (EES) systems due to their low cost and abundant sodium resources. Layered oxide cathodes have attracted much interest owing to their simple preparation process, high specific capacity and environmental friendliness. However, undesired cation migration during electrochemical reactions can lead to irreversible phase transitions and structural degradation of layered oxide cathode materials, resulting in a sharp decrease in specific capacity and energy density.

Surface oxygen vacancy regulation strategy enhances the electrochemical catalytic activity of CoFeO cathode for solid oxide fuel cells.

Oxygen vacancies are crucial for enhancing oxygen ion transport in solid-state materials. Therefore, an approach was established to efficiently adjust the surface oxygen vacancy concentration in the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathodes. This method employs NaBH solution to capture lattice oxygen on the cathode surface, enabling precise control over both the surface oxygen vacancy concentration and the transition metal ion valence states in spinel CoFeO (CFO) by modulating the NaBH treatment duration.