Adsorptive immobilization of cadmium and lead using unmodified and modified biochar: A review of the advances, synthesis, efficiency and mechanisms.

Biochar is an environmentally friendly adsorbent material with excellent adsorption performance due to its extensive pore structure, large specific surface area, and numerous surface functional groups. It is commonly used to treat inorganic and organic pollutants. In recent years, with increasing focus on controlling soil pollution caused by heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), the potential application of biochar has attracted much attention.

Laser processing materials for photo-to-thermal applications.

Photothermal conversion materials (PCMs) are crucial component in solar-thermal energy technologies. Although various PCMs with excellent sunlight harvesting have been developed for colorful solar-thermal applications, uniform and large-scale production of PCMs remains a challenge, and the PCMs prepared through the conventional methods are often non-site specific. Laser processing technology (LPT), as an efficient, convenient, green and sustainable technology, can directly create micro/nano structures and patterns at specific locations on materials surface, attracting widespread attention in photo-to-thermal applications.

Wide-Bandgap Lead Halide Perovskites for Next-Generation Optoelectronics: Current Status and Future Prospects.

Over the past decade, lead halide perovskites (LHPs), an emerging class of organic-inorganic ionic-type semiconductors, have drawn worldwide attention, which injects vitality into next-generation optoelectronics. Facilely tunable bandgap is one of the fascinating features of LHPs, enabling them to be widely used in various nano/microscale applications. Notably, wide-bandgap (WBG) LHPs have been considered as promising alternatives to traditional WBG semiconductors owing to the merits of low-cost, solution processability, superior optoelectronic characteristics, and flexibility, which could improve the cost-effectiveness and expand the application scenarios of traditional WBG devices.

Efficient and Stable Deep-Blue 0D Copper-Based Halide TEACuI with Near-Unity Photoluminescence Quantum Yield for Light-Emitting Diodes.

Achieving deep-blue light with high color saturation remains a critical challenge in the development of white light-emitting diode (LED) technology, necessitating luminescent materials that excel in efficiency, low toxicity, and stability. Here, we report the synthesis of [N(CH)]CuI (TEACuI) single crystals (SCs), which exhibit deep-blue photoluminescence (PL) at 450 nm. These crystals are characterized by a significant Stokes shift of 180 nm, a long lifetime of 1.

A Scalable Pore-space-partitioned Metal-organic Framework Powered by Polycatenation Strategy for Efficient Acetylene Purification.

Efficient separation of acetylene (CH) from carbon dioxide (CO) and ethylene (CH) is a significant challenge in the petrochemical industry due to their similar physicochemical properties. Pore space partition (PSP) has shown promise in enhancing gas adsorption capacity and selectivity by reducing pore size and increasing the density of guest binding sites. Herein, we firstly employ the 2D→3D polycatenation strategy to construct a PSP metal-organic framework (MOF) Ni-dcpp-bpy, incorporating functional N/O sites to enhance CH purification.

Zr-MOFs (UIO-66-NH)@Fluorinated Graphene for Developing Highly Antiwear, Friction-Reduction Lubricating Additives.

Fluorinated graphene (FG) among numerous two-dimensional materials has enormous potential in improving antifriction properties. However, they being susceptible to thermal oxidation and prone to wear hinder practical applications. Herein, UIO-66-NH (Zr-MOF) enjoying good chemical and thermal stabilities was assembled on the surface of FG nanosheets under covalent bonds and van der Waals forces.

Tailoring Cathode-Electrolyte Interface for High-Power and Stable Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Global interest in lithium-sulfur batteries as one of the most promising energy storage technologies has been sparked by their low sulfur cathode cost, high gravimetric, volumetric energy densities, abundant resources, and environmental friendliness. However, their practical application is significantly impeded by several serious issues that arise at the cathode-electrolyte interface, such as interface structure degradation including the uneven deposition of LiS, unstable cathode-electrolyte interphase (CEI) layer and intermediate polysulfide shuttle effect. Thus, an optimized cathode-electrolyte interface along with optimized electrodes is required for overall improvement.

Photo-Induced Synthesis of Ytterbium and Manganese-Doped CsPbCl Nanocrystals for Visible to Near-Infrared Photoluminescence with Negative Thermal Quenching.

Rare-earth-doped all-inorganic perovskite applications for near-infrared (NIR) emission are crucial for the construction of the next generation of intelligent lighting sources. However, the preparation of rare-earth-doped all-inorganic perovskite is complex, and difficult to control, and the issue of thermal quenching poses significant challenges to its practical application. Here, in order to address these issues, a convenient photo-induced synthesis method for CsPbCl:Mn/Yb nanocrystals (NCs) is proposed by decomposing carbon tetrachloride with 365 nm light to provide chloride ions and regulate the formation of perovskite at room temperature.

Emission-Tunable B←N Lewis Pair-Functionalized Naphthalenes.

Herein, we simultaneously synthesized three different double B←N Lewis pair-functionalized naphthalenes including the asymmetric BNNY and BNNO and the mirror-symmetric BNNR, via a one-pot method. The annulation modes of the B←N Lewis pairs and the substituents on the boron atoms efficiently tune the molecular frontier orbitals and emission colors. α-Position fusion leads to a significant enhancement of the HOMO energy level and a decrease in the HOMO-LUMO gap, while the electron-withdrawing groups attached to the boron atom make the LUMO energy level more stable.

Three in one: engineering MOF channels coordinated water arrays for regulated separation of alkanes and alkenes.

Purifying alkenes (mainly ethylene and propylene) by removing their corresponding alkanes is crucial yet challenging in the chemical industry. Selective physisorption shows promise for effective separation but demands precise pore dimensions and/or pore chemistry of adsorbents. We report an yttrium-based metal-organic framework, Y(TCHB)(OH)·2HO (HIAM-317, TCHB = 3,3',5,5'-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)-2,2',4,4',6,6'-hexamethyl-1,1'-biphenyl), that can separate ethylene/ethane and propylene/propane mechanisms regulated by coordinated water arrays.

Effect of Mg on Plasticity and Microstructure of Al-Mg-Ga-Sn-In Soluble Aluminum Alloy.

Soluble aluminum alloy materials used in underground operational tools are synthesized via a high-temperature smelting process. The microstructure and composition distribution of the alloy were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, metallographic microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray and electron backscatter diffraction techniques. The mechanical properties were evaluated using a universal testing machine and hardness tester, while solubility assessments were conducted in a constant-temperature water bath.

An ionic liquid crystal functionalized nanocellulose lubricant additives.

Cellulose, one of nature's most abundant, clean, and sustainable resources, has often shown unsatisfactory results when used as bio-lubricant additives. Herein, nanocellulose (NC) from amorphous waste natural poplar was extracted using deep eutectic solvent encapsulation treatment and chlorine bleaching process. Subsequently, 1-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide was integrated onto NC using a one-step hydrothermal treatment (high-temperature and high-pressure environment) to obtain ionic liquid crystal (ILC) functionalized products (named as ILC-NC).

A Broad-High Temperature Ceramic Capacitor with Local Polymorphic Heterogeneous Structures.

Crafting high-performance dielectrics tailored for pulsed power capacitors, in response to the escalating demands of practical applications, presents a formidable challenge. Herein, this work introduces a novel lineup of lead-free ceramics with local polymorphic heterogeneous structures, defined by the formula (1-x)[0.92BaTiO-0.

Enhancement and mechanism of mechanical properties and functionalities of polyacrylamide/polyacrylic acid hydrogels by 1D and 2D nanocarbon.

Highly flexible hydrogels are widely used in fields such as agriculture, drug delivery, and tissue engineering. However, the simultaneous integration of excellent mechanical properties, swelling properties, and high electrical conductivity into a hydrogel is still a great challenge. This work introduces 1D tubular multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and 2D layered graphene oxide (GO) into polyacrylamide/poly-acrylic acid (PAM/PAA) hydrogels.

Enhanced Energy Storage Properties of Four-Layer Composite Films via Strategic Macrointerface Modulation.

Dielectric capacitors play a crucial role in the field of energy storage; however, the low discharged energy density () of existing commercial dielectrics limits their future applications. Currently, further improvement in the of dielectrics is constrained by the challenge of simultaneously achieving high permittivity (ε) and high breakdown electric field strength (). To address this issue, we designed a series of four-layer poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-based composite films comprising three functional layers: a sodium bismuth titanate (NBT) plus PVDF composite (NBT&PVDF) layer to achieve high ε values and a pure PVDF layer and a boron nitride (BN) plus PVDF composite (BN&PVDF) layer to achieve high values.

Effect of In Situ Polymerization of Super Absorbent Polymers on the Protection of Earthen Heritage Sites in Semi-Arid Regions.

As precious cultural heritage, earthen sites are susceptible to various natural factors, leading to diverse forms of degradation. To protect earthen sites, the effects of super absorbent polymers (SAPs) on soil water retention, physical properties, and color compatibility at different concentrations were studied. After applying SAP treatment to an earthen site with different degrees of weathering, we drew the following conclusions.

CoO-Induced NaCO-Rich SEI Film on an FeNCN Electrode with Promoted Loading and High-Rate Na-Storage Performance.

Iron carbodiimide (FeNCN) often suffers from unstable interfacial structure with an unexpected failure of Na-ion storage performance. In this work, CoO particles were deposited on the surface of FeNCN. This CoO nanolayer led to the formation of a NaCO-rich inorganic component SEI film to enhance the stability of a promoted-loading FeNCN electrode interface with fast Na migration pathway.

Surface coating engineering of titanate anodes based on tannic acid-formaldehyde polymer chelating bismuth ions for advanced sodium-ion capacitors.

As a battery-type anode material for sodium ion capacitors (SICs), titanate (HTiO·HO, HTO) exhibits good rate capability due to its layered structure, easy to insert Na ions and low potential during sodium-ion storage. However, the structure is unstable due to the lattice distortion resulting from the irreversible embedment of Na in the process of sodium storage. So there is a significant mismatch between the dynamic reaction of the HTO anode and the capacitive cathode.

Different FeS Concentrations for Encapsulating ZIF-67 Nanomaterials toward the Enhanced Oxidation Evolution Reaction.

Due to the slow kinetic nature of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the development of electrocatalysts with high efficiency, stability, and economy for oxygen production using metal-organic framework (MOF) materials is still a challenging research topic. In this work, we chose the different concentrations of FeS adsorption to encapsulate metal cobalt-based ZIF-67 MOF for preparing a series of electrocatalysts (ZIFFeS, = 0.2, 0.

Ultrahydrophilic Inorganic Nanosheet-Based Nanofiltration Membranes for High Efficiency Separations of Inorganic Salts and Organic Dyes.

Two-dimensional (2D) inorganic nanomaterials have garnered extensive attention in the fabrication of inorganic nanofiltration membranes due to their unique structures and properties. In this study, we developed a facile process for fabricating large-scale ultrahydrophilic nanofiltration membranes using layered titanate HTiO·HO nanosheets (HT-ns). A drying deposition process was used to fabricate HT-ns membranes on a poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (TF) substrate.

Amyloid Proteins Adhesive for Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces.

Biomimetic slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) have emerged as a promising solution to solve the limitations of superhydrophobic surfaces, such as inadequate durability in corrosion protection and a propensity for frosting. However, the challenge of ensuring strong, lasting adhesion on diverse materials to enhance the durability of the lubricant layer remains. The research addresses this by leveraging amyloid phase-transitioned lysozyme (PTL) as an adhesive interlayer, conferring stable attachment of SLIPS across a variety of substrates, including metals, inorganics, and polymers.

Enhanced adsorption of tylosin by ordered multistage porous carbon and efficient in-situ regeneration of saturated adsorbents by activated persulfate oxidation: Performance, mechanism and multiple cycles.

In this study, a novel ordered multistage porous carbon (OMPC) with a micro-mesoporous structure was prepared and used for the removal of tylosin (TYL). The porous material, carbonized at 900 °C (OMPC-900), exhibited micro-mesoporous structures with pore sizes of 0.71 nm and 3.

Salt Resistant PPy/MXene Flexible Waffle Type Fabric for Efficient Solar Evaporation and Water Purification Production.

In recent years, with the development of solar seawater desalination technology, many solar evaporators are affected by precipitated salts during the evaporation process, which can reduce efficiency. In this work, flexible fabrics made of polypyrrole (PPy)/MXene are obtained by impregnating the prepared PPy ink onto waffle like fabrics. The combination of PPy and fabric greatly improves the water absorption and evaporation performance of the fabric.

Carbon Nanotube Supported Fluorine Substituted Iron Phthalocyanine Enabling Boosted Polysulfide Redox Conversion Kinetics and Cyclic Stability.

The sluggish transition and shuttle of polysulfides (LiPS) significantly hinder the application and commercialization of Li-S batteries. Herein, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) supported 10 nm sized iron Hexadecafluorophthalocyanine (FePcF/CNTs) are prepared using a solid synthesis approach. The well-exposed FePcF molecular improve the LiPS capture efficiency and redox kinetics by its central Fe-N units and F functional groups.