Synthesis mechanisms, property characterization, and environmental applications of biogenic FeS: A review.

Iron sulfide (FeS) exhibits superior reactivity toward a wide range of contaminants, making it a promising candidate for environmental remediation in various media, including surface water, wastewater, soil, and groundwater. Driven by green and sustainable development principles, efficient, low-cost, and environmentally friendly biosynthesis has attracted considerable attention and has great environmental remediation potential. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in biogenic FeS (bio-FeS), focusing on its synthesis mechanisms, performance characterization, and environmental applications.

Structure of Hydrothermally Stable Acid Sites and their Catalytic Role in P-Modified ZSM-5 Zeolite Revealed by Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy.

The ZSM-5 zeolite is the key active component in high-severity fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts and is routinely activated by phosphorus compounds in industrial production. To date, however, the detailed structure and function of the introduced phosphorus still remain ambiguous, which hampers the rational design of highly efficient catalysts. In this work, using advanced solid-state NMR techniques, we have quantitatively identified a total of seven types of P-containing complexes in P-modified ZSM-5 zeolite and clearly revealed their structure, location, and catalytic role.

Additives-Modified Electrodeposition for Synthesis of Hydrophobic Cu/CuO with Ag Single Atoms to Drive CO Electroreduction.

Copper-based electrocatalysts are recognized as crucial catalysts for CO electroreduction into multi-carbon products. However, achieving copper-based electrocatalysts with adjustable valences via one-step facile synthesis remains a challenge. In this study, Cu/CuO heterostructure is constructed by adjusting the anion species of the Cu ions-containing electrolyte during electrodeposition synthesis.

Charge-transfer complexation of coordination cages for enhanced photochromism and photocatalysis.

Intensified host-guest electronic interplay within stable metal-organic cages (MOCs) presents great opportunities for applications in stimuli response and photocatalysis. Zr-MOCs represent a type of robust discrete hosts for such a design, but their host-guest chemistry in solution is hampered by the limited solubility. Here, by using pyridinium-derived cationic ligands with tetrakis(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)borate (BAr) as solubilizing counteranions, we report the preparation of soluble Zr-MOCs of different shapes (1-4) that are otherwise inaccessible through a conventional method.

Product oriented upcycling of waste polyethylene terephthalate plastic and carbon dioxide via decoupled electrolysis.

End-of-life plastics and carbon dioxide (CO2) are anthropogenic waste carbon resources; it is imperative to develop efficient technologies to convert them to value-added products. Here we report the upcycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic and CO2 toward valuable potassium diformate, terephthalic acid, and H2 fuel via decoupled electrolysis. This product-oriented process is realized by two electrolyzers: (1) a solid-state-electrolyte based CO2 electrolyzer and (2) a solid-polymer-electrolyte-based PET electrolyzer.

Tuning the Selectivity in the Nonoxidative Alkane Dehydrogenation Reaction by Potassium-Promoted Zeolite-Encapsulated Pt Catalysts.

The significance of the nonoxidative dehydrogenation of middle-chain alkanes into corresponding alkenes is increasing in the context of the world's declining demands on transportation fuels and the growing demand for chemicals and materials. The middle-chain alkenes derived from the dehydrogenation reaction can be transformed into value-added chemicals in downstream processes. Due to the presence of multiple potential reaction sites, the reaction mechanism of the dehydrogenation of middle-chain alkanes is more complicated than that in the dehydrogenation of light alkanes, and there are few prior studies on elucidating their detailed structure-reactivity relationship.

High-Entropy Alloy Nanoflower Array Electrodes with Optimizable Reaction Pathways for Low-Voltage Hydrogen Production at Industrial-Grade Current Density.

Developing sufficiently effective non-precious metal catalysts for large-current-density hydrogen production is highly significant but challenging, especially in low-voltage hydrogen production systems. Here, we innovatively report high-entropy alloy nanoflower array (HEANFA) electrodes with optimizable reaction pathways for hydrazine oxidation-assisted hydrogen production at industrial-grade current densities. Atomic-resolution structural analyses confirm the single-phase solid-solution structure of HEANFA.

Study on the Effect of Structure and Acidity of Hydrocracking Catalyst Support on the Selectivity of Middle Distillate.

Hydrocracking has become the main technology for producing diesel fuel in many refineries, the key process to meeting new product specifications as environmental regulations for transportation fuels become more stringent. The efficacy of the hydrocracking catalyst is a pivotal determinant of the reaction performance. This study leveraged high-throughput experimentation to closely examine the impact of support properties on both the catalytic activity and the selectivity of middle distillates.

Discrimination of the Synergistic Effect of Different Zinc Active Sites with a Brønsted Acid in Zeolite for Dehydrogenation Cracking of -Octane and Ethane Dehydroaromatization.

The synergetic effect of different zinc active sites with a Brønsted acid site (BAS) in Zn-MCM-22 for -octane dehydrogenation cracking and ethane dehydroaromatization was investigated. Zn-MCM-22 catalysts containing ZnO were prepared via incipient wetness impregnation (IM) using liquid ion grafting, whereas those containing [ZnO] were prepared via atom-planting (AP) using the gas dechlorination reaction. The synergetic effects of BAS with micropore incorporated [ZnO] and external surface ZnO species on the dehydrogenation of different molecule size reactants -octane and ethane were compared.

CO-Tolerant Heterogeneous Ruthenium Catalysts for Efficient Formic Acid Dehydrogenation.

The development of improved and less costly catalysts for dehydrogenation of formic acid (HCOOH) is of general interest for renewable energy technologies involving hydrogen storage and release. Theoretical calculations reveal that ruthenium (Ru) nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped carbon should be appropriate catalysts for such transformations. It is predicted that nitrogen doping significantly decreases the formation of CO, but at the same time increases CO tolerance of the catalysts.

Hydrogenation Reaction Mechanisms on Ni-Doped MoS Catalysts: A Density Functional Theory Study of Sulfur Edge Engineering and Coregulated Electronic Effects.

Precise modulation of local interatomic interactions affecting the electronic structure is an important method to control the catalytic activity and reaction pathways. In this study, we focused on the hydrogenation reaction of naphthalene and employed density functional theory calculations to investigate the specific influence of electronic effects triggered by the coregulation of Ni and sulfur edge engineering on the hydrogenation performance of Ni-doped MoS at different edge sulfur coverages (Ni-MoS-X-θ). Our findings reveal that the interaction between Ni and S in the catalyst matrix material modifies the local electronic structure surrounding the sulfur atoms in the active site.

Recent advances in microenvironment regulation for electrocatalysis.

High-efficiency electrocatalysis could serve as the bridge that connects renewable energy technologies, hydrogen economy and carbon capture/utilization, promising a sustainable future for humankind. It is therefore of paramount significance to explore feasible strategies to modulate the relevant electrocatalytic reactions and optimize device performances so as to promote their large-scale practical applications. Microenvironment regulation at the catalytic interface has been demonstrated to be capable of effectively enhancing the reaction rates and improving the selectivities for specific products.

New near-infrared fluorescent probe for imaging superoxide anion of cell membrane.

Selective imaging of superoxide anion is important for understanding its role in cell membrane biology, but is often a challenging task because of the lack of an effective fluorescence probe. In this study, a new near-infrared fluorescent probe (SHX-O) that can target cell membrane was developed for imaging superoxide anion. SHX-O was designed by simultaneously incorporating a sulfonated bis-indole and a diphenylphosphinyl recognition group into the hemicyanine moiety.

Gas-delivery membrane as an alternative aeration method to remove dissolved methane from anaerobically treated wastewater.

Dissolved methane is a hurdle for anaerobic wastewater treatment, which would be stripped into the atmosphere by conventional bubble aeration and increase the release of greenhouse gases into the environment. The high oxygen transfer efficiency and less turbulence in membrane aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) could prevent the stripping of dissolved methane. In this study, an MABR was established to remove dissolved methane aerobically in parallel to the nitrogen removal driven by the anammox process.

New insights on zero-valent iron permeable reactive barrier for Cr(VI) removal: The function of FeS reaction zone downstream in-situ generated by sulfate-reducing bacteria.

The biogeochemical behavior downstream of the zero-valent iron permeable reactive barrier (ZVI-PRB) plays an enormous positive role in the remediation of contaminated-groundwater, but has been completely neglected for a long time. Therefore, this study conducted a 240-day SRB-enhanced ZVI-PRB column experiment, focusing on what exactly happens downstream of ZVI-PRB. Results show that biosulfidation of SRB inside ZVI-PRB prolonged the complete Cr(VI) removal longevity of ZVI-PRB from 38 days to at least 240 days.

Aerobic Thiols Oxidative Coupling to Disulfides over Robust CoO Nanoclusters Confined within Hierarchical Silicalite-1 Zeolite.

Disulfide is an important organic reagent and synthetic intermediate that is widely used in organic synthesis, polymers, and other fields, but its synthesis still suffers from many environmental pollution and economic problems. Here, we present an environmentally friendly and efficient base-free aerobic oxidative thiol coupling catalyzed by heterogeneous CoO nanoclusters entrapped in hierarchical silicalite-1 zeolite, synthesized by combining silane pore expansion and metal coordination methods under hydrothermal conditions. It is confirmed that open hierarchical channels favor mass diffusion, and the chemical valence of Co species in CoO/-S-1-H is +2, which is different from that of CoO particles in CoO/-S-1-I.

Transformation of iron-minerals from natural aquifer media by sulfate-reducing bacteria: Behavior, mechanism, and Cr(VI) removal.

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and iron minerals are widespread in subsurface environments, where their mediated Fe and S transformations are crucial for contaminant immobilization. However, the mechanism mediated by SRB to transform natural iron minerals into reduced iron-sulfur compounds and the contaminant removal capacity of the transformation products remain unclear. Herein, the mechanism of native SRB-mediated transformation of iron-minerals from natural aquifer media into biogenic ferrous sulfide (FeS) was revealed and the Cr(VI) removal performance of the transformation product was evaluated.

A Rapid Analysis Method for Determination of Hydrocarbon Types in Aviation Turbine Fuel by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

A rapid analysis method for determination of hydrocarbon types in aviation turbine fuel was investigated in this study. A kind of reversible adsorption material packed as an unsaturated trap was used to separate saturated hydrocarbons and unsaturated hydrocarbons in the GC-MS system. No manual process or organic reagent was needed during the entire analysis process.

Interface engineering of Platinum-Copper alloy/titanium dioxide for enhanced photocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction.

To develop an efficient photocatalytic carbon dioxide (CO) reduction aimed at mitigating CO emissions and greenhouse effects, we propose a straightforward strategy involving hydrogen reduction treatment of PtCu/Ti to create the PtCu/Ti-H catalyst with a distinctive interface structure. Compared with the fresh PtCu/Ti catalyst and the benchmark anatase TiO, the CH production of the PtCu/Ti-H catalyst increased by 2 times and 81.6 times, respectively.

pH dependence of reactive oxygen species generation and pollutant degradation in Fe(II)/O/tripolyphosphate system.

It has been reported that tripolyphosphate (TPP) can effectively enhance the activation of O by Fe(II) to remove organic pollutants in the environment. However, the influence of solution pH on the generation and conversion of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and their degradation of pollutants in the Fe(II)/O/TPP system needs further investigation. In this study, we demonstrated that O and •OH were the main ROS responsible for degradation in the system at different pH conditions, and their formation rates were calculated using a steady-state model.

Layered MXene Films via Self-Assembly.

MXene has attracted significant attention as a 2D material family due to its metallic conductivity and abundant surface functional groups and has been extensively studied and applied as bulk materials and microscale thin films. MXene possesses ionizable surfaces and edges, as well as high surface area. Its customizable dispersibility demonstrates unique advantages in self-assembly solution processing.