Harnessing Ammonia as a Hydrogen Carrier for Integrated CO Capture and Reverse Water-Gas Shift.

In this paper, a concept of integrated CO capture and reverse water-gas shift (ICCrWGS) process was proposed using NH as the H carrier. The CO efficiency and total thermal energy consumption for the conventional rWGS, ICCrWGS using H (H-ICCrWGS) and NH (NH-ICCrWGS), were calculated. ICCrWGS using H and NH was conducted over the thermally stable Ni/CaZr dual-function materials (DFMs).

The practical feasibility of bismuth oxyhalide semiconductors with controlled surface defects in photocatalytic degradation of toluene in air.

The photocatalytic degradation (PCD) of toluene (as model aromatic volatile organic compound (VOC)) is studied using two-dimensional semiconductors (bismuth oxyhalides (BiOX (X = Cl and Br)) synthesized with surface defects (BiOX-R (R = reduction)) through a solvothermal-induced reduction process. The PCD efficiency of BiOCl-R against 5 ppm toluene (20 % relative humidity (RH)) is 98.6 % under ultraviolet light irradiation with the quantum yield and clean air delivery rate of 1.

Polyol-Intermediated Facile Synthesis of B-Site-Rich Ru-Based Nanocatalysts for CO-Free Hydrogen Production via Ammonia Decomposition.

Herein, a B-site-rich Ru/MgAlO nanocatalyst for the production of CO-free hydrogen from ammonia (NH) is synthesized using the polyol method. The polyol method enables size-sensitive Ru-nanoparticle growth and controlled B-site formation on the catalyst by tuning the carbon-chain length of the polyol solvent used, obviating the use of a separate stabilizer and enhancing electron donation from Ru (with a high surface electron density) and π-back bonding. The Ru/MgAlO (BG) catalyst synthesized using butylene glycol (a long-carbon-chain solvent) contains 2.

Enhanced Low-Humidity Performance of Polymer Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells via Membrane Surface Engineering.

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) play a pivotal role in meeting the energy needs of high-power applications such as construction and agricultural machinery and mobility. High-power operation often exacerbates problems associated with water management within the cell due to excessive water generation, affecting water distribution at the cathode and anode interfaces. Our research recognizes the importance of addressing challenges associated with the high-power operation of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) for use in high-power fuel cell applications.

Interfacially Assembled Anion Exchange Membranes for Water Electrolysis.

High-performance and durable anion exchange membranes (AEMs) are critical for realizing economical green hydrogen production through alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) or AEM water electrosysis (AEMWE). However, existing AEMs require sophisticated fabrication protocols and exhibit unsatisfactory electrochemical performance and long-term durability. Here we report an AEM fabricated via a one-pot, in situ interfacial Menshutkin reaction, which assembles a highly cross-linked polymer containing high-density quaternary ammoniums and nanovoids inside a reinforcing porous support.

Improvement of succinate production from methane by combining rational engineering and laboratory evolution in Methylomonas sp. DH-1.

Recently, methane has been considered a next-generation carbon feedstock due to its abundance and it is main component of shale gas and biogas. Methylomonas sp. DH-1 has been evaluated as a promising industrial bio-catalyst candidate.

Effects of K doping on ZnCoO spinel catalysts for low-temperature catalytic NO decomposition in the presence of inhibitors.

The recent development of NH as a fuel has led to significant emissions of NO, a major greenhouse gas. Direct catalytic NO decomposition (de-NO) is a promising technology for NO emissions control because it effectively decomposes NO at low temperatures without requiring reducing agents or producing other pollutants. In marine applications, to improve the flame properties, NH is often mixed with marine diesel oil, which contains sulfur.

Quaternarized chitosan nanofiber and ZIF aerogel composites for synergetic CO cycloaddition catalysis.

Chemical upcycling of CO, a major greenhouse gas, is attracting significant attention as a crucial strategy to combat global warming. The production of cyclic carbonate using metal-organic frameworks and their composites using nanofibrous carbohydrate polymer are promising ways to convert CO into valuable products. However, the current role of fibrous polymers is restricted to serving as physical substrates.

Stable Zinc Metal Battery Development: Using Fibrous Zirconia for Rapid Surface Conduction of Zinc Ions With Modified Water Solvation Structure.

The two most critical technical issues in Zn-based batteries, dendrite formation, and hydrogen evolution reaction, can be simultaneously addressed by introducing negatively charged fibrous ZrO as a separator. Electron redistribution between ZrO and Zn ions renders the ZrO surface a preferred adsorption site for Zn ions, making surface conduction the primary ion-transport mode. Surface conduction enables fibrous ZrO to exhibit a 6.

Evaluation of a mixture of livestock wastewater and food waste as a substrate in a continuous-flow microbial electrolysis cell.

While the efficiency of microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) systems has improved remarkably, their application in continuous reactors and wastewater treatment remains poorly understood. This study evaluated the performance of a continuous-flow MEC using livestock wastewater and food waste as substrates. The MEC system achieved a hydrogen production rate of 5.

Empowering Tri-Functional Palladium's Catalytic Activity and Durability in Electrocatalytic Formic Acid Oxidation Reaction via Innovative Self-Caging and Alloying Strategies.

Direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFCs) stand out for portable electronic devices owing to their ease of handling, abundant fuel availability, and high theoretical open circuit potential. However, the practical application of DFAFCs is hindered by the unsatisfactory performance of electrocatalysts for the sluggish anodic formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR). Palladium (Pd) based nanomaterials have shown promise for FAOR due to their highly selective reaction mechanism, but maintaining high electrocatalytic durability remains challenging.

Multifunctional and Hierarchical Porous ZIF-8: Amine and Thiol Tagged via Mixed Multivariate Ligand Strategies for Enhanced CO and Iodine Adsorption.

This study demonstrated a simple and innovative way of using the direct de novo synthesis to fabricate the mesoporous structure and diverse functionality of ZIF-8 for environmental cleanup and gas storage applications. By introducing different ligands, we have developed a version of ZIF-8 that could better capture carbon dioxide (CO) and iodine. The ZIF-8 was successfully designed to have the hierarchical and mesoporous structure with the functional groups of amine and thiol groups by adjusting the pKa values (from 8 to 12) of ligand instead of the original ligand, 2-methyl imidazole (Hmim, pK~14.

Visible and near-infrared modulating tungsten suboxide nanorods electrochromic films in acidic aqueous electrolytes.

Proton-based aqueous electrolytes can be used to achieve high performance electrochromic nanocrystal thin films due to their small ion size. However, acidic aqueous electrolyte systems have not yet been explored in near-infrared (NIR) absorbing plasmonic tungsten oxide nanocrystal films. Here, we demonstrate tungsten suboxide nanorod films with excellent visible and NIR modulation performance in the H-based aqueous electrolytes, thanks to their mesoporous structure, nanosized domains, and open tunnel structure.

"Straw in the Clay Soil" Strategy: Anticarbon Corrosive Fluorine-Decorated Graphene Nanoribbons@CNT Composite for Long-Term PEMFC.

Carbon corrosion poses a significant challenge in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), leading to reduced cell performance due to catalyst layer degradation and catalyst detachment from electrodes. A promising approach to address this issue involves incorporating an anticorrosive carbon material into the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrode, even in small quantities (≈3 wt% in electrode). Herein, the successful synthesis of fluorine-doped graphene nanoribbons (F-GNR) incorporated with graphitic carbon nanotubes (F-GNR@CNT), demonstrating robust resistance to carbon corrosion is reported.

Combustion visualization analysis of alternative fuels in the pulverized coal injection raceway through laminar flow reactor.

Currently, the steelmaking process uses a pulverized coal injection (PCI) system that serves as the heat source and reductant for ironmaking (blast furnace and FINEX) where system uses expensive high-grade coal and high operating costs. Hydrogen steelmaking is currently being developed to achieve carbon-free operation. To achieve a soft-landing during this phase of rapid change, the use of biomass and inexpensive, thermal coal, and coke dust is necessary.

Structural and Compositional Optimization of Fe-Co-Ni Ternary Amorphous Electrocatalysts for Efficient Oxygen Evolution in Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis.

Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) offers a sustainable path for hydrogen production with advantages such as high current density, dynamic responsiveness, and low-cost electrocatalysts. However, the development of efficient and durable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts under operating conditions is crucial for achieving the AEMWE. This study systematically investigated Fe-Co-Ni ternary amorphous electrocatalysts for the OER in AEMWE through a comprehensive material library system comprising 21 composition series.

Microwave-assisted solvothermal synthesis of nanostructured Ga-Doped LiLaZrO solid electrolyte with enhanced densification and Li-ion conductivity.

Garnet-type LiLaZrO (LLZO) Li-ion solid electrolytes are promising candidates for safe, next-generation solid-state batteries. In this study, we synthesize Ga-doped LLZO (Ga-LLZO) electrolytes using a microwave-assisted solvothermal method followed by low-temperature heat treatment. The nanostructured precursor (<50 nm) produced by the microwave-assisted solvothermal process has a high surface energy, facilitating the reaction for preparing garnet-type Ga-LLZO powders (<800 nm) within a short time (<5 h) at a low calcination temperature (<700 °C).

Integrated Structural Modulation Inducing Fast Charge Transfer in Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries.

Aqueous Zn-ion batteries (AZIBs) are promising energy-storage devices owing to their exceptional safety, long cycle life, simple production, and high storage capacity. Manganese oxides are considered potential cathode materials for AZIBs, primarily because of their safety, low cost, simple synthesis, and high storage capacity. However, MnO-based cathodes tend to deteriorate structurally during long-term cycling, which reduces their reversible capacity.

Compositionally Graded MoSTe/MoS van der Waals Heterostructures for Ultrathin Photovoltaic Applications.

van der Waals heterojunctions utilizing two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) materials have emerged as focal points in the field of optoelectronic devices, encompassing applications in light-emitting devices, photodetectors, solar cells, and beyond. In this study, we transferred few-atomic-layer films of compositionally graded ternary MoSTe alloys onto metal-organic chemical vapor deposition-grown molybdenum disulfide (MoS) as p- and n-type structures, leading to the creation of a van der Waals vertical heterostructure. The characteristics of the fabricated MoSTe/MoS vertical-stacked heterojunction were investigated considering the influence of tellurium (Te) incorporation.

Unmatched Redox Activity of the Palladium-Doped Indium Oxide Oxygen Carrier for Low-Temperature CO Splitting.

The chemical conversion of CO into value-added products is the key technology to realize a carbon-neutral society. One representative example of such conversion is the reverse water-gas shift reaction, which produces CO from CO. However, the activity is insufficient at ambient pressure and lower temperatures (<600 °C), making it a highly energy-intensive and impractical process.

Phase Transition of Cubic Ice to Hexagonal Ice during Growth and Decomposition.

Ice, one of the most enigmatic materials on Earth, exhibits diverse polymorphism, with research mainly focusing on the most commonly observed phases: hexagonal ice (I), cubic ice (I), and stacking-disordered ice (I). While their formation or structural changes are crucial for advancements in cloud science, climate modeling, and cryogenic technology, the molecular mechanisms driving these phenomena remain unexplored. Herein, utilizing cryogenic transmission electron microscopy, we investigate the formation of ice at two different temperatures, demonstrating a size-dependent phase shift from I to I.

Heterogeneous Structure of Ni-Mo Nanoalloys Decorated on MoO for an Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Using Hydrogen Spillover.

Herein, a heterogeneous structure of Ni-Mo catalyst comprising NiMo nanoalloys decorated on a MoO matrix via electrodeposition is introduced. This catalyst exhibits remarkable hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity across a range of pH conditions. The heterogeneous Ni-Mo catalyst showed low overpotentials only of 24 and 86, 21 and 60, and 37 and 168 mV to produce a current density of 10 and 100 mA cm (η and η) in alkaline, acidic, and neutral media, respectively, which represents one of the most active catalysts for the HER.

Unveiling Direct Electrochemical Oxidation of Methane at the Ceria/Gas Interface.

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) stand out in sustainable energy systems for their unique ability to efficiently utilize hydrocarbon fuels, particularly those from carbon-neutral sources. CeO (ceria) based oxides embedded in SOFCs are recognized for their critical role in managing hydrocarbon activation and carbon coking. However, even for the simplest hydrocarbon molecule, CH, the mechanism of electrochemical oxidation at the ceria/gas interface is not well understood and the capability of ceria to electrochemically oxidize methane remains a topic of debate.