Asymmetric Rh-O-Co bridge sites enable superior bifunctional catalysis for hydrazine-assisted hydrogen production.

Hydrazine-assisted water splitting is a promising strategy for energy-efficient hydrogen production, yet challenges remain in developing effective catalysts that can concurrently catalyze both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR) in acidic media. Herein, we report an effective bifunctional catalyst consisting of Rh clusters anchored on CoO branched nanosheets (Rh-CoO BNSs) synthesized an innovative arginine-induced strategy. The Rh-CoO BNSs exhibit unique Rh-O-Co interfacial sites that facilitate charge redistribution between Rh clusters and the CoO substrate, thereby optimizing their valence electronic structures.

Coherent spin-control of = 1 vanadium and molybdenum complexes.

The burgeoning field of quantum sensing hinges on the creation and control of quantum bits. To date, the most well-studied quantum sensors are optically active, paramagnetic defects residing in crystalline hosts. We previously developed analogous optically addressable molecules featuring a ground-state spin-triplet centered on a Cr ion with an optical-spin interface.

Expanded graphite with boron-doping for cathode materials of high-capacity and stable aluminum ion batteries.

Recently, aluminum ion batteries (AIBs) have attracted more attention due to the reliable, cost-effective, and air-stable Al metal anode. Among various cathode materials of AIBs, graphite was paid more attention owing to its high-voltage plateau and stable properties in storing chloroaluminate anions (AlCl ). However, its low capacity limits the real application and can not satisfy the requirements of modern society.

Propane dehydrogenation catalysis of group IIIB and IVB metal hydrides.

Catalytic propane dehydrogenation (PDH) has mainly been studied using metal- and metal oxide-based catalysts. Studies on dehydrogenation catalysis by metal hydrides, however, have rarely been reported. In this study, PDH reactions using group IIIB and IVB metal hydride catalysts were investigated under relatively low-temperature conditions of 450 °C.

Origin of the superior oxygen reduction activity of zirconium nitride in alkaline media.

The anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC), which can operate in alkaline media, paves a promising avenue for the broad application of earth-abundant element based catalysts. Recent pioneering studies found that zirconium nitride (ZrN) with low upfront capital cost can exhibit high activity, even surpassing that of Pt in alkaline oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, the origin of its superior ORR activity was not well understood.

Membrane-based purification and recovery of phosphate and antibiotics by two-dimensional zeolitic nanoflakes.

The pervasive presence of persistent contaminants in water resources, including phosphate and antibiotics, has attracted significant attention due to their potential adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. Adsorption membranes packed with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been proposed as a potential solution to this challenge due to their high surface area to volume ratio, and the tailored functionality they can provide for selective purification. However, devising a straightforward method to enhance the stability of MOF membranes on polymer supports and manipulate their surface morphology remains challenging.

Unsupported nanoporous gold catalyst for highly selective hydroamination of alkynes.

An efficient and highly selective heterogeneous catalyst system for hydroamination of alkynes was developed using unsupported gold nanopores (AuNPore) for the first time. The AuNPore-catalyzed highly regioselective hydroamination of alkynes proceeded smoothly without any additive and solvent under mild conditions (rt-50 °C) to yield Markovnikov imines in satisfactory to excellent yields. No gold leached from AuNPore during the hydroamination of alkynes.

High catalytic performance of Al-Pd-(Ru, Fe) icosahedral approximants for acetylene semi-hydrogenation.

Three cubic crystalline icosahedral approximants (C phase: AlPdFe, P phase: AlPdRu, P phase: AlPdRu) exhibit high ethylene selectivity of over 90% for hydrogenating acetylene at 150 °C. Moreover, the powdered P also demonstrates a high catalytic performance under an industry-like ethylene feed containing 0.5% acetylene as an impurity.

Chemical Dopants on Edge of Holey Graphene Accelerate Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Carbon-based metal-free catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are essential for the development of a sustainable hydrogen society. Identification of the active sites in heterogeneous catalysis is key for the rational design of low-cost and efficient catalysts. Here, by fabricating holey graphene with chemically dopants, the atomic-level mechanism for accelerating HER by chemical dopants is unveiled, through elemental mapping with atomistic characterizations, scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Inversion domain boundaries in MoSe layers.

Structural defects, including point defects, dislocation and planar defects, significantly affect the physical and chemical properties of low-dimensional materials, such as layered compounds. In particular, inversion domain boundary is an intrinsic defect surrounded by a 60° grain boundary, which significantly influences electronic transport properties. We study atomic structures of the inversion domain grain boundaries (IDBs) in layered transition metal dichalcogenides (MoSe and MoS) obtained by an exfoliation method, based on the aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy observation and density functional theory (DFT) calculation.

A Nacre-Like Carbon Nanotube Sheet for High Performance Li-Polysulfide Batteries with High Sulfur Loading.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are considered as one of the most promising energy storage systems for next-generation electric vehicles because of their high-energy density. However, the poor cyclic stability, especially at a high sulfur loading, is the major obstacles retarding their practical use. Inspired by the nacre structure of an abalone, a similar configuration consisting of layered carbon nanotube (CNT) matrix and compactly embedded sulfur is designed as the cathode for Li-S batteries, which are realized by a well-designed unidirectional freeze-drying approach.

On-Chip Micro-Pseudocapacitors for Ultrahigh Energy and Power Delivery.

based on hierarchical nanoporous hybrid electrodes consisting of 3D bicontinuous nanoporous gold and pseudocapacitive manganese oxide deliver an excellent stack capacitance of 99.1 F cm and a high energy density of 12.7 mW h cm with a retained high power density of 46.

Role of Vacuolar H+-inorganic pyrophosphatase in tomato fruit development.

cDNA corresponding to two type-I vacuolar H(+)-inorganic pyrophosphatases (V-PPases) (SlVP1, SlVP2) and one type-II V-PPase (SlVP3) was isolated from tomato fruit to investigate their role in fruit development. Southern analysis revealed that type-I V-PPase genes form a multigene family, whereas there is only one type-II V-PPase gene in the tomato genome. Although SlVP1 and SlVP2 were differentially expressed in leaves and mature fruit, the highest levels of both SlVP1 and SlVP2 mRNA were observed in fruit at 2-4 days after anthesis.

Direct Observation of a Distant Ion Pair Generated in a Photoconductive Poly(N-vinylcarbazole) Film with Dopant.

Photoconduction in charge transfer materials apparently occurs through a distant geminate ion pair with an interionic separation of about 8 Å, as demonstrated by time-resolved EPR spectroscopy of a doped poly(N-vinylcarbazole) film.