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Producing high-density fuel of alkylated decalins from hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of naphthalene derivatives is an environmentally friendly but still challenging method. Herein, a bifunctional Ru/HZSM-5 catalyst was fabricated by acid treatment (citric acid, oxalic acid, nitric acid) to effectively synthesize the alkylated decalins via HDO of naphthalene derivative. Acid treatment adjusted the acidic site distribution of Ru/HZSM-5. Nitric acid treatment (NA) resulted in more abundance of weak acidic sites which was beneficial for the dehydration process in HDO, and the lowest ratio of BAS/LAS to promote the hydrogenation of alkylated octalins, the rate-determining step of HDO. NA-treated Ru/HZSM-5 showed the highest HDO activity with the highest selectivity of 1,2-dimethyldecalin (74%). Besides, it also presents good HDO activity of naphthalene derivatives to produce high-density hydrocarbons. Therefore, Ru/HZ5-NA is a promising catalyst for the production of alkylated decalins and other high-value biofuels and chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Making noodles based on broken rice (BR) is a green approach to promote the utilisation of rice byproducts (the underutilised bio‐materials with vast annual production). In this study, BR of Indica, Japonica and Glutinous varieties were semi‐dry milled to yield flour (BRI, BRJ and BRG). They were substituted for wheat flour at the level of 10% to prepare W‐BRI, W‐BRJ and W‐BRG noodles respectively. Among three varieties, BRG showed greatest whiteness, highest relative crystallinity and lowest pasting viscosities. Substitution of all BR flours decreased percentage of α‐helix but increased β‐sheet in fresh noodles. BRG substitution markedly enhanced the binding tightness of water to gluten or starch. Owing to the strongest swelling power and lowest pasting temperature (59.1 °C) of BRG, W‐BRG noodles showed shortest cooking time and highest cooking yield (190.64%). All noodles were sensorily acceptable, among which W‐BRG noodles had the greatest softness and least stickiness. W‐BRJ noodles presented more uniform and tightly packed microstructure, which might explain their lowest cooking loss (6.65%) and greater springiness. W‐BRI dough sheet had the most viscoelastic, and its noodles had the highest cohesiveness (0.65). Selective utilisation of rice variety is crucial for producing noodles with characteristic quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing high‐performance aviation fuel is highly desired for the rapid development of supersonic aircraft. Herein, selective deep hydrogenation of polycyclic aromatics to a high‐density fuel is developed over a Ru‐based catalyst. The influences of strong Ru‐support interaction on tailoring the reaction pathways of acenaphthene hydrogenation were investigated using different oxide supports (SiO2, CeO2, TiO2). Ru/CeO2 and Ru/TiO2 with strong SMSI possess abundant electron‐deficient Ruδ+ species which exhibit a good ability to promote H2 dissociation and increase the isomerization rate of saturated aromatic compounds. Due to the enhanced adsorption of aromatic molecules, Ru/CeO2 (1.30 μmol min−1 g−1) exhibits superior catalytic activity in comparison to Ru/TiO2 (1.25 μmol min−1 g−1) during acenaphthene hydrosaturation, while Ru/TiO2 exhibits the highest isomerization reaction rate (7.60×10−2 μmol min−1 g−1) because of its excellent hydrogen spillover ability and high content of Ruδ+ species. The best catalytic activity with 96 % selectivity of ccc‐perhydroacenaphthene was achieved on Ru/TiO2, and an isomerization mechanism of perhydroacenaphthene isomers was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparative studies were conducted on physicochemical and technological properties of two black wheat (BW) varieties (cultivated in Shanxi Agricultural University) and their noodle‐making potential. Whole‐grain BW noodles showed acceptable cooking loss (≤10%) and strong antioxidant capacity. However, their textural quality remains to be enhanced. Regarding refined flour (RF) of the two BW varieties, Yunhei 14207 showed more anthocyanins, brighter color, and greater thermal stability (as reflected by the higher pasting temperature). 16W16 resulted in greater gluten content and better gluten quality of flour and higher dough stability, which contributed to the lower cooking loss and stronger tensile property of noodles. RF noodles of Yunhei 14207 displayed brighter appearance, although they had weaker tensile property. The stronger gluten network in noodles of 16W16 protected phenolics from release and degradation during drying, cooking, and steaming. Despite phenolics loss, RF noodles of Yunhei 14207 showed antioxidant capacity up to 14.97 mg TE/100 g. This research would promote understanding of characteristics of BW varieties. Considering the stronger gluten network of 16W16, its fortification in common wheat noodles at high proportion (>50%) may be promising to develop antioxidant noodles with further improved sensory quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oven roasting (OR) could induce hierarchical structural changes in starch, which is fundamental for altering the pasting and hydration properties of cereal flour. OR makes proteins denatured and peptide chains unraveled or rearranged. OR could alter compositions of cereal lipids and minerals. Although OR may degrade phenolics, their release from bound forms is predominant when mild/moderate conditions are exerted. Hence, some OR‐modified cereals even exhibit many physiological functions, such as anti‐diabetic and anti‐inflammatory activity. Furthermore, these minor components interplay with starch/protein via physical entrapment, non‐covalent interactions, or cross‐linking. The structural changes and interactions modulate functionalities of OR‐modified cereal flour, its dough/batter property, and related staple food quality. Compared with hydrothermal or high‐pressure thermal treatments, proper OR even induces greater enhancement in technological quality and bioactive compounds release. Given the simple operation and low cost, it is worth utilizing OR for the development of sensory‐appealing healthy staple foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three kinds of Pt nanocrystals with different morphologies (5 nm cubes, 10 nm cubes and 5 nm truncated octahedrons) were synthesized and employed to fabricate Pt/CNT-USY catalysts for selective ring opening of decalin. The 5 nm truncated octahedral Pt/CNT-USY with exposed (100) and (111) facets exhibited higher yield of ring-opening products (53.9 wt%) than the CNT-USY-supported 5 nm cubic Pt catalyst enclosed by the (100) facets (39.6 wt%). Moreover, the 5 nm cubic Pt showed better catalytic activities compared to the 10 nm cubic Pt/CNT-UST catalyst, which ascribed to the smaller size of Pt NCs enriched more revealable metal active sites. DFT calculations demonstrated that the adsorption of decalin on Pt (111) was stronger than that on Pt (100) facets, which was profitable for the selective ring-opening reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing highly selective and efficient bifunctional catalysts is an important issue for the hydroisomerization of long-chain n-alkanes. It is vital to tailor the balance of isomerization and cracking reactions in hydroisomerization. Herein, a bifunctional Pt/hierarchical SSZ-32 catalyst was fabricated with a sequential desilication–dealumination treatment to boost the selective hydroisomerization of n-hexadecane (C16). The pore structure and acid sites of SSZ-32 zeolite were tailored. More mesopore and Brønsted acid sites were generated, and the ratio of weak to strong Brønsted acidity (Bw/Bs) was increased by the sequential desilication–dealumination. The generated hierarchical structure had little effect on the selectivity of the reaction pathways of hydroisomerization versus cracking. The ratio of isomers/cracking products increased almost linearly with the increase in the Bw/Bs ratios. Meanwhile, the synergetic effect of the hierarchical structure and acidity regulation promoted the selectivity of monobranched i-C16 products. Therefore, the resulting Pt/SSZ-0.6AS exhibited the highest activity with a total isomer yield of 71.5% at 255 °C and the enhanced formation mechanism of monobranched isomers occurred via the pore mouth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing efficient and competitive electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in acid is a great challenge for hydrogen production. Compared with metal catalysts, metal‐free catalysts are more environmentally friendly and cheaper. Herein, we present a novel non‐metallic self‐supporting polyaniline catalyst (PANI3/CFP) synthesized by electrodeposition for efficient water oxidation. Benefiting from the three‐dimensional network structure, excellent conductivity, and large number of nitrogen functional groups, PANI3/CFP exhibits high activity towards OER. At a current density of 10 mA cm−2, PANI3/CFP delivers a low overpotential of 204 mV in 0.1 m HClO4, much lower than commercial Ir/C and previously reported acidic OER catalysts. Besides, the turnover frequency (TOF) value of PANI3/CFP reaches 0.0456 s−1 at 1.5 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (vs. RHE). Analysis of structure and electrocatalytic performances reveal that =N− species in polyaniline are the main active sites for acidic OER. This work provides a unique strategy for the design of non‐metallic acidic OER catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of catalysts containing Pt or Pd nanoparticles (NPs) jointly regulated by cytidine (Cs) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) have been prepared for selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde (CAL). The Pt/Pd NPs were supported on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with different structures for promoting catalytic activity and tuning product selectivity. The synergistic effect of Cs and PVP on Pt/Pd surface promotes hydrogenation activity. The synergy between Pd NPs and multi‐walled CNTs with the diameter of <8 nm greatly promoted the hydrogenation of C=C bond in CAL. The synergy between Pt NPs and single‐walled CNTs with the diameter of <2 nm effectively enhanced the hydrogenation of C=O bond in CAL. These synergistic effects are attributed to the suitable size and exposed (111) facets of metal NPs, the transfer of electrons and the interaction between metal and support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) have been widely studied for electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). However, the application of negative potential tends to trigger its structural reconstruction and component alteration. It is of great significance to study the relationship between the structural evolution of MOF‐derived materials and product selectivity under the reaction conditions. Herein, we fabricate a HKUST‐1 thin film on carbon fiber paper by a facile electrodeposition approach to investigate the variation of CO2RR activity with HKUST‐1 structural reconstruction. During the CO2RR process, the HKUST‐1 reconstructs into two structures successively over time: 3D nanospheres composed of numerous small fragments and 3D nano‐network composed of cross‐linked nanobelts in different directions. The former shows a better catalytic activity due to more active sites, lower charge transfer resistance and higher Cu+/Cu0 ratio. The optimum Faradaic efficiency (FE) of C2 products (ethylene and ethanol) reaches 58.6 % at −0.98 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing high‐performance, low‐loading, Ir‐based electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in acidic media is still a great challenge. Herein, we fabricated an iridium manganese catalyst with only 5 % iridium. The influence of the manganese dioxide phase states (α‐, β‐, γ‐ and δ‐MnO2) on the OER performance of IrO2/MnO2 catalysts was investigated. α‐MnO2, as the substrate, can generate smaller iridium particles and more high‐valence‐state iridium to promote OER performance. Therefore, the 5 % IrO2/α‐MnO2 electrocatalyst exhibits excellent electrocatalytic OER performance with a high mass activity of 216.67 A/gIr and 655.33 A/gIr at 1.53 V in acidic and alkaline media, respectively, significantly outperforming commercial IrO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buckwheat flour was extruded with different feeding moistures (FMs). It evaluated changes of dough, nutritional, and textural quality of noodles fortified with extruded buckwheat flour (EBF). Results indicated that EBF had significantly lower viscosities and was more resistant to retrogradation than control. EBF (30% FM) fortification remarkably prolonged composite dough stability time and reduced attenuation degree. Noticeable enhancement was observed in cooked noodles nutritional quality when EBF (18%~30% FM) fortification was employed. Compared with control, EBF (30% FM) fortification resulted in significantly higher content of total phenolics, total flavonoids, rutin, and kaempferol, as well as antioxidant capacity of cooked noodles. Furthermore, highest hardness, cohesion, springiness, and chewiness of noodles was achieved when fortified with EBF (30% FM), while the cooking loss was not reduced in contrast to control. Fortification with buckwheat flour extruded properly would improve both nutritional and texture quality of staple noodles. Practical applications: Recently, chronic diseases frequently occur in the world, and staple food prepared from only wheat could not cater for consumers' desire for health. Buckwheat contains abundant phenolics (especially flavonoids) that possess numerous bioactivities, such as antioxidant capacity. It is essential to investigate staple noodles based on wheat–buckwheat composite flour. Thermal processing could improve the bioactive phenolics level and antioxidant capacity of many cereal products (e.g., wheat, corn, and oat). Besides, it contributes to the desirable texture formation of staple foods by modifying the starch–gluten network, and could alter the processing property (e.g., flour viscosity). Therefore, it is worth considering the application of extrusion (a typical thermal processing technique) in staple industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influences of impurities and oxidation evolution of waste cooking oil on the preparation of bio‐jet fuel via hydroconversion were studied. The hydrogenation active sites and acid sites were covered by heavy metals, sulfides, and basic nitrogen compounds, resulting in the increase of selectivity for bio‐jet fuel by decreasing the selectivity of diesel, aromatics, and iso‐alkanes. The effects of impurities, oxidation on the reaction pathway, and product distribution became more distinct with higher catalyst acidity. The evolution and variation of naphthalene, indan, and phenanthrene obtained from cyclic fatty acids influenced the properties of fuel or evoked the catalyst deactivation. This work will help to design new catalysts for selective conversion of waste cooking oil into bio‐jet fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clean energy and renewable fine chemicals including biofuels, hydrogen, and bicarbonates are critical for a sustainable and green future. In this study, the integrated production of naturally separated high density liquid biofuels (mainly C7 and C14 olefins), hydrogen gas, and fine chemicals is achieved in an electrochemical cell under ambient conditions. Biofuels are obtained by anodic decarboxylation of the carboxylates, hydrogen is obtained by cathodic reduction of water, and fine chemicals are obtained by the reaction between the alkaline aqueous solution and the anodic carbon dioxide products. An environmentally friendly and low-cost aqueous substitution method is employed to prepare self-supporting Pt nanospheres on 3D porous titanium sponge (Pt@TS) composite electrodes for such an integrated electrolysis. A Pt@TS anode with abundant Pt(100) facets exhibits enhanced activity and stability for electrocatalytic biofuel production as compared with commercial Pt anodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical valorization of non‐food biomass‐derived carboxylates into fuels is promising for the conversion, storage, and distribution of renewable electricity. Herein, we demonstrate that biofuels, hydrogen, and bicarbonate can be simultaneously produced in an electrochemical cell by one‐step electrolysis of free fatty acids under ambient conditions on 3D self‐supported ultralow Pt loading (2 wt %) electrode. The three valuable products can naturally separate from each other during the electrolysis in the alkaline aqueous solution. The experimental suggests that Pt(100) and Pt(110) are favorable for the production of non‐Kolbe and Kolbe hydrocarbons, respectively. DFT calculation further clarifies the adsorption and stabilization of the reaction intermediates on Pt(100) and Pt(110). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Puerarin and triptolide are sometimes used together for the treatment of disease in Chinese clinics; however, the drug–drug interaction between puerarin and triptolide is still unknown. Objective: This study investigates the effects of puerarin on the pharmacokinetics of triptolide in rats and clarifies its main mechanism. Materials and methods: The pharmacokinetic profiles of oral administration of triptolide (1 mg/kg) in Sprague-Dawley rats with (test group, n = 6) or without pretreatment (control group, n = 6) with puerarin (100 mg/kg/day for seven days) were investigated. The effects of puerarin on the transport and metabolic stability of triptolide were also investigated using Caco-2 cell transwell model and rat liver microsomes. Results: The results showed that puerarin could significantly increase the peak plasma concentration (from 187.25 ± 15.36 to 219.67 ± 21.52 ng/mL), and decrease its oral clearance (from 4.92 ± 0.35 to 62.46 ± 3.75 ± 0.19 L/h/kg). The Caco-2 cell transwell experiments indicated that puerarin could decrease the efflux ratio of triptolide from 2.70 to 1.33, and the intrinsic clearance rate of triptolide was decreased by the pretreatment with puerarin (38.8 ± 4.7 vs. 32.9 ± 6.5 μL/min/mg protein). Discussion and conclusions: Puerarin could significantly change the pharmacokinetic profiles of triptolide in rats, and it might exert these effects through increasing the absorption of triptolide by inhibiting the activity of P-gp, or through inhibiting the metabolism of triptolide in rat liver. The results also showed that the dose of triptolide should be decreased when these drugs were co-administered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a new class of metal–nitrogen–carbon (M−N−C) material with 3 D microstructure, zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) are used to synthesize highly active electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction, as substitutes for commercial Pt/C in anion exchange membrane fuel cells. However, to form an effective catalyst layer (CL), the relationship between the microstructure of the ZIF‐derived catalyst and the fuel cell performance must be investigated. In this work, a hierarchically porous CL based on the carbon black (CB)‐controlled synthesis of a Co‐based ZIF (denoted as ZIF‐CB‐700) is constructed to optimize the triple‐phase boundary (TPB) and mass transfer. The power density at 40 °C of ZIF‐CB‐700 (95.4 mW cm−2) as cathode catalyst is about 4 times higher than that of the catalyst synthesized in the absence of CB and is comparable to that of the commercial 60 % Pt/C catalyst (112.0 mW cm−2). Both online and offline measurements suggest that the morphology and microstructure of the CL is crucial to form an active TPB region, dominating the fuel cell performance rather than only the high catalyst activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe‐doped transition metal (oxy)hydroxides are regarded as the most efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts in alkaline conditions. The incorporation of Fe effectively enhances the OER activity of Co‐/Ni‐based materials, but the corresponding role of Fe in Co‐based (oxy)hydroxide materials still remains unresolved. Herein, α‐Co1−mFem(OH)x is synthesized and systematically engineered to study the effect of Fe content on the morphology, crystalline structure, electronic structure, and OER activity. As the Fe content is changed, the basic crystalline phase of α‐Co1−mFem(OH)x is consistent whereas the micromorphology changes. Much smaller and thinner nanoplates with more edge/defect sites are fabricated because of increased Fe incorporation. When the Fe content is more than 0.1, twin nanoparticles emerge at the edge/defect sites of the sister nanoplate. Additionally, the OER activity of α‐Co1−mFem(OH)x against Fe content can be plotted as a volcano curve. These data thus support a hypothesis that the edge/defect sites in α‐Co1−mFem(OH)x are responsible for the OER performance. The incorporation of Fe leads to not only the accelerated intrinsic reactivity of each active site, which is attributed to the strong electronic interaction between Co and Fe but also changes the number of edge/defect sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing efficient electrocatalysts from the earth‐abundant transition‐metal family is a great challenge for overall water splitting. Herein, we developed an approach to regulate the morphology and electronic structure of α‐Co0.9Fe0.1(OH)x nanoplates, in which FeCl2 (as a precursor) plays a significant role under reflux conditions. The resulting 2D α‐Co0.9Fe0.1(OH)x nanoplates exhibit more accessible edge active sites and more high‐valence Co species to boost its intrinsic activity. Therefore, this electrocatalyst shows outstanding oxygen evolution reaction performance (with an overpotential of 225 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 39 mV dec−1 and good stability) and excellent activity toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (with an overpotential of 122 mV at 10 mA cm−2) in 1M KOH solution. When employed as bifunctional electrocatalysts on both the anode and cathode for overall water splitting, α‐Co0.9Fe0.1(OH)x can afford 10 mA cm−2 at 1.62 V with long‐term stability. The one‐pot synthesis of 2D Fe‐doped transition‐metal hydroxide nanoplates enriched with abundant edge sites may provide a new strategy for fabricating efficient overall water splitting catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Direct methanol fuel cells are promising renewable energy devices for automobiles and portable electronic devices. The development of high effciency, poison tolerance, long‐term stability, and noble metal‐free electrocatalysts for methanol oxidation is still a major challenge. Herein, we develop a noble metal‐free, 3D self‐supported, defect‐rich, hierarchical shell‐core structured Ni3S2 composite on Ni foam as electrocatalyst. This electrocatalyst shows a good activity, poison tolerance, and long‐term durability towards methanol oxidation in alkaline media. It shows the lowest onset potential (−340 mV vs. Hg/HgO) among all the Ni‐based catalysts reported up to date and a Pt‐level specific activity. The methanol oxidation peak current of the electrocatalyst retains more than 97.5 % even after 5,000 voltammetry cycles in 0.5 M KOH+1 M CH3OH. The morphology and composition of the electrocatalysts before and after stability test were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, and XPS. The high activity, poison tolerance, and stability are attributed to the binder‐free, directly grown Ni3S2 shell on the Ni foam backbone, the lattice defect sites, and the synergetic effects between the in‐situ formed active NiOx core and Ni3S2 shell during methanol oxidation. This work indicates that the self‐supported hierarchical shell‐core Ni3S2@Ni foam electrocatalyst is a viable alternative for commercial Pt‐based electrocatalyst applied in fuel cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To maximize the activity and durability of transition metal sulfides for water oxidation is still a great challenge. Herein, we developed a new cobalt phosphosulfide nanosheet on carbon fiber paper (CFP) substrate electrocatalyst (Co2−xSP/CFP) following a simple two‐step electrodeposition method. The cobalt sulfide nanosheets were first deposited onto CFP by cyclic voltammetry. Then, the surface structure and P/S ratio as well as the Co3+/Co2+ ratio of the phosphosulfide nanosheets were well tuned by regulating the cycling numbers of the phosphorous electrodeposition. Benefiting from the hierarchical structure, distinct phosphosulfide species, as well as a high Co3+ content derived from partial S substitution with P and nonstoichiometric phase, the as‐synthesized Co2−xSP/CFP exhibits remarkable activity with an overpotential of 279 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2, a low Tafel slope of 54 mV dec−1 and excellent long‐term stability towards OER (overpotential increase of only 4.7 % within 60 h). Structural analysis after stability test indicates that cobalt oxide/hydroxide species are formed on the surface, which contribute to the high performance and excellent durability for oxygen evolution. This provides a simple and facile approach to rationally design and synthesize transition metal phosphosulfides for advanced electrochemical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nickel (Ni) nanoparticle catalyst, supported on 4‐channel α‐Al2O3 hollow fibers, was synthesized by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Highly dispersed Ni nanoparticles were successfully deposited on the outside surfaces and the inside porous structures of hollow fibers. The catalyst was employed to catalyze the dry reforming of methane (DRM) reaction and showed a methane reforming rate of 2040 Lh−1gNi−1 at 800°C. NiAl2O4 spinel was formed when Ni nanoparticles were deposited on alpha‐alumina substrates by ALD, which enhanced the Ni‐support interaction. Different cycles (two, five, and ten) of Al2O3 ALD films were applied on the Ni/hollow fiber catalysts to further improve the interaction between the Ni nanoparticles and the hollow fiber support. Both the catalyst activity and stability were improved with the deposition of Al2O3 ALD films. Among the Al2O3 ALD coated catalysts, the catalyst with five cycles of Al2O3 ALD showed the best performance. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 2625–2631, 2018 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Transition‐metal chalcogenides have been widely investigated as a class of promising oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts. But, they are still far from practical use because of moderate catalytic activity. Two‐dimensional (2D) materials with porous nanostructures are attractive for the efficient conversion of electrochemical energy. Herein, Co1‐xS novel porous microplates were synthesized through a facile self‐templated strategy based on the Kirkendall effect. By taking advantages of porous nanostructure and good catalytic properties of the hexagonal Co(OH)2 template, the unique Co1‐xS microplates provide higher efficient surface area and more accessible active sites. Moreover, the mass transfer and gas diffusion are also promoted, owing to the pores developed inside the microplates. As expected, the optimized porous Co1‐xS microplates demonstrate remarkable OER performance in alkaline electrolyte with an overpotential of 311 mV at 10 mA cm−2, a Tafel slope of 55 mV dec−1 and long‐term stability, which outperform the commercial IrO2 catalyst. The facile preparation, high catalytic activity, and excellent durability of the Co1‐xS porous hexagonal microplates show great promise in energy conversion applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The direct conversion of waste cooking oil (WCO) into bio‐jet fuel was investigated over a core‐shell hierarchical USY@Al‐SBA‐15 zeolite‐supported NiMo catalyst. The core‐shell structure showed better acid and pore size distributions. The synergetic effect of the core‐shell micropore and mesopore structure significantly contributed to enhancing the selectivity for the jet fuel (C9–15 hydrocarbons) from 9.3 % over NiMo/USY up to 35.7 % over NiMo/USY@Al‐SBA‐15, with high isomerization (iso‐/n‐paraffins ratio = 2.7) and moderate aromatic fraction (18.7 %). The decarboxylation reaction was selectively enhanced. Optimal selectivity for jet fuel (39.7 %) was obtained at 380 °C and a high H2/oil ratio would decrease the yield of jet fuel. This catalyst showed excellent stability for the hydroconversion of WCO to hydrocarbons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) plays a key role in energy conversion and storage processes such as water splitting and carbon dioxide reduction. However, the sluggish kinetics caused by insufficient active surface and limited charge transfer hinder OER's wide applications. In this work, a novel self-templating strategy for the fabrication of composite CoO-MoO2 nanocages with enhanced OER performance is proposed. By designing a nanocage structure and incorporating conductive MoO2 to promote both mass and charge transfer, high OER activity (η = 312 mV at 10 mA cm−2) as well as good stability in the resulting CoO-MoO2 composite nanostructure can be achieved. This versatile synthetic strategy can also be extended to other metals (such as W) to provide greater opportunities for the controlled fabrication of mixed metal oxide nanostructures for electrochemical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of active sites for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) plays a key role in the design and fabrication of high-performance cobalt-based electrocatalysts. Herein, we report the synthesis of two types of two-dimensional monometallic cobalt hydroxide nanoplates in aqueous solution for OER: α-Co(OH)2 with both Co2+Td and Co2+Oh sites and β-Co(OH)2 with Co2+Oh sites. Electrochemical characterization reveals that α-Co(OH)2 is more active than β-Co(OH)2 towards OER. The better activity can be attributed to the presence of Co2+Td sites in α-Co(OH)2, which are more active than Co2+Oh sites. Our finding clarifies the contribution of the two catalytic sites and helps future rational design of high-performance OER electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3D dendritic WSe2 on conductive carbon nanofiber mats (d-WSe2/CFM) was designed and synthesized by a diffusion-controlled CVD method. The d-WSe2/CFM was directly used as a cathode for the HER. The substantially improved HER performance is ascribed to the novel 3D structure with effectively exposed edge sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AlCl-promoted MCM-41-supported Pt catalysts with different Al/Pt mole ratios (0, 1, 2, 4, 8) were prepared for tetralin (THN) hydrogenation. Py-FTIR results show that the acid amount of catalysts increases with the increase of Al/Pt ratio. XRD, TEM and CO-FTIR results indicate that platinum dispersion changes with Al/Pt ratio and is highest at Al/Pt = 2. The specific rate constant of THN hydrogenation under sulfur-free condition is roughly proportional to platinum dispersion. Thermogravimetric analysis of the adsorbed THN and benzothiophene (BT) indicates that BT is more tightly adsorbed on the catalysts than THN, which is the main reason for catalytic deactivation. The introduction of aluminum enhances both THN and BT adsorptions. All Al-containing catalysts have better sulfur-tolerance than the Al-free one, which is attributed to that (1) high catalytic activity reduces the proportion of BT-deactivated catalyst; (2) Al site might provide additional active sites; (3) electron-deficient Pt promotes the BT competitive hydrogenation activity. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deactivated palladium catalysts in the hydrogenation of anthraquinione were regenerated with ethanol, nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, boiling water and steam, respectively. The deactivated and regenerated catalysts were characterized by XPS, ICP, TG, FTIR, TPD, XRD, etc., and studied in the hydrogenation of anthraquinone. The results showed that the main cause of catalyst deactivation is the coverage of the active component by deposits. The treatments by hydrogen peroxide and boiling water can effectively regenerate the deactivated catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The copper-based catalyst is considered to be the only catalyst for electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction to produce a variety of hydrocarbons, but its low selectivity and low current density to C2 products restrict its development. Herein, a core-shell xZnO@yCu2O catalysts for electrochemical CO2 reduction was fabricated via a two-step route. The high selectivity of C2 products of 49.8% on ZnO@4Cu2O (ethylene 33.5%, ethanol 16.3%) with an excellent total current density of 140.1 mA cm−2 was achieved over this core-shell structure catalyst in a flow cell, in which the C2 selectivity was twice that of Cu2O. The high electrochemical activity for ECR to C2 products was attributed to the synergetic effects of the ZnO core and Cu2O shell, which not only enhanced the selectivity of the coordinating electron, improved the HER overpotential, and fastened the electron transfer, but also promoted the multielectron involved kinetics for ethylene and ethanol production. This work provides some new insights into the design of highly efficient Cu-based electrocatalysts for enhancing the selectivity of electrochemical CO2 reduction to produce high-value C2 products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research found that slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) promoted the growth of buckwheat sprouts and the accumulation of bioactive γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA), but mechanisms had not been reported. At present study, the effects of pH and available chlorine concentration (ACC) of SAEW on buckwheat sprouts were investigated. It showed that SAEW1 with moderate pH (5.71 ± 0.03) resulted in the highest accumulation of GABA ((113.5 mg/100 g) in comparison with SAEW 2 (pH 5.01 ± 0.05) and SAEW 3 (pH 6.41 ± 0.04) treatments. Moreover, the higher ACC of SAEW was, the more content of GABA it accumulated, which suggested that ACC played an important role during germination of buckwheat. The above results were demonstrated by the investigation of glutamic acid decarboxylase activity during germination of buckwheat. However, it showed that higher ACC of SAEW had adverse impact on the growth of buckwheat sprouts while pH of SAEW had no adverse impact on the growth of buckwheat sprouts. Generally, appropriate pH and ACC of SAEW should be considered in the application of the production of buckwheat sprouts. Practical applications: SAEW that had neutral pH (5.0–6.5) and lower ACC (10–30 mg/L) had been used in the production of sprouts. SAEW could promote the dual accumulation of GABA and rutin in tartary buckwheat sprouts. Obtaining the specific parameters of SAEW would beneficial for the most accumulation of these functional components when it is used for sprouts production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cover Feature: Hierarchically Porous Co-N-C Cathode Catalyst Layers for Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (ChemSusChem 18/2019) B The Cover Feature b shows a hierarchically porous catalyst layer based on the carbon black-controlled synthesis of a cobalt-based zeolitic imidazolate framework, with the aim of optimizing the triple-phase boundary and mass transfer. Electrocatalysis, fuel cells, ion exchange, membranes, zeolitic imidazolate frameworks. [Extracted from the article]

A hierarchical SBUY-MCM-41 catalyst was prepared by sacrificing USY (a microporous molecular sieve) to synthesize the MCM-41 zeolite via a hydrothermal method. The hydroconversion of waste cooking oil into hydrocarbon fuel over a NiMo/SBUY-MCM-41 catalyst was investigated. The micropores of the Y building units were inherited by the SBUY-MCM-41 zeolite, in which a special hierarchical structure was formed and the accessibility of reactants to the micropore active sites was improved. The hierarchical SBUY-MCM-41 showed high acidity and hydrothermal stability. Compared with mesoporous Al-MCM-41 and microporous USY zeolites, the SBUY-MCM-41-supported NiMo catalyst significantly enhanced the selective cracking of waste cooking oil for the production of jet-fuel-range hydrocarbons (37.3%), with the highest selectivity for the formation of C10–C14 hydrocarbons and a satisfactory selectivity for the formation of jet-fuel-range aromatics (7.6%), as well as a few cyclic compounds. The improved selectivity is the result of the special hierarchical structure and acid distribution of SBUY-MCM-41. This work provides a new strategy to synthesize a hierarchical catalyst for producing alternative jet fuel from waste cooking oil and vegetable oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hollow Silicalite-1 and ZSM-5 zeolites with hierarchical porous shells have been synthesized by using a dissolution-recrystallization method. The morphology, structure, and acidity of these zeolites supported Pt catalysts were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, MAS-SSNMR, FE-SEM, FE-TEM, N2-BET, XPS, NH3-TPD, and CO pulse chemisorption. Compared to the conventional ZSM-5 supported Pt catalyst, the special structure in hollow ZSM-5 zeolite significantly promotes the dispersion of metallic Pt and the synergistic effect between metal active sites and acid sites. These boost the catalytic activity, selectivity of guaiacol hydrodeoxygenation toward cycloalkanes and long-term stability over the Pt/hollow ZSM-5 catalyst combined with improved mass transfer of products and reactants derived from the hierarchical hollow porous structure. Moreover, the Pt/hollow ZSM-5 catalyst exhibits excellent low temperature catalytic activity to completely transform guaiacol into cycloalkanes with the cyclohexane selectivity of more than 93% at 220 °C, suggesting that hollow ZSM-5 zeolite is a promising support for upgrading of bio-oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article number 1702324, Qingfa Wang, Yadong Yin, and co‐workers describe a self‐templating method for fabricating CoO‐MoO2 nanocages with porous shells, which enable fast mass transport and enhanced electric conductivity, both benefiting their catalytic efficiency in the oxygen evolution reaction. The image illustrates the generation of molecular oxygen upon the catalytic decomposition of water molecules on the surface of nanocages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]