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The demand for high-energy density, fast-charging, and safe potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) is crucial for large-scale applications in electric vehicles and grid systems. Despite the potential of thick electrode designs by a conventional technique (CTEs) to boost energy density, they often encounter challenges such as reduced capacity, limited cycling lifespan, and localized short circuits. Here, we present a novel cobalt telluride composite anode by a simple tellurization and subsequent heat reduction, featuring Co 1.67 Te 2 nanoparticles uniformly embedded within an N-doped carbon layer on a trace amount of reduced graphene oxide (CT@NC/rGO). By constructing low tortuosity electrodes (LTEs), a homogeneous distribution of potassium ions and current density is achieved, resulting in enhanced potassium storage performance. The CT@NC/rGO LTEs demonstrate excellent discharge capacities: 311.7, 276.5, and 243.7 mA h g−1 after 500 cycles at 0.25 A g−1 for mass loadings of 1.4, 1.9, and 2.8 mg cm−2, respectively. At a higher current density of 0.5 A g−1, discharge capacities after 650 cycles are 245.3, 175.6, and 159.2 mA h g−1 for mass loadings at 1.6, 2.4, and 3.0 mg cm−2, respectively. These improvements are attributed to enhanced pseudocapacitive behavior, reduced charge resistance, and accelerated ion diffusion kinetics, as evidenced by experimental and simulation studies. The proposed strategy for synthesizing high-density electrodes holds promise for developing high-performance metallic compound electrodes for PIBs and potentially extending to other types of energy storage systems. [Display omitted] • The CT@NC/rGO anode consisting of Co 1.67 Te 2 and carbon was designed for potassium-ion batteries. • The localized short circuits and limited cycling performance in the conventional techniques were revealed. • The low tortuosity electrodes (LTEs) can migrate the above issues with the uniform K+ flux. • The LTEs (2.8 mg cm−2) keep a capacity of 243.7 mA h g−1 after 500 cycles at 0.25 A g−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract A comprehensive and categorized review on performances of various phosphate adsorbents, especially those that emerged in last decade, is presented. Abstract Eutrophication, a worldwide problem, threatens the ecology of freshwater bodies and marine environments. However, the control of nutrients, especially phosphate in water bodies and contaminated sediments, poses major technical and economic challenges. Today, various attempts have been made to investigate a cost-effective way to have phosphate control. Among the various techniques applied to remove phosphate, the process of adsorption has drawn great attention due to its low cost, ease of operation, and simplicity of design. Another attractive feature of adsorption is the usage of nutrient-loaded adsorbents, which can be used as a phosphate fertilizer and a soil conditioner in agriculture. In this regard, many different types of chemicals with various structures have been synthesized and applied for the capture of phosphate from water. This review summaries contemporary development of adsorbents for phosphate removal, most specifically, the adsorption by metal-based materials, mesoporous materials, organic and metal-organic hybrid materials, carbon-supported materials, minerals, and modified wastes. The effects of operational parameters on phosphate adsorption and fitting of adsorption process, as well as regeneration of used adsorbents are also examined. Metal (hydr)oxides loaded adsorbents have been widely researched. Additional modifying of material characteristics such as improving porosity and surface area, the stability and potential risks of adsorbents in complex condition, and their efficient separation and regeneration should be taken into consideration in further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through effectively harvesting and converting solar energy, photocatalysis has become one of the most important technologies in wastewater decontamination and hydrogen production. Currently, extensive studies are being conducted to develop photocatalysts with advanced features, such as visible-light response, heterogeneous nanoarchitecture, plasmonic effect, and excellent optical behavior. Finding efficient utilization technique to improve photocatalytic performance motivates researchers all over the world. Herein, we demonstrate the design of a visible-light-driven Pd/Fe 2 O 3 /BiVO 4 hybrid with 3D ordered macro-/mesoporous (3DOM) nanoarchitecture for efficiently photocatalytic organic degradation and photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. The hybrid photocatalyst exhibited two-tier bandgap energies and possessed enhanced ability to harvest visible light and separate photo-induced carriers. It is shown that, over the Pd/Fe 2 O 3 /3DOM-BiVO 4 photocatalyst, not only the refractory phenol could be rapidly degraded into CO 2 and H 2 O, but also the photoconversion efficiency was greatly improved in water splitting to generate H 2 . The excellent photocatalytic performance of Pd/Fe 2 O 3 /BiVO 4 was associated with the construction of low-crystalline plasmonic heterointerfaces through the 3DOM framework. The produced synergistic action enabled the hybrid material to absorb the sunlight adequately and transfer the photoexcited carriers expediently to drive phenol degradation or hydrogen evolution from water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezocatalysis is capable of converting mechanical vibrations into chemical energy, portraying a promising alternative technology for hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) production. Environmentally benign lead-free barium titanate piezocatalyst has received particular attention due to its ferroelectric property. However, the reported H 2 O 2 yield is not ideal and one of the reasons is the undesirable piezoelectricity. Herein, a series of lead-free perovskite oxides consisting of (1-x)Ba(Zr 0.2 Ti 0.8)O 3 –x(Ba 0.7 Ca 0.3)TiO 3 solid solutions are developed for H 2 O 2 production by introducing more favorable crystal phases to increase the piezoelectricity. The prepared perovskite oxides were characterized by significantly enhanced piezoeletricities owing to the coexistence of the ternary (orthorhombic, tetragonal and rhombohedral) phases with reduced energy barrier for polarization rotation. Benefiting from the notably improved piezoelectric property and appropriate oxygen vacancy concentration, the optimal composition of 0.5Ba(Zr 0.2 Ti 0.8)O 3 –0.5(Ba 0.7 Ca 0.3)TiO 3 exhibits an outstanding H 2 O 2 selective generation and long-lasting stability. Under ultrasonic irradiation, a superior H 2 O 2 yield of 692 µmol g-1 h-1 with a selectivity of 80% was attained, showing the enhancement by the factors of 3.3, 4.1 and 8.7 compared to Ba 0.7 Ca 0.3 TiO 3 , BaZr 0.2 Ti 0.8 O 3 and BaTiO 3 , respectively. Furthermore, the catalyst is highly stable by delivering a H 2 O 2 productivity of 3313 µmol g-1 in 14 h of piezocatalysis. Mechanism study suggests that H 2 O 2 generation stems from an efficient O 2 reduction via a two-electron transfer pathway, during which the piezopotential is of primary importance to provide driving force for the carrier separation and transportation. Moreover, the green and non-toxic piezocatalysis system based on the BaCaZrTi solid solutions can be applied for efficient water disinfection. This study offers guidance towards the rational design of lead-free piezocatalyst and reaction system for H 2 O 2 generation and its application. [Display omitted] • Piezocatalysts of BaCaZrTi solid solutions with ternary phases were prepared. • The superior activity and high stability of piezocatalytic H 2 O 2 generation over BCZT-0.5 were achieved. • The reaction mechanism and the enhancement of piezocatalytic activity were revealed. • Application of the piezocatalysis system over BCZT-x is exemplified for efficient sterilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] LSCO synthesized via a novel and facile one-pot dextrose-assisted hydrothermal route. [•] High-surface-area nanowire LSCO is prepared by the DHR method. [•] Surface area, Oads content, and reducibility account for the good catalytic activity. [•] Catalytic activity is related to surface area, oxygen adspecies and reducibility. [•] l-Lysine/dextrose ratio can greatly influence on the morphology and pore structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ordered mesoporous silicas are widely used in separation science and catalysis, however, their slow batch synthesis is a barrier to scale-up and new applications. SBA-15 is one of the most extensively studied and commercially available mesoporous silicas, whose textural properties can be readily tuned through judicious choice of synthesis conditions. Here we demonstrate the continuous flow synthesis of SBA-15 in high yield at 80 °C using a simple tube reactor without any mixing device. The resulting SBA-15 exhibits excellent textural properties, with a BET surface area of 566 m2 g−1 and ordered 5.1 nm mesopore channels in a p6mm arrangement, akin to those from conventional batch synthesis, but with far higher productivity than previously reported in batch or flow (5.3 g L−1 h−1 versus 0.4 and 0.6 g L−1 h−1 respectively). • A continuous flow protocol for the synthesis of mesoporous SBA-15. • Simple flow reactor configuration. • High SBA-15 yields (∼80%) at short residence time (17 min). • Increased productivity of flow synthesis demonstrated. • Control over physicochemical properties via tuning of synthesis parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water-gas shift (WGS) reaction has received renewed interest because it is one of the key reactions for producing hydrogen and renewable energy in contemporary technologies like fuel cells and bio-refineries. Catalysts play an important role in WGS reaction for achieving high CO conversion and hydrogen generation activity. Thus, the performance and stability of catalysts are vital for the WGS reaction. In the present work, the CuCe metal-organic framework (MOF) is used as a template to derive the nanostructured Cu/CeO 2 catalyst. The influence of CuCe-MOF templated approach on the WGS activity of Cu/CeO 2 has been established. Different Cu doping levels had a significant impact on WGS activity. Amongst, the Ce 0.8 Cu 0.2 O 2 (Cu2Ce) catalyst had a highest CO conversion (96%). The long-term stability tests further prove that the Cu2Ce catalyst had maintained high CO conversion over 100 h reaction time. XRD and TEM results suggest that different loadings of Cu content have a distinct impact on the dispersion of Cu and the catalytic properties. N 2 O chemisorption results suggest that 20 wt.% of Cu loading resulted in high Cu dispersion (52%) compared to other loadings. The H 2 -temperature programmed reduction (TPR) revealed that the superior catalytic activity of Cu2Ce catalyst could be attributed to the strong reducibility (i.e. lower redox temperature) derived from CuCe-MOF template. It further suggests well-dispersed copper oxide species at low Cu loadings and crystalline copper oxide species at high Cu loadings. This work emphasizes the significance of Cu/CeO 2 catalysts with exceptional catalytic activity and stability for the WGS process with MOF-precursor. [Display omitted] • Cu/CeO 2 catalysts are synthesized using CuCe-BTC-MOF as a porous template. • High Cu dispersion and strong redox behaviour of Cu/CeO 2 are inherited from MOF. • Enhanced CO conversion and a high stability are achieved. • Well-organized MOF-template approach is crucial for improved WGS activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesoporous nanocrystalline Mg 1-x Ni x Al 2 O 4 (x = 0.10, 0.13, 0.17 and 0.20) with large surface area were synthesized via a simple one-step sol-gel method using nonprecious metals. The prepared Mg 1-x Ni x Al 2 O 4 catalysts exhibit good catalytic performance towards methane and carbon dioxide dry reforming reaction. The catalysts were evaluated by various techniques, including XRD, BET, TPR, TPO, EPR, Chemisorption, SEM and TEM. All the Ni incorporated MgAl 2 O 4 samples possessed high BET area (296–305 m 2 g −1 ) and pore volume (0.47–0.56 cm 3 g −1 ) with small pore size (6.4–7.4 nm) in meso region after calcination at 700 °C. The TPR results suggested strong interaction effect in Ni Mg and the reducibility property of the catalysts improved with the increase of nickel doping. Mg 0.8 Ni 0.2 Al 2 O 4 exhibited the highest activity for biogas dry reforming with 72.6% CH 4 and 80.7% CO 2 conversion at 700 °C. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) results indicated that the incorporation of Ni in MgAl 2 O 4 spinel lattice led to the lattice distortion and formed oxygen vacancies which are a benefit for the dry reforming reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon spheres are widely used in energy storage due to their adjustable particle size, controllable shape, and variable surface physical and chemical properties. However, there are still problems such as low specific surface area and unsatisfactory ion transport kinetics in K+ storage. Although increasing the specific surface area of the active material can increase the K+ storage sites, the contact area between the active material and the electrolyte also increases, aggravating the occurrence of side reactions and the consumption of the active materials. We developed an N-doped mesoporous hollow carbon sphere with a novel morphology-a smooth exterior and wrinkled interior structure with a carbon-supported pseudo-bilayer carbon structure (IW-MHCS). Its smooth outer structure sufficiently reduces the contact area with the electrolyte, and the wrinkled inner structure effectively increases the specific surface area. The obtained IW-MHCS exhibits superior rate performance (120.6 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1) and sufficient capacity (202.7 mAh g−1 after 800 cycles at 1 A g−1) for K+ storage. This study provides a new insight into the structural design and morphological control of high-energy-storage carbon-based materials. [Display omitted] • A novel mesoporous hollow carbon spheres (HCSs) with pseudo-bilayer structure were synthesized. • The HCSs possess a smooth exterior surface and a wrinkled interior morphology. • The optimized sample exhibited excellent potassium storage performance. • The good electrochemical performance is ascribed to the unique microstructure of HCSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, the concern over depletion of the world׳s petroleum reserves and environmental pollution has increased the demand to develop a renewable and environmental friendly fuel. Biodiesel, which mainly consists of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) is one of the best substitutes for diesel fuel. Currently, vegetable oils, edible or non-edible, are the main resources of biodiesel. This review aims at providing comprehensive information and analyzes on biodiesel produced from edible and non-edible vegetable oils, their composition and specifications. Accordingly, the Fatty Acid (FA) profiles of 28 edible vegetable oils and 40 non-edible vegetable oils were collected. Their main specifications including sulfur content, density, viscosity, flash point, cloud point, pour point, cold filter plugging point, cetane number, iodine number, heating value, acid value and carbon residual before and after transesterification (vegetable oil and biodiesel, respectively) were analyzed in detail. Many researchers have developed prediction models to quantify biodiesel specifications to optimize its manufacturing and obtain biodiesel with the best specifications. Three factors that are especially influential are the fatty acids profiles, the degree of unsaturation within the FA structures and molecular weight. Accordingly, many models have been constructed on these features. There are also models that quantify the relationship between the biodiesel specifications and its thermodynamic properties or other specifications. Accordingly, the second part of this work was conducted on the existing prediction models. All the models were discussed along with their deviation in prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High surface area catalyst prepared by a simple ammonia evaporation method. • La doping improves strong MSI and Ni dispersion. • La doping enhances CO 2 adsorption and decreases CO 2 adsorption energy. • Compelling low-temperature CO 2 methanation performance and stability. • Reaction intermediates include formate and CO* in low-temperature CO 2 methanation. The investigation into CO 2 conversion technologies has gained momentum due to escalating concerns about climate change and the pressing need for sustainable energy sources. While Ni-based catalysts have shown promise in CO 2 methanation, they often exhibit moderate activity. In this study, we sought to address this limitation by incorporating La into Ni nanoparticles supported on SiO 2 using the ammonia evaporation method. The La-doped Ni/SiO 2 catalyst demonstrated a significant improvement in CO 2 conversion, achieving a competitive 71.1 % compared to the 40.2 % observed with the Ni/SiO 2 catalyst at 275 °C. This improvement is evident in the high space–time yield of methane (STY CH4) at 227.3 mmol/(g·h) and a turnover frequency of (TOF CO2) at 0.36 s−1. The incorporation of La species modifies the electronic properties of Ni through electron transfer from Ni to La, resulting in a Ni-La interaction effect. Temperature-programmed reduction and desorption, probed by H 2 and CO 2 , reveal enhanced hydrogen atom spillover and stronger CO 2 adsorption capacity on the La-doped Ni-based catalyst. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations unraveled the underlying mechanisms of La-mediated enhancement, elucidating lower adsorption for CO 2 energy barrier and facilitated activation of C O bonds on the La-doped Ni-based catalyst. In-situ DRIFTS results indicated that, despite both catalysts following a CO pathway, La-doped Ni/SiO 2 possessed more accessible active sites for CO 2 methanation, whereas Ni/SiO 2 shows higher occupancy of active sites by adsorbed CO and formate species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A serious of Fe/HBEA catalysts were prepared by impregnation methods under different calcination temperatures, and their catalytic activity in selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO x with ammonia were tested. The influence of calcination temperature on the microstructures of zeolite support, iron species, redox ability and reactant adsorption ability was investigated in detail by various characterization methods. Results showed that calcination temperature showed significantly influence on catalytic activity and selectivity of serial Fe/HBEA catalysts in NH3-SCR reaction. Some agglomeration of Fe/HBEA catalyst occurred at high calcination temperature (especially above 850°C), which result in drastic decrease of surface area and pore volume of Fe/HBEA catalysts. Meanwhile, the surface Lewis and Brönsted acidity of zeolite did not change when the calcination temperature was below 750°C, but significantly decreased above 850°C. Furthermore, high temperature aging led to some reduction migration of iron ions out of ion exchange sites on the Fe/HBEA catalyst. Consequently, iron oxide clusters are mainly formed upon Fe migration, which contributed to the SCR activity above 450°C. The deactivation of Fe/HBEA catalysts calcined at high temperatures was ascribed to surface area and pore volume decrease, Lewis and Brönsted acid sites inhibition, and the loss of iron ions and formation of iron oxide clusters. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Schematic diagram of proposed next-generation artificial nitrogen cycle process based on electrochemical and photocatalytic reactions. [Display omitted] The nitrogen cycle is an important part of the global biogeochemical cycle, while the human activities have already caused a severe imbalance of the global nitrogen cycle. In this review, we proposed a new generation of artificial nitrogen cycle via electrochemical and photocatalytic reactions. In details, the N 2 from the air, NO 3 −/NO 2 − containing wastewater, nitrogen oxides from vehicle emission are all able to be utilized as a nitrogen source for the synthesis of NH 3 under ambient conditions. The oxidation of NH 3 , N 2 and nitrogen oxides can all achieve the aim of obtaining NO 3 −. Hydrazine can also be synthesized electrochemical and photochemical reactions. Utilizing electrochemical and photocatalytic processes enables to eliminate the hazardous of nitrogen-containing organic chemicals, and some inorganic nitrogen polluted wastewater. More importantly, coupling N-based reaction with other reaction like CO 2 reduction enables to synthesize some high-value chemicals such as urea. Then we highlighted some recent achievements in these reactions and proposed some future potential developing directions. The results and funding of this work may help us develop highly efficient catalysts and strategies for the artificial nitrogen cycle, repairing the broken nitrogen cycle balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique serves as a passive sampling method, inducing analyte transport and concentration. Its application is widespread in assessing labile components of metals, organic matter, and nutrients across various environmental media such as water, sediments, and saturated soils. The DGT devices effectively reduce the porewater concentration through irreversible binding of solutes, consequently promoting the release of labile species from the soil/sediment solid phase. However, the precise quantification of simultaneous adsorption and desorption of labile species using DGT devices alone remains a challenge. To address this challenge, the DGT-Induced Fluxes in Soils and Sediments (DIFS) model was developed. This model simulates analyte kinetics in solid phases, solutions, and binding resins by incorporating factors such as soil properties, resupply parameters, and kinetic principles. While the DIFS model has been iteratively improved to increase its accuracy in portraying kinetic behavior in soil/sediment, researchers' incomplete comprehension of it still results in unrealistic fitting outcomes and an oversight of the profound implications posed by kinetic parameters during implementation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the optimization and utilization of DIFS models, encompassing fundamental concepts behind DGT devices and DIFS models, the kinetic interpretation of DIFS parameters, and instances where the model has been applied to study soils and sediments. It also highlights preexisting limitations of the DIFS model and offers suggestions for more precise modeling in real-world environments. [Display omitted] • DGT technology reveals the kinetic processes of pollutants in soil or sediment. • DIFS model reflects the reservoir and resupply rate of labile analytes. • The limitations and correction approaches of the DIFS model should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethanol steam reforming is a promising reaction which produces hydrogen from bio and synthetic ethanol. In this study, the nano-structured Ni-based bimetallic supported catalysts containing Cu, Co and Mg were synthesized through impregnation method and characterized by XRD, BET, SEM, TPR and TPD analysis. The prepared catalysts were tested in steam reforming of ethanol in the S/C = 6, GHSV of 20,000 mL/(g cat h) at the temperature range of 450–600 °C. Among the xNi/CeO 2 (x = 10, 13, 15 wt%) catalyst, the sample containing 13 wt% Ni with surface area of 64 m2/g showed the best performance with 89% ethanol conversion and 71% H 2 selectivity as well as low CO selectivity of 8% at 600 °C and The addition of Cu, Mg, and Co to catalyst structure were evaluated and it was found that the nature of second metal has a strong influence on the catalyst selectivity for H 2 production. Considering to results of TPR analysis, the 13Ni–4Cu/CeO 2 catalyst showed proper reduction which caused in better activity. On the other side based on TPD analysis, the more basic property of 13Ni–4Mg/CeO 2 bimetallic catalyst provided a better condition to methane steam reforming, leading to lower CH 4 selectivity and consequently more H 2 production. The 13Ni–4Cu/CeO 2 exhibited the highest activity and lowest selectivity towards ethanol conversion and CO production about 99% and 4%, while the 13Ni–4Mg/CeO 2 catalyst possessed the highest H 2 selectivity and lowest CH 4 selectivity about 74% and 1% respectively at 600 °C. The Ni–Cu and Ni–Mg bimetallic catalysts shows good stability with time on stream. Image 1 • 13 wt% Ni/CeO 2 catalyst with proper activity and sufficiently hydrogen selectivity at 600 °C. • Increasing the catalytic activity towards ESR reaction by using the promoter of Cu, Mg and Co. • Obtaining almost full conversion over 13Ni–4Cu/CeO 2 catalyst at 600 °C. • Increasing the water-gas shift reaction by using 4 wt% Cu to formulation of 13Ni/CeO 2 catalyst. • High improvement of the methane steam reforming by addition of 4 wt% Mg as promoter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The g-C3N4/TiO2 heterojunction nanoparticles are firmly immobilised on PAA/PTFE UFM. • The g-C3N4/TiO2/PAA/PTFE UFM shows superb hydrophilicity, anti-fouling and water flux. • Exceptional visible-light regeneration of the fouled g-C3N4/TiO2/PAA/PTFE is demonstrated. • The enhanced anti-fouling and photocatalytic self-cleaning mechanisms are reasonalised. Membrane fouling due to superhydropobicity of polytetrafluoroethylene ultrafiltration membranes (PTFE UFMs) represents a grand challenge for their practical applications in diverse water treatment industries. Surface immobilisation of hydrophilic and chemically stable inorganic metal oxides (TiO 2 , ZrO 2 , etc) has been developed to improve hydrophilicity of the PTFE UFMs, though they still suffer from expensive and repeating regenerations once fouled. To address such issues, we strive to firmly immobilize g-C 3 N 4 modified TiO 2 (g-C 3 N 4 /TiO 2 , hereafter CNTO) onto PTFE UFM via a facile plasma-enhanced surface graft technique using polyacrylic acid (PAA) as a bridging agent. As reported here, the obtained CNTO/PAA/PTFE UFM shows much smaller surface water contact angle (WCA) of 62.3° than that of bare PTFE UFM(115.8°), leading to enhanced water flux of 830 L m−2 h-1 in the initial ultrafiltration of modelled waste-water containing methylene blue (MB). The CNTO/PAA/PTFE UFM is highly resistant to fouling in the prolonged filtration of 1000 mg/L bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution, while the fouled CNTO/PAA/PTFE UFM is able to regenerate rapidly under either UV or visible-light irradiation. The enhanced performance of the novel CNTO/PAA/PTFE UFM is reasonably attributed to its high wettability and robust photocatalytic activity of the g-C 3 N 4 /TiO 2 coating that follows different self-cleaning mechanisms under UV and visible light irradiations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]